If you follow me on social media, you saw many photos last week from the If:Lead Conference in Dallas (sorry for the overgramming…not really!) I knew something special was bound to happen. How could it not? Over 900 women leaders, the go-getters, the ones who make things happen, from all over the US and Canada, who want nothing more than to be filled up so they can continue pouring out in their places, coming with anticipation, expecting God to meet them there. And, wow, did He meet us there! The entire conference was crammed with life-giving messages from God’s word, Spirit-filled worship, and sessions encouraging us and equipping us to live our calling. But Thursday night’s time together was like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
Jennie Allen came out to the stage with about 30 minutes left in the final session and Romans 8:1 appeared on the screens: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” And she asked us all a question that ignited the room…“Christ set us free, so why aren’t we free?”
Why do we continue to live defeated when Jesus was victorious over ALL sin for ALL time?
Why do we convince ourselves that we have to continue to battle our brokenness in our strength when God’s word declares He fights for us?
Why do we believe the lies of the enemy that tell us we are ________ (fill in the blank with whatever adjective of defeat runs continually in your head) when the Bible tells us we are more than conquerors through Him?
Why? Because we let Satan whisper to us in the dark places that Romans 8:1 can’t really be true. We read those words and maybe we even think we understand them, but they never invade our hearts and our souls. We never let them shape us and mold us into the victorious children of God that we are!
We forget that when God looks at us, He sees His perfect Son.
And because we can’t accept that we are truly free, we condemn others as well. As Christ-followers who Jesus died for “…while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8), we should be the first to give grace. I love this thought from Jen Wilkin from her book, None Like Him: “If I am fully known and not rejected by God, how much more ought I to extend grace to my neighbor, whom I know only in part.” (Read that again if you didn’t get it!) God knows every wretched and dark place in our hearts intimately–yet, He gives more grace. But we who have received God’s life-altering grace often do not care to or know how to give it!!
All the women in that room decided we were done living as those condemned, that we were ready to live vulnerably and openly, and declare God’s deliverance and freedom so that He may be glorified. We resolved that we would extend the grace to others that God the Father extends to us. No condemnation for us. No condemnation for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are ALL broken people who need God. Period.
And all over that church, women began standing and publicly and bravely confessing their sin. And then other women began to answer back with scripture professing power over that sin…extending beautiful mercy and grace. And women began declaring that their sin would no longer have any power over them because THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. Two hours later, we could not leave, and we worshiped Him with tears of joy streaming down our faces–free.
I am not going back.
I am done pretending.
I am over trying to act like I have it all together.
I want the openness and truth and trust that was present last Thursday night to be my new normal.
I want to extend mercy and grace.
I want to live free.
The church should be the safest and most hopeful place for every sinner. Let’s be that church!
