Condemned by People, Loved by God

Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:34

How good do you have to be for God to love you?

Asel grew up in a home with a strict moral code. Observing religious practices was an important part of daily life. When a friend criticized her on social media for not following her religion in the right way, Asel became depressed. She got off of all social media but couldn’t stop the condemning thoughts swirling in her head: “I hate myself … What’s the point? I shouldn’t even try. I don’t deserve anything. I’m worthless. God will never be pleased with me!”

Asel’s friend condemned her—but God doesn’t. Your moral goodness, or the depth of your sin, has nothing to do with the simple fact of God’s great love for you. The fact of God’s love, in spite of man’s sin, is an incredible truth that overshadows every page of His book, the Bible. Be very clear about this—God tells us what is important to Him in scripture. When we fall short of that, that’s called sin. God hates your sin, yet He loves you as a person. You can never, ever be good enough to deserve His love—but you can respond to His love and experience His forgiveness and His personal presence in your life.

Who then will condemn us?” asks the Bible. And then it declares: “No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting at the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (Romans 8:34). We don’t have to be good for God to love us. When we feel shamed or criticized, it’s time to check back with what God says about us: His forgiveness is available, and we are always loved.