How Easter Destroys Self-Condemnation

From the very beginning, there have been unseen spiritual forces working directly against human well-being. I normally like to provide links to research studies to support a point, but obviously it’s impossible to observe and record data directly tied to the spiritual world. I wish!

To be fair, there are a LOT of ideas about the spiritual world that are based purely on human imagination or interpretations of personal experiences. Entire religions and cults are centered on that very thing. When we’re talking about something invisible like the spiritual world, a pretty high bar for evidence is required.

As a skeptic at heart, quality evidence is really important to me. No disrespect intended to people with other belief systems, but when it comes down to just pure evidence- there is no other holy book or spirituality practice on par with the Bible. My favorite line of evidence supporting the bible's truthfulness is prophecy. The bible makes 2500 precise predictions about the future, of which 2000 have already come true exactly as foretold. No other book (or teacher) on earth has that kind of track record. No other teaching tool seems capable of accurately tapping into the unknown and invisible like the bible.

The bible describes forces of darkness and light, good and evil, well-being and destruction. From a biblical perspective, dark spiritual forces have one aim: your destruction (and the destruction of those you love). That statement might seem overly negative, or like fear mongering, but it’s just a spiritual reality. In practical terms, these dark spiritual forces work behind the scenes to convince us of one thing: you’d be better off dead. Or at the very least, alive but miserable.  The battle rages in the mind, creating thoughts that sound like this:

“You should be ashamed of yourself”

“You just fail over and over again”

“You’ll never be happy”

“Your life has no purpose”

“Nobody cares about you"

“You are weak and useless” or weirdly, the exact opposite “You are better than everyone else”

It gets even worse when those messages aren't just in our thoughts- but we hear them via social media or people in our circles. Have you noticed how darkly judgmental and condemning our world has gotten? Between the criticisms in our own minds, and the criticisms of those around us... it can be tough to hear or believe anything positive about ourselves at all.

The bible describes the source of condemnation as the voice of an "accuser”- a dark spiritual force that has been around since the beginning. Condemning thoughts wreck havoc on our nervous systems and bodies. Not only do they make us feel bad about ourselves, ironically, they also tempt us to see ourselves as BETTER than those who have harmed us… clinging to unforgiveness, bitterness or offenses. The “accuser” will accuse us, and entice us to accuse others. It's a vicious cycle of misery.

There are clearly physical components that open the door for these dark thoughts- brain chemicals, mood challenges, etc… (or what the bible calls, “the flesh”).  They can also spring from trauma/experiences.  If we’ve been told or treated like we’re failures, it becomes easy to believe. But again, there’s more to it than JUST brain chemicals or experiences. There is a dark, unseen spiritual component driving it all, in a battle that happens between our two ears.

The GOAL is Death

Here’s an uncomfortable truth: that dark spiritual force wants us dead. And if not dead, then utterly miserable is a close second place. Therapy (especially cognitive behavioral therapy or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) helps reshape those thoughts into something less condemning, more compassionate. And while therapy can be helpful, it rarely provides the foundational answer to WHY we can thoroughly reject self-condemnation. Why shouldn’t we believe our weaknesses define us?

That’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus was/is no myth or legend. Even secular historians agree- Jesus was a person who really existed. The controversy is not about whether he walked the earth two thousand years ago, but rather about who He is, His identity.  

In the bible, John observed and wrote about one particular scene that left no doubt. The Jews had asked Jesus who He was (John 8), and He responded by calling Himself "egō eimi” or “ I am.”  This is the same name all Jews recognize as God’s name, originally revealed to Moses. The Jews found Jesus' response so offensive (a man claiming to be God!) that they immediately attempted to murder him on the spot (*see note).

Jesus revealed His identity as “egō eimi” or “ I am” - the very same name God used for Himself in the Old Testament

Jesus’ identity matters, because it shapes our identity. Jesus is God, the great decider of our worth. He alone designed us, He alone restores us, He alone heals us.  He came to earth to shatter our ideas of self-righteousness AND self-condemnation.  He sees each of individually as only God can- in naked 3D reality. He sees all the pride, sorrow, mistakes, and weakness… yet to Him, we are worth dying for.

Jesus Wants You Alive, Happy and Healthy... Forever

He didn’t come to condemn us. He is the arch nemesis of those voices in our heads (and in the world) that scream- you’re never enough! You’re too messed up!  You’re destined for misery! He’s got the final word on our happiness- and it’s good news. He will produce meaning from suffering, and has planned a future for us that includes the longest lasting, deepest happiness available.

This is the ultimate solution for the dark spiritual forces that want us dead. To fight self-condemnation effectively, Jesus is the only permanent solution. It's still perfectly acceptable to engage in therapy and/or take medication when needed, but the big answer will always be Jesus.

With Easter approaching, many will gather to celebrate Jesus without knowing exactly what Easter represents. Jesus was the crucial evidence the people of the bible needed so desperately to permanently quiet the voice of condemnation. Until that point, their only method had been animal sacrifice- they literally paid for their sins with blood. And even then, they were never quite sure they'd paid enough. Within days or minutes after providing a religious sacrifice... the old guilt came creeping back. A new mistake was made. A new sacrifice required. It was never done.

When Jesus came along, their perception of God changed completely. They were suddenly able to use their senses to grasp the way God felt about them: hearing, touching, and seeing Jesus face to face. God provided Himself as the sacrificial offering- erasing every sin, moral failing, and mistake forever. Jesus elevated God from a mysterious unknown entity to a man with tears in his eyes, and wounds on his body. He didn't come to condemn the world... but to set it free.

On the original Easter morning, Jesus rose from the dead- the ultimate proof of who He was and is. Only God controls the forces of life and death. And with that historic event, He revealed His future plans for all who believe: life... forever. To be clear, Jesus didn't come to just ease our feelings of guilt or condemnation. He literally erased every trace of evidence pointing to our condemnation: sin. Imagine walking around as if you had never made a single mistake in your life... that's the point of Easter! Yet, we can feel no sense of pride or superiority, because Jesus did all the work. That's the celebration of Easter- a fresh, pure you, free from sin every moment of your life.

Imagine walking around as if you had never made a single mistake in your life... that's the point of Easter!

If you or someone you love has ever heard the voice of the accuser whisper something like "You'd be better off dead," Easter is proof that God thoroughly disagrees. He's gone out of His way to ensure you can enjoy life, and life forever.

Practical Application

Jesus death and resurrection are the ultimate defeat of all dark spiritual forces. All they can do now is whisper lies. Faith in Jesus provides the grounds for soundly rejecting those lies. When the enemy of your soul whispers, "You're no good" please respond with...

I am God’s masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus, so I can do the good things he planned for me long ago.— Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

Here are a few other favorite bible truths that help when self-condemnation comes knocking:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus… (Romans 8:1a, NKJV).

He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12, TLB).

The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness (John 10:10 GNT).

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:17).

*note: This chapter in John is not an anti-Jew narrative. Jesus was not a victim of the Jews… He was a Jew, Himself! Everything that transpired in Jesus' life- His death, burial, and resurrection, was designed for the benefit of all mankind.