Romans 8:1 (NKJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

To be able to boldly stand up and say, "I no longer feel condemned," is huge for most believers. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." No condemnation is the goal and Romans 8:1 is our promise. Since it is a promise, we need to learn to walk in it. We must receive the promise and then, know how to obtain and maintain it. To walk in this promise of freedom from condemnation, you must know what condemnation means. It is feeling unworthy, not good enough, to receive a judgment of being unfit. The Word says, you must no longer feel that way! Where do you feel condemned? Where does this feeling reside? We must locate it. 1 John 3:20, Amplified Classic, says, "Whenever our hearts in [tormenting] self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. [For we are in God's hands.] For He is above and greater than our consciences (our hearts), and He knows (perceives and understands) everything [nothing is hidden from Him]." Our heart, or as the Bible identifies, our conscience is the place condemnation occurs and resides; and if it is not dealt with, it will live there like the cancer it is. Paul said in Acts 24:16 (NIV), "So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." I Timothy 1:19 (NLT) says, "Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked."

Can you see it? Your conscience must be kept clear before God and man; and if you don't keep it clear, your faith in God will get shipwrecked. If you violate your conscience, you are headed for a shipwreck of epic proportion. How do we keep our conscience clear before God? Hebrews 9:14 says, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" When you get born again, the spotless blood of Jesus purges (deletes) your conscience from all the dead stuff. Hebrews 9:9 also deals with the conscience, and it says, "Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience." Only the blood of Jesus can delete what’s in the conscience; and, therefore, remove the guilt and shame. The blood of Jesus has freed me from condemnation. What about after you are born again? What about the condemnation that a believer is experiencing?

It comes from one of two places: a believer is either practicing some kind of sin, or they have a sin consciousness instead of a righteous consciousness. 1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." How awesome to know that as we walk in the light of God's Word, the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us. If we sin, we can repent, and the blood of Jesus will cleanse us and purge our conscience. You and I should be forever grateful for the blood of Jesus! The blood of Jesus makes us clean and gets rid of all guilt and every trace of condemnation.