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Authors: Joseph Prince

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BOOK: Reign In Life: 90 Powerful Inspirations For Extraordinary Breakthroughs
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Today’s Scripture
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”
J
OHN
9:1–3
I
n an earlier reading, I talked about how the enemy’s name is “the accuser.” True to his name, he does not deal with what is peripheral or get distracted by superficial details in your life. As a master prosecutor, the devil goes straight for the deepest root in your life and uses the law to heap guilt and condemnation on you. He knows that if he can get you under condemnation and guilt, then fear, stress, and all kinds of sicknesses will follow.
This has always been and still is, the strategy he uses to afflict you today. He makes you feel guilty in your role as a father. He makes you feel guilty as a provider. He makes you feel guilty as an employee. He makes you feel guilty as an employer. He will even make you feel guilty for being sick!
Now, my friend, listen carefully to what I am about to say: a believer should never feel guilty for being sick. Believe me that the enemy will make you feel guilty and condemned for being sick. And we have to be careful not to create a culture in the church where people think that you will never be attacked by symptoms of a sickness if you are walking with God. Having a sickness or disease does not mean that you have sinned or that God is teaching you a lesson. It just means that your healing is on its way!
When Jesus and His disciples saw a man born blind, His disciples asked Him if the man was born blind because he had sinned or because his parents had sinned. See how the enemy had planted this accusation of guilt and condemnation into their thinking! Jesus answered, “Neither.” He went on to say, “I am the light of the world,” and proceeded to open the man’s eyes (John 9:1–7). I love Jesus’ style!
My friend, when there is a problem, such as a sickness, in your life, deal directly with it. Don’t ask whose fault it is! Don’t ask if it is your father’s fault or your grandfather’s fault. No, let’s learn to handle situations Jesus’ way. When faced with a man who was blind, Jesus declared that He was the light of the world and proceeded to heal the man. So don’t let the devil make you feel guilty for being sick. It is guilt that will keep you sick!
Stand strong on this declaration: “no weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn” (Isa. 54:17). What is the weapon that the devil uses against you? We have learned that it is the law. The devil uses the law to speak words of guilt and condemnation to you and remind you that you have fallen short. But by the blood of Jesus, you have the authority and power to condemn every word of judgment that comes against you!
This is God’s promise to you today—
no weapon formed against you shall prosper
. It’s not because your behavior is perfect, but because your standing in Christ is perfect. Your victory is firmly secured through Jesus’ finished work, which is your heritage in Christ.
Today’s Thought
Having a sickness or disease does not mean that I have sinned or that God is teaching me a lesson. It just means that my healing is on its way!
Today’s Prayer
Father, I stand on Your unfailing promise that no weapon formed against me shall prosper because my standing in Christ is perfect. I thank You that You do not send weapons of sickness and disease to punish me or teach me a lesson. Today, I believe that if there are symptoms in my body, then it simply means that Your healing is on the way, whatever the affliction, big or small. I believe that by the stripes laid on Jesus, I am healed and my victory is secure! In Jesus’ name, Amen
.
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the L
ORD
, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the L
ORD
.
I
SAIAH
54:17
“… how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
A
CTS
10:38
Today’s Scripture
When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
J
OHN
8:10–11
P
eople often ask, “If believers know that they are free from all condemnation, won’t they go out and sin?” Well, they should talk to Katy, who is chaplain for a corrections facility housing female prisoners in Southern California. After she discovered the message of grace and experienced freedom from condemnation, her life was not the same. She even felt led by the Lord to share directly out of one of my books with the women at the corrections facility. This was the reception:
God is using this revelation of His grace to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free. Physical healings are taking place. Wrong mindsets are being changed. The women are also experiencing freedom from addictions, and their hurting lives are also being transformed by His great unconditional love and the abundance of His grace!
Katy and the female prisoners who received the gospel of grace would tell you it is a lie to even suggest that freedom from condemnation would lead to sin. It is just the opposite! Hallelujah! The women began to reign in life over their sins and addictions and to be healed of their brokenness. And they are not alone—this is the constant refrain in the letters and emails this ministry gets from people all over the world who can’t wait to share their deliverance and victory over things that have kept them in defeat. My friend, freedom from condemnation doesn’t lead you deeper into sin. It actually empowers you to break free from sin, from its painful consequences, and it causes you to fall more deeply in love with Jesus and His grace!
From today’s Scripture, you will notice that our Lord clearly did not think that freedom from condemnation would lead to a life of sin. Now, pay close attention to the account of the woman who was caught in adultery: Jesus gave her the gift of “no condemnation”
before
He told her to go and sin no more. Yet, many places today reverse the order and say to women such as the ones in the correctional facility, “Go and sin no more first, and only then will we not condemn you.” Subtly or not so subtly, they are being told to get their lives together first, before they can be part of the church. That’s the reason they and others are shying away from places where they hear this. It is not because they are rebelling against Jesus. It is because they have not been introduced to the real Jesus who gives the guilty sinner
the gift of no condemnation!
