John 3:14-21: Rescue from Our Own Testimoy

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. - John 3:14-21

I think that people are not condemned by God so much as condemned by the standard that they have professed. We all have some mental red lines that we use to determine if something is good or bad. Then because we are unreliable in and of ourselves, we find that we have crossed that red line.  We stand condemned already. God passes judgement using the evidence that we hand to him. 

Paul asks: "you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?" (Rom. 2:21-23)

Maybe we claim that we know of no law or commandment that we disobey and are therefore innocent. I think that the judgement seat of Christ will be a replay of our words, deeds and thoughts to the jury of the saints. "so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." It will be our own indisputable testimony in evidence against ourselves. But those who believe escape the condemnation because we agree with God that we need the rescue.