When we first appeared to this world; that is when we were born, we came in with a sentence. We were sentenced to death; condemned to eternal damnation. With out our knowledge of a pre-existing sentence many people carry out their lives without a bother. Condemned to expresses an unfavorable or adverse judgment on; sentence to punishment, to be pronounced unfit for use or service. Throughout the ages many people have been condemned to death row for crimes they either committed or did not commit. The emotional withdrawal must be unthinkable to know that on such and such date your life will be terminated.
John 3:17-18
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Our status of guilt in this world was altered when God sent his Son to die at the cross. Before Christ, man was guilty and there was little that he could do to rectify that. But, when Jesus came there came an alternative to the guilty verdict; a legal battle began and is on going. In a court of law depending on how convincing the defense is will determine the favor of the verdict. In Christ, all charges are dropped when we believe and all condemnation is averted (Ro. 8:1). Like those on death row, we at one time were on our way to eternal condemnation, God sentenced man to death (Ro. 6:23) and our court case has had a continuation. Circumstantial evidence has been mounting against us with out our knowledge; a legal case that will prove our verdict. Christian Hernandez a 13 year old boy who killed his half brother and sexually abused his other brother is without complete knowledge of whether his sentence will be. With out any hope this child will suffer the penalty for his action. Our sentence is unlike Christian in that we have an offset to our sentence (2 Cor. 3:9).
Our sentence of condemnation becomes default when we chose to believe in the only begotten son of God. That mounting court case for our wrong doings takes a halt (Ps. 34:22). God’s saving power is reflected in Jesus and his mission to release us from the verdict (Ps. 102:19-21). The debt now receives cancellation because of Christ (Col. 2:14). Imagine if within our court system there was a way for ones trespass to receive cancellation, maybe Christian Hernandez would have a brand new chance at life. In Christ, we can have a fresh start and be able to step out of the one way trip to condemnation.