Language Lab: What Is “condemnation”?

Language Lab: What Is “Condemnation”?

Bible Blast: Read Romans 5:17-19

Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16

Today’s Language Lab might make you picture an old, evil-looking judge sitting up on his throne. He points his long, bony finger at the accused in front of him and says in a booming voice, “You are condemned to the dungeon forever!” When someone is condemned, it usually means that person was tried and found guilty and will spend the rest of his or her life in prison, or something like it.

The Bible talks about condemnation as what happens to those who don’t believe in Jesus and follow him. In your Bible Blast today the passage explains how Adam’s disobedience brought sin and death into the world. Before he and Eve ate that fruit in the Garden of Eden, nobody was condemned to death. But after their sin, every other living human being on earth would follow in sin. We are born sinful (Psalm 51:5), and because of that we are condemned—or sentenced—to die physically and spiritually.

But the story doesn’t end there.

When Jesus came and died for our sins, he made a way for us to be made right with God even though we are guilty of sin. Because of that free gift of salvation, we will live for eternity with Jesus.

It’s so discouraging to look around and see so many people making the choice to live in sin, especially since you know the truth of Romans 8:1, which says there is no condemnation for those who live in Christ Jesus. If you know Jesus, you are totally, 100 percent free from condemnation and death. Death is never the winner when someone follows Christ. Even after our bodies die here on earth, we’ll keep on living in heaven forever and ever and ever and ever and, well, you get the picture.

Now that you know what condemnation is, I hope you’ll realize what a responsibility you have to share Jesus and his free gift of salvation with others. Jesus is the only remedy for someone who is on a road of condemnation.

Girl Gab: Pray for your town or city, believing that everyone living there can be brought into a relationship with Jesus. If the weather is nice today, take a prayer walk through your neighborhood, and pray for everyone you can by name.