CONDEMNATION AND SALVATION
Literal meaning of condemnation is the state of a condemned person who is reprehensible, wrong, or evil. The Greek word for “condemn” means both judgment and condemnation.
In the Biblical sense, Adam and Eve whom God punished for their disobedience, carried over their state of condemnation to all humanity that came from them. As God promised from the beginning, He sent his Son Jesus into the world to save them from their fallen state.
Jesus did not come to condemn the world. He said, “I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day” (Jn 12:46-48). When the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery for stoning to death, Jesus saved her and said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more” (Jn 8:11).
Jesus stated to Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (Jn 3:16-18). So, those who reject Jesus continue in their condemned state. Whereas, those who believe in him and act on it are free from condemnation.
People have the freedom to accept Jesus or reject him. Hence Paul says, “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death” (Rom 8:1-2).
Condemnation happens out of the wrong choice of humans. They bring it on themselves by turning away from God like the prodigal son. Jesus came for our rescue, to which we need to cooperate for our salvation. Judas preferred wealth to Jesus. The choice was his and not God’s. People have the opportunity and freedom to come to the light of Jesus or to remain in the world’s spiritual darkness. We select our reward or condemnation as Eve did along with Adam. After his resurrection, Jesus told his apostles, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mk 16:15-16). Jesus told the Jews, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life” (Jn 5:24).
REFLECTION
We inherit good and bad from our parents and ancestors including the stain of the original sin of first parents. Jesus removed that default state and invited us to follow his path. Unfortunately, some who have received baptism has fallen like Judas Iscariot because they blew up the spiritual light they received from Jesus through baptism. Let us be careful to remain always in the light of Jesus and be free from the state of condemnation.