Untitled Sermon (3)

Coming Face to Face with Condemnation

Zechariah 3:1-5

The Problem

Condemnation: An expression of complete disapproval and/or a guilty judgment that typically results in a punishment.

Condemnation, doesn’t just say, “you did something wrong”, condemnation says, “you arewrong”.

- Notice the difference? (Example: It’s very different to tell someone, “You are being annoying.” Then it is to tell them, “You are annoying.”)

This leads to people living in shame, feeling defined by their guilt and guilty actions.

“I’ve had psychologists say to me that the number one problem that they have to deal with in their medical practice is the problem of unresolved guilt. And we discover the problem of unresolved guilt is not something that affects a person for one day or for one week or for one year, but it can mold and shape and inhibit the personality for one’s entire life.” – R.C. Sproul

“Now we know from psychiatry and psychology that guilt is one of the most powerfully paralyzing forces there is to the human spirit.” – R.C. Sproul

T: And we have an enemy that knows this…

The Accuser

Satan’s goal is to paralyze the church by constantly condemning them.

As a prosecuting attorney, Satan’s goal is to stand against the Christian and condemn him/her. (Example: Zechariah 3:1)

- The word here “oppose” (NKJV) is better translated “accuse” (ESV; NASB)

- This word accuse means: to bring charges with hostile intent (Satan is a slanderer) and it’s the same word that is translated for the name Satan (diabolos)! His name means accuser.

- Another Example: Job – in the book of Job Satan says to God, “does job serve you for nothing? Stretch out your hand against him and he will curse you to your face”

This is Satan’s nature, to accuse and slander…

Q (rhetorical): So, how do we deal with the facts? We know we’re guilty! We know we deserve condemnation for our guilt! And in case we forget, Satan’s life goal is to remind us!

T: Well, let’s see how God responds to Satan’s accusations of a believer.

Read Zechariah 3:1-5

The Answer (to our accuser and our guilt problem)

1. God removes our sin and guilt.

- v. 4 “I have taken your iniquity away from you” (ESV) “and I will clothe you with rich robes” (NKJV)

2. God removes us from the courtroom so we can never be declared guilty again.

“[A Christian] is out of the courtroom, he is out of the trial. How? Because Jesus Christ went on trial instead. Jesus went into the courtroom. He was on trial. It was an unjust trial in a kangaroo court – but He did not complain. Like the lamb before the shearers, He was silent. He was struck, beaten, put to death. Why? As our substitute. He took the condemnation we deserve; He faced the trial that should be ours so we do not have to face any more trials. So I simply need to ask God to accept me because of what the Lord Jesus has done. Then, the only person whose opinion counts looks at me and He finds me more valuable than all the jewels in the earth.” – Timothy Keller

So, Satan (the Public Prosecutor in Heaven) has to land an accusation on Jesus if He is going to condemn us, because Jesus is standing in our place. (Think about that!)

Summary: So, we are guilty and deserving of condemnation, and Satan wants to paralyze us with this realization, but Christ forgave us and stepped in our place, so we do not have to listen to the accusations of Satan. That’s the answer to condemnation.