Sunday, March 22, 2009

God's Voice of Condemnation

God's Voice of Condemnation
Nov 3, 2008
Romans 8:1 "...there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Have you ever had someone point the finger at you? It is not pleasant. It is accusatory, judgmental, and very hurtful. We usually shy away from people who are like that, even if they are correct. The method of reaching a person or changing a person is never effective when the tone and actions are aggressive or attacking in nature. People may use these tactics but God does not.

God does not point the finger at you or get in your face about anything. He may be disappointed in your actions, but He will never point the finger at you in order to shame, accuse, or judge you. The voice of judgment is only for the end of times. In the mean time, He only uses the voice of love, not the voice of condemnation. The voice of love is meant to build up, correct, and lead. It is never to shame, pronounce judgment, or accuse you of wrongdoing.

In scripture, any time Jesus was confronting a person, He did it through the voice of love. He made sure the person He was confronting felt safe and comfortable with Him before He spoke into their lives. He never launched an attack on them, ambushed them, or embarrassed them in front of others. He did not use a harsh or judgmental tone when He dealt with individuals unless they were in direct rebellion against Him.

Many times we hear the Lord's voice speaking to us or we hear Him through the scriptures but we never actually understand His true voice. We filter it through our own insecurities or hear His "audible" voice through the skewed image we have of our own earthly fathers. If you are living your Christian life and you always feel the voice of the Lord is condemning you, get rid of your insecurities and realize that He loves you and is speaking to you in a gentle, loving voice. If you still feel He is speaking harshly to you, then check your heart and consider you might be in direct rebellion against Him. If you've checked your heart and you still feel He is speaking harshly to you, then it is not God's voice at all; it is Satan's voice.

Likewise, if you are trying to reach others with the message of the Gospel or correct and lead someone, you should follow the example of Christ and use the voice of love, rather than the voice of judgment and condemnation.

1. Do you hear the Lord's voice condemning you or correcting you in love?
2. Do you respond better to the condemning voice or the voice of love?
3. Shouldn't you change your tone with others to be that of love?
Add. Scriptures for Study: Prov 15:1, John 4:10-12, John 8:3-11, 1 Cor 13:1, 2 Cor 13:10

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