329-Refusing the Voice of Accusation with Truth#
329-Refusing the Voice of Accusation with Truth
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Romans 8:32-34
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for starting us off in a new week. In our lives, we often face accusations and condemn others. Today, we refuse the voice of accusation through truth. You desire for us to live in your love, not in condemnation and accusation, because accusation is a falsehood that comes from the devil. We refuse to accept these and equip ourselves with truth. For you did not spare your own Son for me, but freely gave me all blessings. You love me, and I want to live in your love. Please lead me during this time to receive supply from your word. Thank you and praise you! In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!
The topic of sharing is: Refusing the Voice of Accusation with Truth
Many people have a wrong understanding of our God, thinking that God is a very harsh accuser, like a judge, who condemns you mercilessly when you fail in life, punishing you for your mistakes, and even ignoring your prayers. In the past, we often thought of God this way, and even today, many people, when facing disasters and hardships, describe themselves using Job's experiences, comparing themselves to the verses Job spoke, becoming more and more discouraged, as if our God cannot tolerate even the slightest mistake.
What is the purpose of Jesus coming into the world? Does He know we have problems? Does He know we will be weak? He knows we will fail, He knows we are in sin. He came not to condemn us, but to save us through Him. His name is Jesus; He came to save His people from sin, not to let us save ourselves.
Brothers and sisters, when you fail, seek Jesus. When you are discouraged, seek Jesus. What are the consequences of not seeking Jesus? The voice of the devil will continuously accuse you, saying: Look at how you have failed, what are you now? Do you still deserve to be called a Christian? You have sinned again; God does not want you anymore...
In such situations, you need to return to God. If you continue to keep your distance from God, this voice of accusation will multiply, leading to many voices in your mind, which in medical terms is called depression. Many voices will appear in your mind, constantly condemning you, even if you did something right, it will still condemn you.
You read one chapter of the Bible,
It says that the person next to you has read ten chapters of the Bible.
Today, you have finally shared one gospel,
What is there to say about sharing just one gospel?
There are always many condemning voices appearing in your heart; what should you do? You refuse to accept them. Where is the truth? If what it says makes a lot of sense, and it is indeed your failure, then you have become weak. At this time, you need the truth of God.
The first point of sharing is to distinguish between different covenants; God's ways of doing things are different.
The Bible is divided into two covenants: the Old Testament and the New Testament, collectively known as the whole Bible. In the Old Testament, does God accuse us? Does He pursue human sins? Yes, because the wages of sin have not been paid. If God sees you sinning but does not pursue your sin, that would be God's injustice.
A few days ago, someone asked me: Adam sinned, and we are called sinners; isn’t that unfair?
I told him there is another unfairness: Jesus paid the price for your sins, and you are called righteous, which is also unfair. He said: But I just can’t understand why the former is called a sinner?
I said it’s simple; if you are a descendant of Adam, and God sees you as a righteous person, that would lose justice.
Adam sinned, right? Adam's descendants are sinners. So He had to do something: let Jesus die on the cross for your sins so that you could be called righteous, and all of this only requires your faith. Hallelujah! First, let’s look at the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments, which many churches talk about. We also need to mention it to let everyone know that we do not only talk about the New Testament and grace, but also about the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 34:5-7
5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
Among the Ten Commandments, there is one that says if you hate God, He will pursue your sin to the third and fourth generation. Look at the issue; earlier, God proclaimed: The Lord is a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. This is our God. Reading the Old and New Testaments, one should know that God's intention is this; He wants to give grace, is slow to anger. When does God get angry? It is because people have become corrupt. If God pursues human sins now, it is because evil has become full.
If you read the Old Testament carefully, you will find that when evil is not full, God continues to give people opportunities. Once evil is full, God has one way—destruction. This is often seen in the Old Testament. The Lord saw that all people were in sin, and their thoughts were only evil all the time, so God did something—destroyed them. Is it God's injustice to destroy the people of Noah's time? It is because that generation of people had been completely controlled by evil.
When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, there were seven nations living there. God told some of the people in the cities: You must kill all the people in this city, leaving no livestock behind, and destroy their gold, silver, and treasures as well. Why did God do such a drastic thing? Because the people there were full of evil. Amen! Why did God send fire from heaven to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Is it God's injustice? God has always been compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.
