Jesus Frees You from Judgment - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - April 11, 2025

Audio By Carbonatix

Jesus Frees You from Judgment
By Rick Warren

“Those who hear my words and believe in him who sent me have eternal life. They will not be judged.” John 5:24 (GNT)

Have you ever imagined something like this? It’s the day of judgment. You’re standing outside the gates of heaven in a really long line. You slowly move forward, one step at a time. 

As you get closer, you start to sweat and wonder, “Am I going to get in? Am I going to make it? Is God going to use a giant TV screen to show every stupid or evil thing I’ve ever done? Will my every sin be exposed?”

I have good news for you. The Bible says that those who believe in Jesus—his death and resurrection—will not be judged (John 3:18). Jesus has promised you that.

In other words, when you get to heaven, Jesus will greet you with open arms. He’ll welcome you home because, as a believer, you belong to the family of God. 

Jesus’ death and resurrection release you from judgment. Is that good news? Oh, yeah!

When my friend Buddy was a child, his Sunday school teacher taught him God was sitting in heaven, writing down every bad thing that he ever did. 

She made the class sing a song every week that went, “My Lord is writing all the time. Writing, writing, writing all the time.” 

Buddy said, “It scared me. I just thought, ‘I’m never going to make it to heaven. My list is getting longer and longer.’”

Is that the way God treats you when put your faith in Christ? No! In fact, God is erasing, erasing, erasing all the time. Forgiving, forgiving, forgiving all the time. He’s sitting in heaven, hitting the “delete” button.  

How do I know this? The Bible says: “God is love” (1 John 4:8 GNT), and love “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV). 

If you put your trust in Jesus Christ and his love, your sins are wiped away. God’s judgment is no longer something you need to fear. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, you’re free from judgment.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

Your Gift Brings Hope to the World

Transform your prayer life with God’s Word! 

True breakthrough from the struggles of life begins with prayer—and there is no better place to start cultivating a powerful prayer life than the Bible. 

Discover the biblical wisdom you need to transform the way you pray when you dive into this special collection of verses from God’s Word. You’ll be inspired and encouraged by Scripture as you learn to trust in his promises. 

Drawing key verses from Pastor Rick’s "40 Days of Prayer" teaching series, this set of 52 beautifully designed cards will help you memorize God’s Word so you can access it when you need it most—and it’s our thanks for your gift today to help more people experience the transformative power of prayer through Daily Hope! 

Thank you for helping share the hope of Jesus Christ. May you enjoy a time of breakthrough as you fill your heart and mind with the truth of Scripture. 

*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of “current offer” materials you received from Daily Hope.

This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.