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by Bill Seng

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” ~Romans 8:1

It is a hard reality for many people to come to grips with. We are so heaped with the garbage of our sins that their crushing weight makes us forget about God’s wonderful grace. We burden ourselves with thoughts that condemn us for the sins we commit. It is good to be sensitive to the evil of sin, but it is even better to know that our sins do not condemn us so long as we are in Christ Jesus.

It is a hard truth because it sounds like a get out of jail free card. Anyone who has ever played Monopoly understands this reference. For anyone unfamiliar with Monopoly, it is a board game that requires you to purchase properties and charge other players who land on them. Aside from landing on a fully loaded Boardwalk, many people fear the possibility of going to jail. There are multiple ways to earn your way to jail. You can land on the infamous “Go to Jail” corner. You can draw the card that bares the famous words “Go to jail: Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go and do not collect $200.” Probably the most frustrating way to go to jail is to roll doubles three times in a row. Doubles are typically good because they allow you another turn to roll the dice immediately. But if you roll three sets of doubles, you are penalized by being shipped off to jail. There are so many ways to go to jail. The only ways to get out are to either serve your sentence of three turns, or to pay the fine of $50. But certain players laugh in the face of the threat of going to jail.

These players possess the coveted Get Out of Jail Free card. By using this card, a player does not have to pay the penalty for committing an arrest-able offense. You immediately get out of jail and play your next turn without a fine or loss of turn.

I use this analogy loosely, but as far as I can see, the sin of a believer does not bring condemnation. I know that many people disagree with me and that is okay. We should not sin just because we are forgiven. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul warns his brothers and sisters in Christ, “Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh.” Believers are not to be sinners.

In Monopoly, there is one consequence for committing an offense that sends you to jail, even if you have the get out of jail free card. Your piece gets moved to the jailhouse and you miss out on the opportunity of obtaining the best properties in the game. In our spiritual walks, sin can be a setback. Many great Christians have transgressed horribly and had to regain credibility with not just believers, but non-believers as well. We need to walk boldly, knowing that Jesus Christ is our advocate, even when we fall short. Nonetheless, we should move forward, not being content with a stagnant relationship with our Lord. We strive to know our Lord in all of his glory.

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