Brothers and sisters, this is the essence of our God, which has never changed from ancient times to the present. But if people continue to reject God's grace and live in evil, in the Old Testament, God had to do one thing: to cleanse. He will not leave the guilty unpunished; He will pursue their sin to the third and fourth generation. If a father sins, God will pursue his sin to the next three or four generations. Some say this seems a bit too cruel. What is meant to be expressed here is that when people have bad habits or continue to live in sin and are unwilling to break free, sin is contagious. In theology, sin has many characteristics; one of them is called contagiousness, meaning my sin can infect you, and my bad habits can infect you. There is also hereditary nature; if a father has certain flaws, the child will naturally inherit them. This is one of the characteristics of sin.
What should we do about this? For example, if a father frequently drinks, the child will likely follow suit, for three or four generations. How can one break free from this? It is not that God wants to pursue his sin; it is because they have violated God's laws or the Ten Commandments, and sin begins to be passed down from generation to generation, just like some hereditary diseases in families. Did this child commit a crime? No, but when they reach a certain age, symptoms of that disease appear. How to break free? Unless you believe in Jesus, there is no way to escape, because this is a curse. It is not that God has given a curse; it is that God has given a righteous law that stands there, but the people in that family have already violated this law, and the curse has come upon them.
Just like national laws, the law itself has no problem, but when people violate it, problems arise. For example, driving under the influence is a human problem, not a road safety law problem. God's law itself has no problem; God gives people love, and He wants to forgive wickedness. But when people refuse it, He must pursue their sins because they have violated the law. If God does not pursue, then God is unjust.
When people violate God's word, they live under accusation and condemnation, and bad habits are passed on to others and the next generation. Under the Old Testament law, when people violate God's word, they will indeed face curses. If people continue to violate, the curse will continue. But we are not in this, because we are not under the law but under grace; it is Jesus who changed all of this. Without Jesus, we are the same as the Jews.
Looking at the Old Testament, the history of the Israelites was mostly spent in misery because they often violated God's word. Today, are we better than the behavior of the Israelites? If according to the Old Testament standard, we should mostly live under curses in our lives. Why can we experience grace today? Because of Jesus, because the cross of Jesus changed all of this.
Jeremiah 31:28-30
28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to overthrow and destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the Lord. 29 In those days people will no longer say, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” 30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes— their own teeth will be set on edge.
Many people read this passage with great fear. Look at what God has done: He watched over them to uproot, tear down, destroy, overthrow, and bring disaster. Many people say, don’t love the world; if you do, God will uproot, tear down, and destroy your possessions. Brothers and sisters, will God do this today? Under the Old Testament, when the Israelites disobeyed God, He indeed did such things. Was the nation of Israel destroyed? Was the temple destroyed? That was God's doing. If God did not permit it, could King Nebuchadnezzar destroy the temple? What was the situation of the Ark of the Covenant in the past? Who dared to touch the Ark? That was death, let alone God's temple, the place of His glory. Why could people easily destroy it? It was because God allowed it.
God did something; when the Israelites no longer believed in God, He said, fine, I will make you a laughingstock among the nations; the nation was destroyed, uprooted, and overthrown, and they fell into suffering. I have told you before that when God issued laws, He told them to let the land rest every six years. The Israelites were very clever and thought: How much will I lose if I let the land rest? So they never let the land rest. After seventy years of not observing the sabbatical year, all the people were taken captive to Babylon for seventy years, and the land rested.
Is God just? Did God punish them? No, God said from the beginning, work for six years, and let the land rest in the seventh year, because in the sixth year, I will give you three times the harvest. They thought, three times the harvest, why let it rest the next year? If I work again next year, I might have four times the harvest. They did not believe God, but God's word stands; whether you rest or not, the land will rest.
Let me give you an example. Many people say, while you are young, work more; take a rest only one day a month. You can do this when you are young, but you know God is fair. The body He created cannot bear such great pressure. You can keep running without stopping now, but one day you will have to lie down and make up for that time because your body cannot take it. Are there people like this around you? When they were young, they worked recklessly and earned some money, but their health deteriorated, and in the end, they often took medicine and went to the hospital. Why not follow God's way from the beginning? Work for six days, rest on the seventh day, let your body and soul rest, and live in health; how good that would be.
