Condemned

John 3:18 says, ‘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.‘ Those who have no relation with God are lost and not right with God, they are unforgiven and enemies of God, and they are condemned. It is as if we have already been to a court of law, we have already sat through the proceedings, all the testimonies have been heard, and the judged has banged the gavel on the table to pronounce us condemned and under the sentence of death. That is how God  looks at you and me.

Many people think that when they get to Heaven, they will have an argument with God and work things out. But you need to understand that when you stand before God, all the arguments have already been heard. It is already over with. You are guilty and God knows you are guilty.

There won’t be any slick lawyer you will be able to hire to get yourself off. You will stand before a holy God who knows everything about your life, every sin you have ever committed and every vile thought you ever had. God knows everything about you, and He has already declared in the Bible that you are condemned.

Suppose you had been tried and had been found guilty of murder. The judge has pronounced the sentence as hanging. Then on the way out of the courtroom, somehow you escape. Now how would you feel when you walk down the street? You would feel guilty. How would you feel when you see a police car cruising by? You would panic and immediately turn in towards a building, hoping he doesn’t see you, ready to run at a moment’s notice. If someone treats you wrong, can you pick up the phone to ring the police to report him? No, you have to handle the wrong on your own. You are under the condemnation of the law. For the rest of your days you would be running for your life, trying to stay alive, knowing one day you are going to get caught and then it is all over with. There is no plea and there is no way out. You are finished because the sentence has already been pronounced.

If you have no relationship with God, that is how you are right now in this life. You live under the condemnation of your sin. If you drop over dead without Christ, you would be in the presence of God, and immediately condemned because you have no relationship with God.