Now no condemnation

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2, NIV)

Did you ever notice that God has a funny of bringing scripture to our attention at just the right moment? I had one of those experiences this weekend.

Last week, I sent out an email with a bit too much haste. When I reread the email a day later, I realised that my attitude had been filled with pride. (Isn't pride the root cause of most of our sin?) Even though the email was only one or two lines long, my proud attitude had come through loud and clear.

I debated how to handle the situation. Offer an apology? Hope that they would forget? Wait a few days before acting? I decided to apologise right then and there via email. It felt good to get that off my chest, but I wondered how long I'd have to wait for a reply.

As it turns out, I didn't have to play the waiting game for very long because I received the reply about a minute later. The apology was accepted and appreciated. However, if you've ever apologised for something, you know that there is that lingering feeling in the back of your mind, wondering if the relationship has been damaged. Forgiven, but not necessarily reconciled.

On Sunday evening, I was reading Romans 7 and 8. When I came across Romans 8:1-2 (see above), I felt such a feeling of joy. What wonderful words! "There is now no condemnation." I am free. "There is now no condemnation." No need to worry. "There is now no condemnation." God has forgiven me.

I know that this truth isn't particularly deep or earth-shattering, but, for me, it was a great reminder that for all of us who trust in God, He no longer condemns us.

We can't force others to forgive us, although we can offer an apology and attempt to reconcile. However, Jesus promises us that we are no longer condemned and are forgiven. And if He doesn't condemn us, then we shouldn't condemn ourselves, either.

Packrat

Back in July, I moved from the US back to Canada. I must say, it feels great to be close to my family and old friends again. However, I did have to leave behind a great church and many close friends whom I got to know really well.

To minimize the cost of moving, I sold all of my furniture, since most of it was purchased at Ikea or Walmart and not worth keeping. I do regret selling my desk chair; it was a faithful companion for seven years, but the cost of sending it back was prohibitive. Everything else either accompanied me on the flight or was shipped via courier. Even taking into account the cost of repurchasing furniture, I saved several thousand dollars versus using a moving company.

In preparation for the move, I spent the month beforehand gradually sorting through my stuff, tossing/donating what I didn't need anymore, and packing the rest in boxes. As I was going through old folders and boxes, I realised that I might be a bit of a packrat. Here's a sample of what I found:

• Three boot disks - one for Windows 98, one for Windows Me, and another for Windows XP.
• My health insurance card from university. (It was tucked in a CD folder than I hadn't opened in years.)
• Microphone from the IBM Aptiva that my family bought in 1996.
• The 2007-08 donors giving report from my alma mater.
• Unused cheques from a bank account I hadn't used in about ten years.
• This list. (The paper copy fell into a box and was lost for a few days.)
• A dozen lanyards from university orientation or corporate events.
  
• A full set of monthly bus passes from a co-op work term in 2005.
• Employee discount card from the above co-op work term.
• Coupon for one play of Skeeball at an amusement park in New York State.
• A SnakeLight!
  
• Flash cards that I had made to study for Calculus I in first year of university.
• Two wheat pennies.
• This list. (I lost it a second time.)
  

I tossed most of the things above, but I did keep a few of them. I am a recovering packrat, after all.