But the Israelites were unwilling, so God did something. God does this not to harm them but to let them know what the true blessed path is. God said: Just as I have uprooted and destroyed, I will also pay attention to build and plant them, declares the Lord. Brothers and sisters, this is called discipline. God will not kill them; after a little discipline, He will put them back to establish a new way of life, to live according to God's way. In those days, people will no longer say, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”
In those days is actually a turning point. What day is that? This day is very important; something happened: God no longer uprooted, tore down, or destroyed, but began to build and plant them. Finally, our God said, everyone will die for their own sin. Previously, it was said that the parents ate sour grapes, and the children’s teeth were set on edge. But after that day, God said: A person's sin will cause their own death; whoever eats sour grapes— their own teeth will be set on edge, meaning that the son is no longer cursed. What day is this? The day Jesus was crucified. When Jesus was crucified, something was accomplished. Do you know what Jesus did on the cross?
John 19:28-30
28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
What did Jesus taste? Sour grapes, because that vinegar was made from sour grapes. Before Jesus was crucified, your sins would continue to the next generation. God not only pursued your sins but also the sins of the next generation. But after Jesus was crucified, He bore your sins, so there is no longer a curse passed down. Hallelujah! No matter what curses or hereditary diseases are in your family, the moment you believe in Jesus, there will no longer be curses from you downwards; the curse ends because Jesus tasted that vinegar for you, bore that vinegar for you, which can be said to be a curse. From then on, this will no longer happen. One of the commandments says: I will show love to those who love me and keep my commandments to a thousand generations. You are blessed, and your descendants are blessed because you believe in Jesus. From you downwards, there are no longer curses, only God's blessings. Hallelujah! This is a joyful thing.
1 Peter 2:24-25
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
What did Jesus do on the cross?
He bore our sins in his body on the cross. When you have sin, God will indeed accuse you and condemn you through the law; this is a fact. Another fact is that Jesus has paid the price for all your sins on the cross, and no one has the right to accuse you anymore. Many times, because of accusations, problems begin to arise in our bodies; many diseases in life are not caused by what we eat or drink but are precisely due to psychological reasons, stress, and blocked energy, which is a term in traditional Chinese medicine. Anger is the source of most issues.
Anger is actually because of being accused by others. Even if you have done something wrong, you should not be accused by others; just repent for your mistakes. But why do others accuse you? Some accusations can accompany a lifetime, which many people cannot bear. Living under constant accusation and condemnation leads to physical problems and diseases. If the accusation is often in the upper body, then the upper body will have problems; if it is in the stomach, then the stomach will start to have issues. Some people say they have chest pain from anger; that part is starting to have problems. If they have stomach pain from anger, that area will have problems.
Even if you have sinned, become weak, or fallen, what you need is to repent and turn back to God, not to be condemned, because condemnation does not solve your problem. Amen! You must believe another fact: Jesus has paid the price for your sins; no one has the right to condemn you anymore. When you know you are no longer condemned by God, you also know another thing: you can receive God's blessings, receive God's prosperity, and receive God's healing.
It says here, by His wounds, we have been healed. Before this, it was to tell us that you have died to sin; you are living for righteousness. This is why the way of forgiveness is such an important reason. In the New Testament, in the four Gospels, Jesus often tells others, “Your sins are forgiven; take up your mat and go home.” Why add that first part? When you know all your sins are forgiven, you have the strength and faith to receive His healing.
Otherwise, you always say, “How can I be worthy? I am a new believer, know very little about God, and have done nothing; how can I be qualified to receive this healing?” You are wrong; you do not need to do anything. The moment you believe in Jesus, you are qualified to receive His healing. Amen! Because you are living for righteousness, Jesus died on the cross for your sins; you are a person living in Christ's righteousness. Amen! When you understand this forgiveness, when you understand the grace of forgiveness in your heart, receiving healing becomes very simple.
Verse 25 also tells you where you are now. You were like sheep going astray. The world is like this; look at the eyes of those in the intensive care unit; they lack light. They do not know where they will go in the future. Most people are very fearful in the face of illness, fearing not only the disease itself but also worrying about where they will go after death. Many people feel helpless. But Christians are not like this; we are not lost sheep, unable to find our way home. Even if God takes us back tomorrow, we are not in great pain; we know where our hope lies. Amen! We have returned to the Shepherd of our souls, Jesus Christ. At any time, you are a person of hope. You must use truth to refuse the voice of accusation. No matter what, you are loved by Jesus. No matter what, Jesus will help you. Even if you are weak, you still belong to Jesus. Amen!
