Teaching summary
In this encouraging message, Pastors Leonard and Lori Rola explain how guilt, shame, and condemnation rob believers of the confidence God intends them to have. They teach that under the New Covenant of grace, believers have been made righteous, holy, and fully qualified through Jesus Christ rather than through their own performance. Using several Scriptures, they show that condemnation comes from mixing law with grace instead of understanding Christ's finished work. The message concludes by encouraging every believer to embrace their God-given innocence and confidently approach the Father.
Bible verses referenced
John 3:16 – "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:17 – "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
Romans 8:1- "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Romans 10:9- "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
2 Corinthians 5:17- "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Romans 6:3–11- "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Hebrews 8:12- "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."
Hebrews 10:17- "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
Romans 8:33- "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth."
1 John 3:21- "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God."
John 17:22- "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one."
Teaching notes
Table of Contents
- Introduction: God Sees His Children as Saints
- The Guest Message That Sparked This Teaching
- God Is Never Angry with His Children
- The Difference Between Law and Grace
- Our Complete Identity in Christ
- The Source of Guilt, Shame, and Condemnation
- Understanding the Meaning of Condemnation
- Declared Innocent Before God
- The Key Verse: Confidence Before God
- How Legalism Steals Confidence
- Living in the Everlasting Covenant of Grace
- God's Opinion of You Is the Same as His Opinion of Jesus
- Closing Encouragement
Introduction: God Sees His Children as Saints
Pastor Lori opens the teaching by greeting believers as "saints," explaining that she enjoys reminding herself that this is exactly how the Father sees His children. She emphasizes that believers are viewed by God as holy and blameless, not because of their own efforts but because of what Christ accomplished.
Pastor Leonard agrees, explaining that this truth serves as the foundation for the rest of the message. Before discussing confidence, believers must first understand their identity. God's opinion of His children has already been established through Jesus Christ, not through daily performance.
This opening immediately shifts the focus away from self-evaluation and toward God's completed work through Christ.
The Guest Message That Sparked This Teaching
Pastor Leonard explains that their friend, Pastor Chris Scarenzy, ministered during Sunday's service. Although the message aligned with everything they regularly teach, Pastor Chris highlighted a verse that Pastor Leonard had never previously emphasized.
That verse became the foundation for this teaching because it reveals another reason believers must reject guilt, shame, and condemnation. Rather than introducing new doctrine, Pastor Chris illuminated another aspect of the gospel of grace that reinforces everything they have been teaching for years.
God Is Never Angry with His Children
Pastor Leonard states one of the central beliefs of their ministry:
-God is not angry.
-God is not disappointed.
-God is not condemning His children.
He explains that many Christians continue believing these ideas because they unknowingly mix two covenants together.
Whenever believers think God is frustrated with them, disappointed in them, or withholding His blessings because they have not performed well enough, they are viewing God through the Old Covenant rather than through Jesus Christ. This misunderstanding becomes the source of spiritual instability and prevents believers from experiencing the peace Christ purchased for them.
The Difference Between Law and Grace
Pastor Leonard carefully contrasts the two covenants.
The Covenant of Law operates through:
• obligation
• works
• conditions
• personal performance
The Covenant of Grace operates through faith in Jesus Christ. Every condition required for blessing was fulfilled by Jesus Himself. When someone believes in Christ, they are immediately made righteous, holy, and fully qualified before God. Their standing before God is no longer determined by how well they perform but by Christ's perfect obedience. This means every blessing and promise of God rests upon Jesus' finished work rather than human effort.
Our Complete Identity in Christ
Pastor Leonard reminds believers that when they confessed Jesus as Lord and believed He rose from the dead, they became entirely new creations. Their old identity passed away.
They received:
• a new heart
• God's righteousness
• complete holiness
• full qualification before God
Pastor Lori enthusiastically remarks that believers are righteous with Christ's own righteousness. Pastor Leonard makes a striking statement:
Jesus Himself is not more righteous than believers are today because believers possess His righteousness. The issue is not obtaining more righteousness but learning to believe the truth instead of the lies of condemnation.
