Now No Condemnation

Free to walk forward—no chains, no condemnation, just the rising light of union with Christ.

Today's Abide Above devotional draws a critical distinction between being dead to sin (Romans 6) and being dead to the law (Romans 7). Many believers embrace the freedom from sin, yet remain entangled in a law-based mindset, believing that God's acceptance is still tied to their performance. The devotional warns that even the beautiful life and love of Christ can be subtly turned into law if we approach them as standards we must measure up to, rather than life we receive. This turns grace into burden and liberty into bondage.

The writer reminds us that the law, even in its most noble form, cannot change the heart or produce fruit—it only reveals our inability and leaves us condemned. But the gospel sets us free not just from sin’s grip, but from law’s demands. We are now united to the risen Christ, not as spiritual employees trying to earn a wage, but as His beloved bride, invited to bear fruit by abiding in His indwelling life.

Journal Entry (Written in the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture)

You are no longer bound to the old contract. The law that once held you captive no longer defines your worth, no longer commands your effort, and no longer wields its shadow of condemnation. Through the body of Christ, you died to that system—not in part, but completely. And now, you belong to Another. Not to a rule, but to a risen, living, loving Lord.

This union is not built on your merit but on My faithfulness. You are now joined to the One who has conquered death, that you might bear fruit—not through laboring, but by living in Me. The fruit I produce in you is not the result of your effort to mimic Christ but the result of Christ’s life expressing Himself through you.

When you once tried to live by law, it stirred up sin and led to failure. But now you walk not under that shadow. You walk in liberty. You walk in Me. I do not bring condemnation; I bring life and peace. I do not demand that you imitate Christ; I reveal Him through your yielded life.

You are not under law but under grace. And where grace reigns, love flows—not as duty, but as delight. No longer entangled, no longer striving, no longer looking inward for power you don’t possess—you now look to Me, who lives in you, and through you.

This is the freedom with which Christ has made you free. Stand in it. Live in it. Rejoice in it.

(Romans 7:4, Romans 6:14, Romans 8:1-2, Galatians 5:1, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 1:11, John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 3:6)

Prayer of Restful Confidence

Father, I rejoice today that You have fully released me from the old way of striving and measuring. I am not under law, nor do I live by a rulebook—no matter how noble. I have been joined to Christ, and that changes everything.

Today I gladly rest in the liberty You’ve given. I trust You to express the life of Jesus through me. Not as a duty, but as a delight. Not to prove something, but to bear fruit that flows naturally from abiding in You. There is no condemnation here—only life. Thank You for this new way of living.

Credits:
Devotional insights adapted from Abide Above.
Photo on Unsplash.