No Condemnation

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” — John 3:17 (NIV)If you’ve ever felt like your past defines you—like your mistakes have branded you beyond repair—the story Les Misérables is for you.

Jean Valjean was a marked man. After nineteen years in prison for stealing bread and attempting escape, he was released—but not truly free. His yellow passport branded him as a criminal, and society refused to let him forget it. He was condemned not just by the law, but by every door slammed in his face.

Until grace intervened.

A bishop welcomed him, fed him, and when Valjean stole silver in the night, the bishop did not press charges. Instead, he gave him even more—and said, “With this silver, I have bought your soul for God.” That moment shattered the cycle of condemnation. Valjean was not just pardoned—he was transformed. Grace rewrote his story.

This is the good news of Jesus Christ—that grace does more than forgive; it transforms.

Jesus did not come to deepen our shame or replay our worst moments. He came to break the cycle. As Paul writes, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Through the cross, Jesus absorbed the weight of our condemnation—taking on our guilt, our shame, and our death—so that we might walk free. In Christ, we are not merely spared—we are made new. The cross is not a governor’s last-minute reprieve; it is the full and final declaration that we are free. Not because we earned it, but because Love chose it.

Like Valjean, we may carry the memory of our chains. But in Christ, the verdict has changed. We are no longer prisoners of shame, fear, or regret. We are beloved, redeemed, and called to live lives of mercy. 

God of grace, thank You for sending Jesus not to condemn, but to save. When we feel the weight of our past, remind us of Your mercy. Help us live not as fugitives from judgment, but as children of freedom. May our lives echo the grace we’ve received—and may we, like Valjean, become agents of compassion in a hurting world. In the name of Your Son, Jesus our Christ, we pray. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim