Not Condemned

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God," John 3:18.

The soul that trusts in Jesus Christ shall be saved, shall not perish nor be condemned. This verse is about your legal standing before God, not your good works. If I condemn someone, what am I doing? I'm passing judgment on them and I've declared them guilty. If I find myself in court, and I hear, "Doug Newell, the court finds you guilty on all charges and sentences you to hang by the neck until dead," I'm a condemned man. Some people might cheer, some might cry, but I'm condemned. The trial is over and my fate is sealed. Jesus said, if you do not believe in him, you are condemned already.  Right now. Guilty. A condemned man.

But Jesus gives life and pardon. Jesus did not come to condemn because we were already condemned. Jesus came to save sinners who needed saving. He came to give life to those who didn't have it. He came to give pardon to those who were due to perish. To see or enter in to the kingdom of God, a man must be born again. The natural man needs spiritual life that can only come by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit of God. Whosoever has faith in the Son of God, shall not perish. But why would he perish? Because he is a sinner and has broken the law. The natural man is dead in trespasses and in sins, born under a curse. We willingly break God's law and are unwilling to do right and the condemnation for law breakers is death. The wages of sin is death, and unless we are born again, we will not only die in the flesh but die the second death in the fires of Hell.

"But he who believes is not condemned," is present tense. That means those who believe have life, and  the promise and hope of eternal life, but also have be justified. We have been found innocent. How can guilty sinners be found innocent? The righteousness of Jesus Christ has been imputed to our account by faith. Freed from the condemnation of sin that we deserved and  declared innocent of all charges. We face judgment in the future because our sins have already been dealt with. The Father judged our sins in Christ Jesus, who was made sin for us.  Jesus was declared guilty on my behalf, because he bore my sins and was punished on the cross in my stead. The Father was satisfied with the punishment and the debt of sin was paid. I was pardoned, forgiven. I also, by faith, received Jesus' righteousness. By faith in Christ, by God's grace, I'm righteousness. I'm innocent because I've been pardoned, forgiven, cleansed and then given the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.