No!...Neither!...Never!

Part 1: “NO”

Normally, the word “No” communicates a negative, sometimes undesirable response. No one wants to hear “No” at the bank, on a job interview, marriage proposal or in the prayer room. Strange as it may sound, I want to encourage you with the word “NO”.

Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

NO condemnation! The devil works, speaks, and influences people in such a way as to bring them under condemnation. Condemnation over our faults, failures and fears. Condemnation over speaking the wrong thing, doing the wrong thing or not doing the right thing. Condemnation: the situation we are in… the problems we have… our fragmented family… broken relationships… it’s all our fault. In a crowd or by ourselves… the accuser of the brethren… Satan himself tries to put condemnation on us.

But God says… I want you think about those 3 words: But God Says! But, God says, “there is therefore now NO condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk according to the Spirit. Perfect? Nope… but, IN CHRIST, BY FAITH AND DOING OUR BEST TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT. That means those overwhelming and agonizing feelings of condemnation didn’t come from God, but, from Hell itself. REJECT CONDEMNATION IN JESUS NAME! When God looks at us, when God speaks to us... it’s not with eyes and words of condemnation. NO CONDEMNATION!!

Isaiah 54:17

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”

The word “weapon” speaks of battle and warfare. Our adversary, the devil doesn’t have any new weapons… he uses same ones over and over. He uses the same ones now, on us, as he used on Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4). Satan…. he’s a devil, but, he’s not a smart devil. Same ole’ same ole’ weapons… temptation, lust, discouragement, deception, condemnation, intimidation, fear, pride, distortion, perversion, addiction….and the list could go on.

But God says… THINK ABOUT THAT…But God Says: No weapon formed against you shall prosper! Battles come. Difficulties arise. We have highs and lows… peaks and valleys. Some days, we shout and other days we doubt… but GOD SAID…NO weapon formed against us shall prosper! Somebody needs to stand up in faith and by faith and tell the devil “NO weapon you form against me will work…. I Have Victory Through Jesus’ Shed Blood On Calvary’s Cross!”

Revelation 21:3-4

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Sometimes, we become so consumed with life and day-to-day busyness that where we are and what we are going through dominates our attention. As Christians, the place we are going is far better than the place we are at. No sin. No spiritual warfare. No death. No sorrow. No crying. No pain. No funerals. No sad good-byes. No diagnosis or prognosis of death. Thank God for the hope of heaven! It’s been said that it is not good to be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good. To be honest, I’ve never met anyone like that. I have known a lot of people that were so earthly minded they were of no heavenly good. That’s a sermon for another day. There is a better day and a better place. Jesus said that in His House were many mansions. Indeed, as the Apostle Paul said: Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them that love Him!