The second point of sharing is: Refusing the Voice of Accusation with Truth
Many people often fill their minds with voices when they fail, such as: How can someone like you still dare to call yourself a Christian? Look at what you have done; God will no longer listen to your prayers. You have sinned again; be careful, God will punish you. Similar voices may appear in your heart; we call this spiritual warfare. Many times, when you are alone, voices keep appearing, accusing and condemning you, saying you did something wrong and deserve punishment. When this voice appears, you must learn to refuse it. But without truth as support, your refusal is powerless. You must know where the truth is because all accusations carry curses, causing fear and discouragement. Encouragement and accusation must be distinguished. Sometimes we give others encouragement, but many people take it as accusation. Sometimes it is just a kind reminder, but many people say it is an accusation, which is actually incorrect.
Are there any requirements under the New Testament? Under the New Testament, Jesus has requirements, saying you must love one another and forgive others' sins. Isn’t that also a requirement? If many people are sensitive and say, “Why do you want me to do something? You want me to do something, which is to accuse and restrict me with the law.” It is not like that. Under the New Testament, God also hopes you can live a victorious life, so He tells you what kind of life you can live; that is a hope God gives you. Amen! Thank God!
There are some requirements under the New Testament; the requirements are not for condemnation, let alone accusation. The requirements God gives us are expectations for us to live a better life. For example, God wants us to love one another and forgive, which are actually the fruits after being justified by faith. Amen! Under grace, we can live more freely and be more blessed.
Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Does God love Jesus? Very much. The most precious thing in heaven is not the streets of pure gold or the walls of jasper, but Jesus, His only Son. But He gave His most precious Son to the world for what? To die for me, to save me to heaven; He sent His Son down. Which father in the world has such a great heart? Since you know the Heavenly Father loves you this way, you should believe one thing: God will absolutely not accuse you. He has given you His Son; why would He accuse you? He knows all your problems and all your weaknesses, but He will absolutely not accuse you.
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Do you want to be prosperous in this world? Then you should want wealth along with Jesus. Do you want to be healthy? Then you should want health along with Jesus. Don’t just want one. Like Peter, he was very clever. Jesus said to him: “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” He caught so many fish that both boats were full. He wanted fish and Jesus. The Bible does not say that Peter threw the fish back into the sea and said, “I don’t want fish anymore; from now on, I will follow you.”
Many people preach like this: “Leave your house, property, wife, and children behind and follow Jesus.” You are wrong; you should want both. My teacher once asked us a question: In the Bible, there is a rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was covered in sores and was carried to the rich man's gate every day, hoping the rich man would give him something to eat. The rich man lived in luxury and pleasure every day. Later, both of them died. Lazarus was carried by Abraham, while the rich man was burning in hell. The endings of the two were completely different.
At that time, my teacher asked, “Do you want to be Lazarus or the rich man?” I, being young and reckless, stood up and answered something that I thought was very wise: “In this world, I want to be the rich man, but after I die, I want to be held by Abraham.” Is that what you think too? I know my classmates were thinking this but didn’t say it. As a result, I was criticized for being worldly.
Many of you are like this; in the past, in some legalistic churches, you wanted to be prosperous, but the people on stage said that prosperity is worldliness, and you might not even enter the kingdom of heaven. In the end, we said, “Forget it; for the sake of entering the kingdom of heaven, let’s give up worldly things.” But that is not the case. God created the world for whom? For us. So why shouldn’t we want it? Isn’t it said here that He graciously gives us all things along with Him? To you and me. Amen! Let’s read this together: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for me—how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give me all things?” How to understand all things? All good things, He has given you Jesus and good things. If you only have good things and cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, it is useless.
So Jesus also said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” There is nothing. But now it is different; God says, “I not only give you all things, but I also give you Jesus.” You have all things and Jesus, which means you can be blessed on earth and enjoy blessings in heaven; how wonderful is that double blessing! Why don’t preachers talk about this? It is not wrong; it is just that many people are afraid that if they talk about it, Christians will become worldly and love the world. But that is not the case.
Romans 3:23-26
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
What is the state of humanity? All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Since an imperfect person, a non-believer in Jesus, sins, is that normal? Very normal, because they do not have the glory of God; how can you expect a non-believer to live out the glory of God? That is impossible because they have sinned. Now, has there been a turning point? How did the turning point happen? Because God's grace changed everything.
