“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk after the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” — Romans 8:1

To be condemned means to be found guilty, sentenced to punishment, disapproved, or under judgment. Guilt is a burden and a weight that holds us back from realizing our destiny and potential. Though we have been declared free from sin through the grace of Jesus Christ, many of us still carry with us the guilt of our past sins and mistakes, and those burdens hold us back from truly enjoying the gift of freedom that God gave us. We will never know what it truly means to be a child of God if we do not free ourselves of our guilt. Guilt keeps us from fully accepting the unconditional love of Christ and from truly loving ourselves. It makes us feel that we do not deserve the blessings of God and keeps us anxiously waiting and wondering when we will experience the failure or disaster that we deserve. This implies that we do not understand the power of justification and have not really received the gift of grace that God gave us.

The book of Romans is one of the most powerful books in the Bible. In Romans, the Apostle Paul helps us understand the depravity of man, the sovereignty of God and the freedom that we have in our relationship with Christ. After reminding us of how powerless we are in the midst of the law and how powerful grace is to save us even from ourselves, he begins Romans 8:1 with the words “there is therefore no condemnation.” What a relief—what freedom! I do not have to walk around feeling guilty, ashamed, disapproved of by God or under judgment. I no longer have to carry shame and the emotional scars of my past mistakes. However, notice that the Apostle Paul explains certain conditions for us to be able to enjoy this freedom and relief. To be free from condemnation, I must:

⦁ Be in Christ Jesus 
⦁ Not walk according to the flesh 
⦁ Walk according to the Spirit

The apostle recognized that those who walk in condemnation are not allowing Christ to reign in their hearts and lives. They may have professed faith in Him, but they are not walking in Him and therefore not allowing His Word to guide their thinking. As a result, they are walking according to the flesh rather than the Spirit. They are being controlled by how they feel, what they see and what they hear, rather than by what they believe and what God has revealed to them based on His Word. This is very counterintuitive, especially for the entrepreneur who somehow believes that one gets what he or she deserves. If we all got what we deserved, none of us would be here. Fortunately, we get what we believe through Jesus Christ instead. We all deserve death, but God gave us mercy and saved us from death because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. None of us deserve grace, but God gave us sufficient grace through Jesus Christ to overcome our weaknesses and realize the call He has upon our lives.

What has been holding you back from giving your all to build the business that God has called you to build? Repent and free yourself from the guilt and shame of the past and allow God to show Himself mightily through you. Just remember to give Him all the glory and the praise. As a result, everyone will know that God is your strength and your reason for contentment and success, and He will be given the credit.

My prayer for you today is that your eyes would be opened to see the greatness of the Lord’s gift or mercy and grace so that you may enjoy the freedom that God has for you in the pursuit of your call.

Reflection: You are blessed to be a blessing, so who can you bless each day?

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