#NoCondemnation

Remember This, Not That: The Heart of Communion

/ Terrence Burton / Leave a comment

Every time we take communion, we are participating in one of the most intentional acts of remembrance in all of Scripture. Jesus did not leave us a vague suggestion to think of Him occasionally. He gave His disciples bread and a cup and said, do this in remembrance of me. But remembrance of what, exactly? That question changes everything about how we approach the table.

Communion Was Designed to Shape Memory

In Luke 22 and First Corinthians 11, communion is presented as far more than a ritual. It is a deliberate act meant to fix our attention on the sacrifice of Jesus, the covenant sealed in His blood, and our new identity in Him. The blood was not only about removing sin. It was also about imparting God’s own life to humanity, the same way ancient covenant partners became blood brothers, bound together in shared life. Through Jesus, we are brought into union with God Himself.

Remember What He Did, Not What You Did

Here is where so many believers get it backward. We come to the table remembering our failures instead of remembering His finished work. Hebrews 8 records God’s own promise: their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. If God is not interacting with us based on our past mistakes, why do we keep bringing them back up ourselves? The blood covenant already settled the issue. Our job is not to keep score. Our job is to remember what Jesus did.

Examine, Do Not Avoid

First Corinthians 11 also addresses eating and drinking unworthily, a phrase that has caused unnecessary fear for many believers. The answer was never to avoid communion out of guilt. It was to examine yourself honestly, repent where needed, and come back into alignment with love and covenant awareness. Communion is meant to draw you closer, not push you away.

So the next time you take the bread and the cup, let this be your golden line. Remember what Jesus did, not what you did, because God does not remember it anymore.

-Terrence Burton

The Difference Between Condemnation and Conviction

/ Terrence Burton / Leave a comment

One of the most important distinctions a believer can understand is the difference between condemnation and conviction. They may feel similar in the moment, but they come from entirely different sources and lead to entirely different outcomes.

Condemnation says you are finished. It tells you that you are too far gone, that God has given up on you, that you do not qualify for His grace. Condemnation paralyzes you. It keeps you stuck in a cycle of shame and self rejection. It wants you to disqualify yourself before God even gets the chance to speak.

Conviction is something completely different. Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit drawing you toward righteousness. It is not harsh. It is not punishing. It is the gentle but firm voice of a Father who loves you too much to let you remain where you are. Conviction invites you to turn. Condemnation tells you it is too late to turn at all.

Romans 8:1 tells us plainly that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That is not a theological footnote. That is the foundation of your daily walk. You do not live your life as someone who is on trial. The verdict has already been rendered in your favor through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:4 goes further and says that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who walk after the Spirit. You are not striving to become righteous through your own efforts. Righteousness is not something you achieve. It is something you receive. Second Corinthians 5:21 says that God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. That exchange happened at the cross and it is the most extraordinary transaction in history.

The enemy will try to use your past against you. He will try to convince you that awareness of failure means rejection by God. But it does not. When you feel the pull toward righteousness, that is the Spirit of God working in you. Follow that pull. Agree with God. And declare with confidence the truth that sets you free: I am not condemned. I am cleansed.

-Terrence Burton

There Is No Condemnation For You

/ Terrence Burton / Leave a comment

Romans 8:1 may be one of the most liberating sentences ever written: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Read that again. Not less condemnation. Not reduced condemnation. No condemnation. None. The verdict has already been rendered, and it is not guilty. If you have ever walked through a day weighted down by guilt, shame, or the haunting feeling that God is disappointed in you, this verse was written for exactly that moment.

The Difference Between Conviction and Condemnation

It is important to understand what Paul is not saying. He is not saying that sin does not matter or that growth is unnecessary. The Holy Spirit does convict, and that conviction is a gift. It points us back to the Father, back to alignment, back to who we truly are. But conviction and condemnation are entirely different. Conviction says, “Come back.” Condemnation says, “You are too far gone.” Conviction is the voice of a loving Father calling you home. Condemnation is the voice of an accuser trying to keep you stuck.

The accuser has no legal standing in your life. Jesus silenced that case at the cross. What was held against you was nailed there. Colossians 2:14 says He took the written record of debt that was against us and canceled it, nailing it to the cross. That record no longer exists. You are not carrying it anymore, even if it feels like you are.

Walking in the Spirit Changes Everything

Paul continues by describing those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. This is the lifestyle of someone who has received the no condemnation verdict and decided to live accordingly. Walking in the Spirit does not mean being perfect. It means being oriented. Your face is toward the Father. Your heart leans toward life. When you fall, you get up quickly, not because you earned your way back, but because you never lost your standing.

Receive What Has Been Given

The greatest challenge for many believers is not believing that God forgives others. It is believing that God forgives them. Receiving grace is an act of faith. It takes courage to say, “I am not condemned,” especially when your feelings insist otherwise. But feelings are not your final authority. The Word is. And the Word says: no condemnation. Receive it. Walk in it. Live like someone the blood already covered.

-Terrence Burton