Now, however, they are justified freely by His grace. This person has received God's grace, so they have changed. If they only hear some theories about how good God is and how great heaven will be, but suffer on earth, only to enjoy in heaven after death...
What does it mean to be blessed? It is clearly stated here that they are now under God's grace, meaning they have received God's blessing. We hope that the brothers and sisters in this church, as well as those listening to the sermon, will receive God's blessings. Do you know what it means to be blessed? It is like wrapping yourself in a blanket; that is being blessed. The blanket is a symbol of blessing; you are completely wrapped in God's blessings. That is being blessed. Many people only hear about it; that is not being blessed. If you have a disease, now in the name of the Lord Jesus, command the disease to leave you, and you are blessed. Pray for your family, pray for your business, and if your business thrives, that is being blessed. Whether in heaven or on earth, you should have both. If you have never had it, what is the meaning of being blessed? God's word stands here, hoping you can experience His word. You are justified freely by the redemption that came by Christ Jesus; remember, all of this is free. Why?
Verse 25 gives you the answer: God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement.
What is a sacrifice of atonement? In the past, we were enemies with God, but now there is a mediator who reconciles our relationship with God. This is the sacrifice of atonement; God no longer sees us as enemies. Our relationship with God is no longer adversarial but harmonious. We are united with God; the meaning of unity is that what is His is yours, and what is yours is still yours. The worldly mindset is: What is mine is mine, and what is yours is also mine. But God is different; He says, “All that is mine is yours, and all that is yours is still yours. I do not want it.” Does God want your things? Ask yourself, what do you have that is not given by God? So God says, “You think it is yours? Good! I give it to you; I do not want yours.” Is this God good? He is truly wonderful.
So brothers and sisters, believing in Jesus is not a loss at all. Unless we preach Jesus correctly to others, people will be willing to believe in Jesus. Otherwise, if we deceive others into coming to church and say, “You must do this, or God will punish you,” who would want to believe? If it were me, I would not believe. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood, to be received by faith, to demonstrate God's righteousness. Brothers and sisters, today God blesses you as long as you do one thing: believe in Him.
After you believe in Him, He gives you His righteousness, and God also does one thing: He has left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. Beforehand means all the sins before now, right? Based on the present time, at three o'clock, the sins before three o'clock. Did God forgive them? Yes, He has tolerated them. This is our God; even though you have sinned, God says, “I have forgiven you; I do not remember it.” When you know this message, you will not want to sin anymore. Amen! This is God's righteousness. It does not mean you will not sin; you will still sin afterward, but God's righteousness is still upon you, and God's grace is still upon you. This grace will bring about a transformation in you.
Verse 26 says: “In order to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” All of this is given to you. Amen!
You are righteous, not because of what you have done, but because of the identity God has given you. When you know you are righteous, you will possess the blessings of the righteous. Amen! When accusations come in, you must know you are righteous. You can meditate on what it means to be justified by faith. Just take the term “justified” and understand what it means. When you are justified, you stand on the same front as God, and God's power, authority, and glory are upon you.
Why believe the devil's lies? Why believe others' accusations against you? Because you do not have the truth. Once you possess the truth, you can easily refuse others' accusations against you. When those wrong and unbiblical voices appear in your mind, what should you do? Ignore them. Every day in the world, there are different voices, right? There are sounds when trains pass by, and sounds when birds fly by. Do you need to remember them? Not necessary; you only need to remember the correct voice. God's voice is enough. Hallelujah!
You can completely ignore those noisy sounds. For example, if firecrackers are being set off outside, do you need to remember that sound? Once it has passed, it has passed; there is no need to remember it. Just remember God's voice. Hallelujah! So when voices that do not align with the Bible accuse you in your mind, ignore them. Once they finish speaking, it is over. But you cannot say, “Don’t say that,” because that is impossible.
There is a saying in the world: You cannot stop birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair. This is something you can do. You cannot stop the devil from sending you wrong thoughts, but you can refuse to believe them. When you walk down the road, you cannot stop others from insulting you, but you can choose to ignore them. This is your choice. We must learn to equip ourselves with truth so that we can easily overcome those lies. You have already believed in Jesus, so you should believe that God is no longer accusing you today. Not only will He not accuse you, but He also calls you righteous because of the blood of Jesus.
