God is Love. That's worth thinking about.

  We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. - 1 John 4:16

  This is one of John's later books. By this point the apostles had a great grasp on the unfailing loving-kindness of God. John understands that God embodies love. I wish I had that same strong grasp. In my daily walk I often, both consciously and subconsciously, see God as a disciplinarian. Or God as disappointed. Or God as far off. Or God as angry. Or God as disgusted, Or God as having given up on me. I'm not alone here though. Asaph said it best when he wrote:

   Will the Lord reject forever?
         And will He never be favorable again? 
    Has His loving-kindness ceased forever?
         Has His promise come to an end forever? 
    Has God forgotten to be gracious,
         Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah. 
    Then I said, "It is my grief,
         That the right hand of the Most High has changed." - Psalm 77:7-10

  Asaph too knew God's loving-kindness endures, but he felt it was absent from his life. You can see this in the statement "Has God forgotten to be gracious".  How often do we feel this way, and so easily. Then starts the reasoning, and If you're like me, you start looking inwardly; it's because I did this, or I didn't do this right, I failed here, I should have done this more...We judge ourselves harshly, and wrongfully so. For if Jesus does not condemn us, what right or even what authority do we have, to condemn ourselves. 

  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. - John 3:17

  You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. - John 8:15

  "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. - John 12:47

  who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. - Romans 8:34

  Christ was given all power and authority, but rather then judging us, He is interceding for us. Who is left to condemn us? Nobody.

  We've established that Jesus did not come to judge us. Let's look at two more things, what does judge us, and what did Jesus come to do.

  For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM." - Galatians 3:10

  This verse that Paul quotes from the Old Testament states that all who don't follow every jot and tittle (Matthew 5:18) of the law are cursed. That's everyone. Romans 3:23 states, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So both the law and I agree, I'm a sinner. And according to the law, I am to be cursed.

  So, we know at this point, Jesus did not come to judge, the law has already judged, now my favorite part, what Jesus does in response to the law.

  When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, - Colossians 2:13

  Wow! First notice the above verse is all about Jesus, and what He's done. No part of that did I do. Second, Jesus made me alive together with Him; and the entire case the law built up against me... Bam!, Forgiven by Jesus Christ. Transgressions are defined by dictionary.com as "A violation of a law, command, or duty". But the above verse states "...forgiven us ALL our transgressions." So that’s great when Jesus came into my life He forgave me all my sins, but what about now and the transgressions I've committed since then. Well here is the very next verse to the above Colossians 2:13

  having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. - Colossians 2:14

  Not only did Jesus forgive everything I did before making me alive together with Him, He nailed to the cross the one thing that could condemn me, the Law, "He has taken it out of the way". So I'm forgiven of my sins, and I'm no longer under the law. Thanks to Jesus Christ I am free from condemnation, and there is no case against me, nor is there any possibility of one being built up. The one thing that could have, is now nailed to a cross, being fulfilled by Jesus.

  "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. - Matthew 5:17

  The law's demands had to be met; therefore Jesus could not dispose of the law. It was a covenant that could not be broken. God is just, and his holiness demanded fulfillment of the law. Therefore Jesus took our place as that fulfillment, freeing us from the demands of the law, and the contract was fulfilled; A tremendous act of mercy by God. (Hebrews 8:7-13)

  I once heard mercy and grace defined with a short yet profound definition. Mercy is holding back what we do deserve; Grace is giving us what we don't deserve. In God's mercy he diverted what was owed to us, wrath, to our Savior Jesus. But now, God gives us something we in no way earned.

  "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. - Luke 12:32