No Condemnation

Review: What does it mean to be in Christ?

We have a new heart.

We have Peace with God.

We have a future hope that is secure.

We have a confidence that God will gain the victory through us.

This changes us from the fear of Romans 7 as we look at our own strength, to the confidence of Romans 8 as we look at our Position in Christ.

Our Position in Christ

Romans 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Why are we secure?

We are secure because we are in Christ. It isn’t about our own goodness or strength. It is about God.

What does “no condemnation” mean?

It doesn’t mean no correction.

2 Timothy 3:16 “16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

Hebrews 12:8 “8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.”

It is only referring to the eternal judgment, the condemnation and judgment on sin.

Hebrews 7:25 “25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Hebrews 7:27 “27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.”

Hebrews 9:12 “12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”

How do we get “in Christ”.

We must receive Him as Lord and Savior

John 1:12 “12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

We don’t have to worry about being chosen. We must only ask ourselves if we will come to God in Humble repentance, seeking to follow Him.

Those that yield to Him, will find that they are the ones who are born of God. John 1:13 “13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Our Power in Christ

Romans 8:2 “2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Who are what is being talked about when we read the “Spirit of Life”.

Psalm 119:160 160. The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments is everlasting. (LSB)

Romans 8:10–11 “10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

How does this Life work?

Romans 8:13 “13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Paul is not teaching salvation by works.

Romans 3:19–20 “19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Romans 9:30–33 “30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.””

Galatians 2:16 “16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

Galatians 3:10–12 “10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.””

Paul is here showing the importance of being in Christ. “You must be born again… John 3” If you try to please God in your own strength, you will die. If you come to Him in humility, asking for forgiveness and help to follow Him, you will have His help and live.

Notice the Person who helps us do this. It is the Spirit who helps us put to death the deed of the body.

What does Paul mean by “the law” of the Spirit?

First lets remember that Paul likes this word law. It is showing a principle, as sure as gravity. You can’t live without experiencing this law. It is always with you.

Second here is something that seems new to us. A “law of the Spirit of Life in Christ”.

Romans 3:27 “27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.”

Titus 3:5–6 “5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”

This law regenerates our heart in desiring to live for God.

He renews our mind with the knowledge of God, teaching us, instructing us.

It is a law because if God comes in, this is what He does. No exceptions. (Notice the totality in the following verses.)

There are degrees of amounts and differing types of gifts, but without exception, the Spirit regenerates and renews us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

1 John 3:7–10 “7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”

1 John 5:1–5 “1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

James 2:26 “26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Matthew 7:15–19 “15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

The Person who Helps us

Romans 8:3 “3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,”

This is God’s Plan. He was the founder of it.

God sent His Son.

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

In the likeness of Sinful flesh

John 1:14 “14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The Word — John 1:1–3 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Flesh — Philippians 2:7 “7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

Dwelt — To spend time with. To live will.

Philippians 2:8 “8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

on Account of Sin:

Romans 3:21–26 “21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Christ coming was all about a substitutionary atonement.

He condemned sin in the flesh.

1 Peter 2:24 “24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

1 John 1:7 “7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

The Purpose of His Help

Romans 8:4 “4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Paul is writing to a mixed multitude. This is why he keeps reminding us. “Who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

WE are not saved by our blood lines, or by our Church attendance.

The evidence of salvation is that we are walking according to the Spirit.

1 John 4:6 “6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

1 Corinthians 2:9–14 “9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Here He also talks about the “righteous requirements of the law” being fulfilled in us.

It this speaking about Christ’s righteous?

Without a doubt that is a part of it. We are made righteous by His righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Revelation 7:14 “14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

But is is also referring to our righteous lives. Real practical righteousness.

Notice the end of the verse again. Romans 8:4 “4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Who walk according to the Spirit.

This is why Salvation, being born again, being in Christ is the beginning of the work. Without Him, we can do nothing.

John 15:5 “5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

1 Timothy 1:3–5 “3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,”