Let’s look at Romans 4:25: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
Was Jesus delivered over to death? Yes, He was delivered for your sins. Even if you make mistakes today, should you accept others' accusations? No, because Jesus has already paid the price for you. Hallelujah! Jesus was raised to life for your justification. Has Jesus been raised? Yes, so you are justified. Always remember, do not accept accusations; you are righteous, you are loved by God. This is the voice you should remember.
So Romans 8:33 says, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.”
Remember this sentence. Every time negative voices of accusation and condemnation appear in your mind, use this sentence to resist them. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Amen! Now let’s change the words here: Who can accuse me? It is God who justifies me. Keep this sentence in your heart. Accusation carries a curse; do not let others accuse you casually. You are destined to achieve nothing in your life... This is called a curse. Sometimes it may just be a mockery; that is not an accusation.
Brothers and sisters, when others condemn you, they are labeling you. I have told you before that Thomas once doubted because he was absent from a meeting when Jesus came. When he returned, he said, “I will not believe unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side.” Some said, “This Thomas is doubting Thomas.” This is condemnation and accusation. He only doubted for a week, but when he saw Jesus, he said, “My Lord! My God!” He bowed down and worshiped. From then on, he no longer doubted, right? But the world labeled him as “doubting Thomas.” This is called accusation. Every time Thomas is mentioned, we say he is a doubter. You are wrong; that is not true.
Just like Peter denied Jesus three times, you cannot say “Peter who denied Jesus three times.” That is condemning others. He made that mistake, but you cannot label someone because of that mistake; that is wrong. That is accusation. Now you must be clear: No one can accuse you anymore because you are chosen by God, and God calls you righteous. If today someone still calls you a sinner, do not believe it, no matter how many adjectives they add, such as “graced sinner,” “forgiven sinner.” How can you still be a sinner? If God says you are righteous, will you believe or not? Then do not believe other voices, okay? No matter what others say, do not believe it; God calls me righteous.
Verse 34 continues: “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Do you know that God no longer condemns you? Then do not let others condemn you, no matter who it is—your relatives, family, or friends. Do not let them condemn you. For example, “You are not worthy to be called a Christian.” This is condemnation; it makes you doubt your identity. Do not believe such words. The truth is here, but the devil tries every means to make you believe lies. He wants you to believe that God looks at you with a critical eye. Once you make a mistake, God will punish you. The devil has deceived too many devout Christians. The more devout the Christian, the more the devil deceives them, making them miserable.
I spent ten years under the law, and those days were really hard. At first, it was fine not to go to church, but after going to church and listening to the sermon, I lost all faith and felt worthless. That is being condemned and accused. I found that I could do nothing. When I did something, I would think, “Does this align with God's will? Did I act in faith today? I have sinned again…” Living in fear every day, this fear grew more and more. We did not know what believing in the Lord could bring us; in the end, we thought everything became sin.
The devil has deceived too many Christians like this. They think that when they make mistakes, diseases and sins have the right to enter their families. Some even euphemistically call it “a breach.” There is a breach in your life, so the devil can enter. So what should we do? Block the breach. Is this their solution? How to block it? Fasting, giving, serving in church. Is this the way to block the breach? Can it be blocked? The more you block, the more breaches appear... Let’s go back to the Bible and see if there is this term “breach.”
Amos 9:11-15
11 “In that day I will restore David’s fallen shelter—I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins—and will rebuild it as it used to be, 12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name,” declares the Lord, who will do these things. 13 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. 14 I will bring my people Israel back from exile; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 I will plant them in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.
Since it was mentioned that there is a breach, God says, “In that day, I will restore David’s fallen shelter and repair its broken walls.” Who is blocking the breach? It is God Himself. Why do we have breaches and let ourselves block them? Can you block them? As a result, when you block one breach, another appears. Life is constantly about blocking breaches, constantly confessing sins to block breaches. In the end, you find that you have never completely blocked them. There are always little foxes coming in from the fence factory, always breaches being attacked. So today you are attacked by the devil, and tomorrow you are attacked by the devil. Some believers in certain sects often say, “The devil attacked me again today; I became weak; there is a breach; the devil attacked me again.” You have a breach, but do not forget that God has already blocked it. Who is your guardian? Jesus Christ. If the Lord does not guard the city, can you guard that breach? So today, it is not you who block the breach; it is God who has blocked it.