Too often, nonbelievers have only been introduced to Christianity as a set of rules that only judges and condemns them. But my friend, Christianity is not about laws. It is about Jesus and how He shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, for without blood, the Bible says that there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22). That is why Christianity is a relationship based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ. His blood washed away all our sins and He fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf.
Let me ask you a question: was the woman brought before Jesus guilty? Yes, she was “caught in adultery, in the very act” (John 8:4). But instead of condemning her according to the law of Moses, which required her to be stoned to death, Jesus showed her grace and gave her the gift of no condemnation.
Do you think that this woman would go off, look for her lover, and jump back into bed with him after she had received the gift of no condemnation? No, of course not! It is obvious that Jesus believed that when someone really has a revelation that God does not condemn him, he would have the power to get out of the vicious cycle of sin. He would have the power to “go and sin no more”!
The truth is that Jesus’ grace swallows up sin. Let His words—“Neither do I condemn you”—transform your heart today and give you the power to “go and sin no more.”
Today’s Thought
Jesus’ gift of no condemnation to me empowers me to go and sin no more
.
Today’s Prayer
Father, I thank You that I can enjoy Your gift of no condemnation and undeserved favor because Jesus paid for all my sins and unrighteousness at the cross. Thank You that my relationship with You is based on the fact that Jesus’ blood has washed away all my sins and that He met and fulfilled on my behalf all the requirements of the law. I believe that Your grace and forgiveness will empower me to live a life that always honors You. Amen
.
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone
.
R
OMANS
5:18
NLT
If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!
2 C
ORINTHIANS
3:9
NLT
Today’s Scripture
Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven… Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
L
UKE
7:48, 50
I
magine this: you are about to enter into a time of worship in church and as the leader gives the invitation, he asks you and all the other believers to first search your hearts for any sin that would keep you from the Lord’s presence. Tell me, what happens to your heart when you begin to search for sin? And what happens to your worship?
One of the things that I was taught during my formative years as a Christian was that I had to search my heart for sin before I could worship the Lord. Each time I did so, I felt as though I was entering a dark and dingy storeroom full of cobwebs. I pictured myself peering around and searching for all my sins with a little torchlight. Been there? And the more I searched, the more I found, and the more I felt unworthy to enter God’s holy presence.
So instead of being more conscious of the beauty and love of my Savior, I became more and more conscious of my sins, uncleanness, and guilt. Initially, my hands would be raised and I would be all ready to praise and worship God. But the more I searched my heart for sin, the more my hands would hang down with dejection. How could I worship God? How could I have the courage and audacity to enter His courts with praise?
As I grew and matured in the things of God, I realized that the idea that you had to be “right” before you could worship Jesus is man’s
tradition
. For instance, the woman in Luke 7, who came to Jesus with an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, simply fell at His feet and worshiped Him. She washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair before anointing them with the oil. The Bible clearly records that the woman was a sinner, and many believe that she was a prostitute, but it says nothing about her stopping to search her heart or confess her sins before she worshiped Jesus. She worshiped Him just as she was, and after that, Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
I believe that the devil has tried to rob us of this tremendous truth. Whatever your need is, whether you are mired in debt, trapped in a particular sin, or fearful for your future, come to Jesus. He is your Savior. He is your healer. He is your provider. He is your peace. He is your forgiveness. He is your “I AM” (see Ex. 3:14), which means that He is the great “I AM” for whatever you need Him to be in your situation.
Whatever lack you may be facing right now, He loves you and He is your solution. Come and worship Him just as you are, and He
will
meet you at your point of need. You don’t have to worry about the mistakes you have made because you are worshiping your forgiver. You don’t have to worry about your sickness because you are worshiping your healer. If believers really knew this truth, even wild horses would not be able to stop them from coming to worship God!
Beloved, come and worship with the boldness and confidence that this woman did. You will hear Jesus say, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Today’s Thought
When I come and worship Jesus just as I am, He will meet me at my point of need
.
Today’s Prayer
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am to worship boldly and fearlessly because You have forgiven me. Thank You that You are my Savior, my healer, my provider, my peace, my forgiveness, and my great “I AM” for whatever situation I am facing right now. I believe that I never need to worry because You will meet me at every point of my need. I receive Your favor, Your healing, Your supply, Your wisdom, and Your peace to rise above every storm today. Amen
.
BOOK: Reign In Life: 90 Powerful Inspirations For Extraordinary Breakthroughs
5.27Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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