The Source of Guilt, Shame, and Condemnation
The pastors explain that guilt, shame, and condemnation never originate from God.
Instead, these emotions arise when Christians are taught that they have not:
• believed enough
• prayed enough
• stood enough
• confessed enough
• worked enough
• fulfilled enough responsibilities
Eventually, believers become exhausted trying to earn something Jesus already accomplished. Rather than producing confidence, legalism produces discouragement and spiritual defeat. The pastors remind listeners that the gospel was never intended to create guilt but freedom.
Understanding the Meaning of Condemnation
Pastor Lori looks up the dictionary definition of condemnation.
She shares that condemnation means:
• severe reproof
• pronouncing someone wrong
• blame
• a reason for condemning
She then makes a powerful observation. If Romans says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, then God is not continually reproving believers. He is not blaming them. He is not declaring them guilty. Instead, because of Jesus' blood, He declares them innocent. This understanding transformed Pastor Lori personally because she had rarely heard anyone describe believers as innocent before God.
Declared Innocent Before God
Pastor Lori recalls reading Romans 8:33 in the Mirror Translation years earlier. Although she acknowledges it is a study translation, the word "innocent" deeply impacted her. She explains that she cried because it was the first time she realized that God Himself declares His children innocent.
Pastor Leonard reinforces this thought by reminding listeners that believers were united with Christ in His death and now share His resurrection life. The sin issue has already been dealt with. God no longer remembers believers' sins and iniquities. Because of Christ, believers are righteous, innocent, and accepted.
The Key Verse: Confidence Before God
The central Scripture of the teaching comes from 1 John 3:21. Pastor Lori reads two translations, both communicating the same principle. If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God. Pastor Leonard pauses to reflect on the significance of this statement.
He concludes:
No condemnation equals confidence. If believers think God is constantly correcting, blaming, or rejecting them, they cannot approach Him boldly. Confidence is the natural fruit of understanding grace. Condemnation destroys that confidence.
How Legalism Steals Confidence
Pastor Leonard makes what he considers the major application of the teaching. Whenever preachers continually tell believers:
"You need to do more."
"You aren't believing enough."
"You haven't stood long enough."
"You haven't prayed enough."
Those messages eventually create condemnation. Condemnation then robs believers of the confidence God wants them to have. He argues that mixture—combining law and grace—is what steals confidence. Instead of listening to religious performance, believers should listen to the Father's declaration that they are righteous, accepted, and complete in Christ.
Living in the Everlasting Covenant of Grace
Pastor Leonard concludes that guilt, shame, and condemnation are evidence that someone is thinking from the wrong covenant.
The everlasting covenant of grace declares believers to be:
• righteous
• holy
• sanctified
• at peace with God
• fully qualified
God is not continually pointing His finger at believers demanding more effort. Christ has already done everything necessary. Nothing remains to be added to His finished work.
God's Opinion of You Is the Same as His Opinion of Jesus
Pastor Lori once again encourages believers to believe God's declaration of innocence. Pastor Leonard then references Jesus' High Priestly Prayer. He explains that Jesus declared that the glory the Father gave Him has also been given to believers.
He interprets this to mean that God's opinion and view of His children are the very same opinion He has of Jesus Christ. This truth becomes the believer's greatest source of confidence. Rather than approaching God in fear, Christians can confidently approach Him knowing they are viewed through the finished work of Christ.
Closing Encouragement
The pastors conclude by thanking everyone for their continued support of the ministry. They encourage listeners to enjoy their innocence, enjoy God's grace, and enjoy Jesus. Rather than living under guilt or condemnation, believers are encouraged to embrace the confidence that comes from understanding the New Covenant and Christ's finished work.
Thank you for reading this teaching from Pastors Leonard and Lori Rola. We pray this message has encouraged you to reject guilt, shame, and condemnation and to confidently embrace your identity in Christ. If this article blessed you, please consider sharing it with family, friends, or your church community so that more people can discover the freedom, confidence, and peace found in God's grace through Jesus Christ.