“I will restore David’s fallen shelter.” That shelter of David has fallen, and God says, “I will rebuild it.” This church is not built by you; it is God who rebuilds it. God says He will block the breaches among us, meaning there are indeed problems and weaknesses among us. The law has flaws, and God says, “I have blocked it.” Jesus came to the cross and became a perfect work, blocking all breaches. From that time on, something happened, as mentioned in verse 13: “The days are coming.” What day is that? Today, I am telling you about many days that are coming. The day Jesus was crucified, you must remember one thing: After Jesus was crucified, all breaches were blocked.
In the past, people could not bear the law and always failed. You could say that was your breach. But after Jesus was crucified, all your sins were resolved, and there are no longer any breaches. Amen! From that time on, you do not need to worry about breaches every day because God has established it firmly. The reaper will be overtaken by the plowman; isn’t there no curse? The one treading grapes will be overtaken by the planter; isn’t there no breach? The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk; isn’t there no breach? No, is all this your hard work? No, it is given by God. Amen!
“I will bring my people Israel back from exile.” I just told you that the Israelites did not listen before, but now God says, “I will bring you back.” They returned from captivity; this is God's doing, right? They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. All of this is God doing. I will not uproot them from the land I have given them anymore. And now I will plant them in their own land. I have read to you that God wants to do what? Uproot and destroy. Now? To plant them in their own land and never uproot them again. Do you know why they will not be uprooted again? Because there are no breaches; there is no need to uproot. When you accepted Jesus, are you not in Christ now? Why would God uproot you from Christ? Give me a reason.
Is there a need to uproot? No, everything is perfect. You must tell yourself, “I am in Christ; God will not uproot me.” The devil may want to uproot you from Christ, but he does not have that ability. Some Christians believe that when they fail, God will uproot them and move them from the land of blessing to the land of curse. These are all lies from the devil. The devil deceives some believers, saying that because they have failed and become weak, their sins... But brothers and sisters, please remember, refuse these voices of accusation. God will not uproot you today.
Someone says, “What if I fail?” Now I will tell you something using an example: Noah's Ark. Do you know that the Ark symbolizes our Jesus? If you know that, it will be easy. After Noah and his family entered the Ark, the boat floated on the water. Let me ask you a question: Is there a possibility that they might fall off the boat? There is such a possibility because they stayed on the boat for a year. They might walk and fall. Where would they fall? Would they fall into the water? You really do not need to worry about this problem. Today, even if you fail, where are you? If you fall and sin, are you still in Jesus Christ? You cannot fall into the water below.
So no matter how Noah's family fell or became weak, they would never lose their lives because they were in the Ark. Those who did not enter would die, right? They did not need to worry about these things; God's provision was always there, and there were many animals accompanying them, so life was not dull at all. Brothers and sisters, remember, today when a wrong voice tells you that you have fallen, you have run outside of Christ, you tell it, “That is impossible. Old Noah fell but was still in the Ark; how could I fall and run out?” That would mean Jesus' Ark is too unstable. Brothers and sisters, remember these truths, and you can easily see through the lies.
Hebrews 9:27-28
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
When Jesus Christ came the first time, He indeed came for our sins. He paid the price for our sins on the cross, shed blood for our sins, and resurrected, solving the problem of sin. Later, He left. When He comes again, what will He do? He will take us back and will also do a second thing: change our bodies. When He comes a second time, will there still be a need to judge sin? It says, “not to bear sin.” Why do many people still expect Jesus to come quickly and say, “You go to the cross again and cleanse my sins again?” No need; that one time was enough. The second time is to take us back and change our bodies. That work is completed, thoroughly completed. Amen!
Hebrews 8:12-13
12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. 13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
This is something you must remember. Are you now under the New Testament or the Old Testament? The New Testament, so do not observe the rituals of the Old Testament anymore. In the New Testament, God says, “I will forgive their wickedness; it is because Jesus was sacrificed once that God says, ‘I will not remember your sins anymore.’” Amen! God no longer remembers your wickedness; He no longer remembers your sins. This is something you must remember. If someone reminds you of your sins, what should you do? Refuse. If someone reminds you that you are always filthy, what should you do? Refuse. You should think about the grace of Jesus, the righteousness of Jesus upon you. If you often think this way, it will give you the strength to live a new life. Amen! Since He has called this covenant “new,” He has made the first one obsolete, proving that we should not return to the law to observe the Old Testament, which you cannot keep. God has given you a higher covenant—the New Testament, also called grace. Amen! Finally, let’s look at the devil's end, and you will not need to fear him.
