Sometimes it is our deep-seated fear of condemnation that causes us to look for condemnation in places it isn’t offered. I watched an interview of a cast from a popular television series talk about some of their interesting times together. One actor told about a practical joke he played on his more popular co-star. Before the taping of the show the actor went out to the audience and asked them to be totally quiet when this other actor was introduced and to go totally crazy when he was introduced. The crowd did their part exactly as requested. The actor who set up the practical joke commented that his co-actor later told him that it was the worst night of his life.

To be honest the actor’s response surprised me. They flashed back to a clip of the joke and you could see the confusion and fear on his face when the crowd did not applaud. Although he was the most popular character on the show, he still feared condemnation. Mother Theresa said, There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation than for bread. I never would have thought that a simple lack of applause on one night would cause such utter insecurity in an actor like that.

Condemnation is our greatest fear, and, like the actor, we find it in places that it isn’t real. Most of the fans in the audience were there just for him. They were only participating in a practical joke when they didn’t applaud. Most of them probably thought he would get that it was a joke without having to be told.

Satan knows how much we fear condemnation, so he offers so many ways for us to attempt to escape it. None of them work. One example would be trying to become the most popular actor in the world. Whatever escape Satan offers becomes a temporary fix. God knows that we need an escape from condemnation. He determined the only escape that was possible—the sacrifice of His own Son.

God says that Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn us—John 3:17. (Satan is the one who helped us come to the condemnable position in which we find ourselves). Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, rather to un-condemn us. Romans 8:1 says, Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That’s what our souls need. We need to know where to find relief from condemnation. We only get it temporarily from popularity, money or abilities. If you want eternal freedom from condemnation, you have it in Christ Jesus.

You really have no reason to fear condemnation. You are un-condemnable in Christ Jesus. I wonder what would happen in your life if you were living in that spiritual reality.