No Condemnation In Christ

Romans 8:1-17

In this opening section we find ourselves in a different atmosphere from that in chapter 7. There is still the opposition between good and evil, but the dominant note is that of victory.

Verse 1.... “Therefore”.........This normally marks the conclusion of the verses immediately preceeding it, but here it introduces the results of Paul’s teaching of the first 7 chapters.......that justification is by faith alone, not by the moral law.......The Law of faith.

“No condemnation”.......this is a judicial term, it means the opposite of justification.

It refers to a guilty verdict.......John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

A guilty verdict that demands a penalty to be paid.

All sins is paid by the blood of Jesus Christ and it is only through our belief in the finished work of Jesus Christ that the penalty is paid.

Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit: These words are not found in the earliest ancient manuscripts of the Book of Romans and they do not agree with the flow of Paul’s context here. They were probably added by a copyist who either made a mistake or thought he could “help” Paul by adding these words from Romans 8:4.

While it is true that those who are in Christ should not and do not consistently walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, this is not a condition for their status of no condemnation. Our position in Jesus Christ is the reason for our standing of no condemnation.

Verse 2......The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.............Most commentators state that this law is the synonymous with the Gospel, which would be the law of faith.........

The law of the sin and death was a strong and seemingly absolute law. Every sin we commit and every cemetery we see proves it. But the law of the Spirit of life in Christ is stronger still, and the law of the Spirit frees us from the law of sin and death.

The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus some disagree on it’s meaning, but I believe they are getting in their own way......

They disagree that it is just merely the Gospel of Jesus Christ but that it is the power given by the Holy Spirit to actively liberate us from the bondage of sin.

But that is exactly what the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Spirit produces the work of Jesus in us!

A writer wrote: “Manson has an interesting summary of Paul’s teaching on various laws: “Moses’ law has right but not might; Sin’s law has might but not right; the law of the Spirit has both right and might.”

Romans 8:1 tells us we are free from the guilt of sin. Romans 8:2 tells us we are free from the power of sin.

Paul mentions the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, quite a bit in Romans 8......He is the agent by which the power of Christ gives light and life within us!

Verse 3......The law could not do: “deliver sinners from the penalty” or “make them righteous”

“Weak through the flesh”........Men are not capable or do not have the ability, the law has no power to change that.

God did by sending His Own Son Jesus...... “In the likeness of sinful flesh”.......Jesus took only the outward appearance of sinful flesh, because He was completely without sin.

“For sin” is to mean as an offering or sacrifice for sin

God’s condemnation against sin was fully/completely poured out on the the sinless flesh of Christ!

Verse 4...... “The righteousness/requirement of the law:”........All of the law’s requirements are fulfilled in us by our faith in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

Our faith brings us to a place where we deny our fleshy desires and follow after the Spirit of God, which is guiding us to Christ!

Walk refers to Our lifestyle, habits, thinking, conversation....it just characterizes our whole life.

Every believer will manifest the fruits of the Spirit......Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Verse 5.........This is just an example of what was just read......

According to the flesh is the non-believer........They are dominated by the fleshly desires Galatians 5:19–21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

We have already said what is according to the Spirit!

Verse 6......... The mind that is set on the flesh leads to death......

The mind set on the Spirit if Life and Peace.

The mind set on the Spirit of God (every Christian) is very much Spiritually alive and at peace with God!

Verse 7-8.....The mind set on the flesh is hostile towards God, that mind does not subject itself to the Law of God......

Paul here seems to point to 2 lots of flesh following

One.....the clearly evil desires

two....the fleshly compulsion to try and please God by our good works.....

One writer said: “The good deeds of the unbelievers are not truly a fulfillment of God’s law, because they are produced by fallen flesh, for selfish reasons, and from a heart that is in rebellion.”

It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be: We can try to do good in life without being subject to the law of God. We may hope to put God “in debt” to us by good works, thinking God owes us. But it doesn’t work. In the flesh we cannot please God, even if the flesh does religious things that are admired by men.

Newell on Romans 8:7: “Perhaps no one text of Scripture more completely sets forth the hideously lost state of man after the flesh.”

Verse 9.......If the Holy Spirit has taken up residence within your inward person.......

Thoughts, desires.....

The Holy Spirit will be evident in the believer by the “fruits” (Gal. 5:22-23) which Christ said you can recognize them by.......

If there is no evidence of that Spirit then YOU DO NOT BELONG TO GOD!

No matter what you said, when you said it, what you did (baptize), no matter any of those things if that fruit is not alive in your inward person, God’s Spirit does not dwell there and therefore you do not belong to God!

Verse 10........The body has a death sentence......it will be a redeemed body one day but on earth it is appointed to die.....the reason????? SIN

But our spirits will live because of righteousness????

Because we have been made right with God through Christ!

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Verse 11.......”Spirit of Him” God.......before Paul refers to the Spirit of Christ.......Some get confused in this, but if Jesus was doing the Father’s will, which he said many times, then the Spirit of Christ and God the Father are the same agent, working the same end or life!

The Spirit which raised Jesus to life will in the same way will give life to our mortal bodies, we will have bodies made for Heaven!

Other than the scars on Jesus’ hand, side, and feet, do you think His body was raised as is?

No it was a resurrected body.....so will ours be, raised suited for eternal life!

Verse 12....Because of verse 11 we are debtors.... “obligated” not to the flesh....

Not to live according to the flesh.....the believers desire would not be obligated to the flesh but to God through Christ!

Verse 13.........Living by the flesh, you will die......double die

But if you “through the Spirit” which is the truth of Jesus Christ and His redemptive power indwelt in us.......mortify/kill the deeds of the flesh!

Seeking Christ for that very power and through His Spirit that lives within us, it is a process of hating sin more and more and loving righteousness more and more!

That process brings life to the believer!

Life is not meant as your best life now.....but more importantly life everlasting which is of great quality because it is in the presence of the Father!

Verse 14........If you are led by the Spirit.....

It is the Spirit who shows us the way. We are not left to our own wisdom (or the lack of it). It is these people, then, those led by the Spirit, who are sons of God.

Sons of God......Paul explains this as we go......

Verse 15.........The ones that are led by the Spirit are not led into the slavery/bondage of fear....

Fear of death and final judgement...........Sin carries that fear!

Living in hostility to God brings that fear of death.....as the writer said earlier death would haunt anyone that drives by a cemetery!

Be a Spirit of adoption, Christ’s blood is shed to make the final declaration of our adoption into the family of God!

Abba Father.......the word is from a babbling child crying for their father!

Verse 16......There is a direct operation of the Holy Spirit on our spirit. The content of that testimony is that we are God’s children.

The newness of life within the believer is testimony that we are children of God!

Verse 17.......If then we are children, we are heirs, heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ!!!!!

We inherit:

Eternal life..........Titus 3:7 “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

God Himself.....Revelation 21:3 “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

Glory....Romans 5:2 “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

His perfection

Jesus is appointed to be heir of all things… Hebrews 1:2 “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

Every adopted child of God will receive by Grace the full inheritance with Christ!

If indeed we suffer with Christ........ or better said because of Christ

One writer listed some of Christ’s sufferings:

Mockery’

Ridicule

Physical persecution

2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Taking up the cross, seems to mean the rejection by the world!

Here is another good passage that proves this point......John 15:18–19 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Also John 7:7 “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”