Revelation 12:10-11
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
What is the method for Christians to overcome the devil's lies and accusations? First, believe that our God's salvation, power, kingdom, and the authority of Christ have now come to you; they are not hanging high in heaven. Telling you about this authority is to let you use it. Amen! What is the devil's current state? The accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. Before the Old Testament, before Jesus was crucified, the devil could roam in front of God. I go back and forth in the dry land… This is recorded in the Book of Job, right? After Jesus was crucified and offered His body as a living sacrifice, the devil was thrown down and no longer has the right to speak nonsense.
Since the devil has been thrown down and can no longer confuse the truth, you should refuse any false things he conveys to you; just believe the truth. There are many words in the world that sound reasonable but are not the truth. Many people say ambiguous things; do not believe them because there are too many words in the world. What you should hold onto is God's word. Amen! Why? Because they triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb. This is something you must remember, along with the word of their testimony.
If there is no word of God in your heart, how can you overcome the devil's accusations? Many people in the world do not accept Jesus and are still accused. Parents see their children not doing well and will accuse them fiercely, saying, “How can you be like a pig? You are destined to achieve nothing…” Perhaps the child will indeed become like that in the future. This is accusation. Do not say that if you do not believe in Jesus, there are no accusations; there are accusations. Only under grace, when you understand God's word, when you understand what Jesus accomplished on the cross for you, can you escape from these curses and accusations, and then you will be free. Amen!
How to hold onto this word? “They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” This is what Jesus said: “Whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Whoever does not want to sacrifice for my word will instead sacrifice. This is the meaning. Indeed, you must hold onto God's word, even at the cost of your life, and you will gain life. This is something within Jesus. Since Jesus was nailed to the cross in place of our sins, God no longer punishes you. Even the earthly judge can only punish a person’s sin once. Even if it is a cumulative punishment, the final conclusion is death; dying once is enough. You cannot say, “He committed this sin, which is a death penalty, so give him a shot; he committed that sin, which is also a death penalty, so give him another shot…” Is there such a law? There is none on earth. How about in heaven? God says, “I have seen all your sins in your life; let my Son Jesus die for you once. From now on, I will not remember your sins anymore because the price has been paid.” Amen!
Your sins can only be punished once; otherwise, God would be unjust. When your sins have been paid for, does God still need to accuse you? No, you wear the robe of Christ's righteousness, so God says, “You are my beloved.” He always faces you with a smile. You must have such an image of God. Amen!
Refuse to accept all accusations brought to you by the devil. You are His beloved child; you are loved by God. Do not accept any condemnation that brings you curses or believe that evil things will happen to you. Do not accept these because Jesus on the cross has already borne all your curses. Amen! If today you feel condemned or when you experience some disbelief, tell yourself, “The scripture says my God has called me righteous; I am completely forgiven; I am righteous. I refuse any condemnation; I refuse any curses to happen to me. I only need to hold onto God's truth, and you will see how He leads you out of difficulties.” Finally, let me read a psalm to conclude. I hope you often meditate on this passage.
Psalm 91:2-7
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
Do you have the confidence to declare that last sentence? Even if many people around you have contracted infectious diseases, that disease has no right to come near me. Why? Because there are no breaches. Hallelujah! Because God has surrounded you with a fence for protection; there are shields all around you. It is not that you are strong enough; it is that your shield is strong enough. You are wearing the full armor of God. Amen! When you are weak and condemned by others, remember this passage and meditate on it often. He is your refuge; He is your fortress; He is your God, in whom you trust. Even if everyone around you fails, it does not mean you have to fail. Even if everyone around you says you cannot succeed, you say, “My God is my refuge.” Amen!
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Today, through these words, you help us to refuse the voice of accusation with truth, to hold onto the truth in our hearts. After Jesus was crucified, all of this changed. You no longer accuse us, nor do you curse us. You surround us with love and provide us with everything we need, all because of the blood of Jesus, because of everything Jesus accomplished on the cross. I am loved by you; you will surely cover me with your feathers. I will no longer fear the road ahead; you are my protection. I will not fear any difficulties I encounter. You are my strength; I can stand up again. You will help me and support me with your mighty right hand. Amen! Thank you and praise you! For you are my shield. Hallelujah! In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!