As I began maturing spiritually, I found myself questioning something that had always bothered me: why is self-condemnation considered a sin? Why is it wrong to feel bad about ourselves or our mistakes? God’s Word teaches us that self-condemnation goes against the truth of God’s love, grace, and forgiveness. Romans 8:1 (NLT) says, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” This is Good News—the best! We don’t belong to ourselves; we belong to God. He has redeemed us through the sacrifice of Christ, and because of this, God stamps us “WORTHY!” He calls us His masterpiece—His finest work. So, you and I don’t have the right to call “condemned” what God calls “righteous,” especially when He gave the life of His only begotten Son to make us that way.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), we’re reminded: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Becoming a new creation in Christ means we have the incredible privilege to leave behind who we were before salvation. We don’t have to live in shame or guilt anymore because God has made us new, and He’s made us righteous through Jesus Christ. Our mistakes do not define us. We are defined by our Heavenly Father, who has made us brothers and sisters of Christ.
What a blessing to know that God does not condemn us for our sin. Now we can’t it twisted; God strongly opposes sin. There’s no getting around that, but Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) assures us: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This truth should reshape the way we view ourselves. Condemning what God has sanctified and made righteous contradicts the very love and grace that He has lavished upon us. 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT) tells us, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.” This means that Christ lives in us, and our bodies are sacred. They are a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, and he is doing a work on the inside of us. It’s our responsibility to honor God with our bodies by loving, appreciating, and caring for them, knowing they are a gift from Him.
I can understand how easy it is to fall into the trap of self-condemnation when we feel like we’re falling short, but we must remember the truth. Instead of listening to our negative thoughts, we need to remind ourselves what 1 John 3:20-21 (NLT) says: “Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.” This is what our Heavenly Father wants. He wants us to come to Him boldly, with confidence in His unfailing love and power. By focusing on God’s promises, we can strengthen our faith and begin to truly love the Christ within us. When we recognize who we are in Christ, we honor him in the way we think, speak, and care for ourselves. God’s love in us is unshakable, and it’s time we start believing it and loving ourselves by trusting Him and doing our best to live by His Word. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Love the Christ in You”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.