No Condemnation Romans 8:1 Do you ever feel condemned? Every true convert to Christ knows what it s like to feel condemned because no one ever comes to Christ without first being convinced of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The famous evangelist, George Whitfield said, The indwelling of sin in the heart is the burden of a true Christian. He continually cries out, O! Who will deliver me from this body of death, this indwelling corruption in my heart? If you never felt the deficiency of your own righteousness, you will not come to Jesus Christ. This verse says, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 Whenever you see the word, therefore in the Bible, always ask, What s it there for? It s there because of what the previous verses in chapter seven say. Look at Romans 7:25. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 3 Once the condemnation is gone, our will can be freed by The Law Of The Spirit Of Life. Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. The law of the Holy Spirit cannot operate in us until the guilt of condemnation has first been settled. Not until we feel the deficiency of our own righteousness we can see how Christ took care of that at the cross. We then come to Christ saying, Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to thy cross I cling. The law of the Spirit of life then sets us free from the bondage of the will. He sets us free to obey His law because now it 1
is not written on stones, but is 4 Now Written On The Heart. God promised in Jeremiah 31, I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-33). The way God put His law in the church was on the Day Of Pentecost. That feast was a celebration of the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. God s Law is now in the church. The type was fulfilled in Acts 2 when they were all baptized in the Holy Spirit. 5 The Holy Spirit is mentioned 20 times in this whole chapter. He is called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ in verse 9. He is called the Spirit of him who raised Jesus in verse 11. He s called the Spirit of God again in verse 14. The Holy Spirit is not an it. He is the 3 rd Person of the Trinity. God is one essence in three Persons. God is both the One and Multiple. God is not three manifestations. Jesus is God, the Father is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. God is one. To deny that is to deny Christianity. To deny that is to deny the witness of the Holy Spirit as written in Scripture and confirmed by the Church in the Nicene Creed. 6 Verse 3 says, God Condemned Sin In The Flesh [3] For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, Jesus is fully human and fully God. God was made flesh and became a man. By His sinless life He condemned sin in the flesh. That s why sinners feel condemned in the presence of a Spirit filled person. Their very hostility is a testimony to the fact that the Spirit condemns their flesh. They feel like they are being judged. And, instead of siding with 2
Truth against their feelings, they lash out in an irrational manner. Linda s example at Forkash Hospital in Chicago: To a coworker, Linda said, Good morning. How was your weekend? Her weak end must have been fornicating because from then on she was hostile for no obvious reason. 7 The author of Idols For Destruction says, Resentiment is a French word used because there is no English equivalent. Resentiment begins with perceived injury that may have a basis in fact, but more often is caused by envy. The result is a persistent mental condition of hatred and the impulse to spite with vengeance. It seeks outlet in doing harm to its object. Any perceived difference is enough to set the pathology in motion. Resentiment whispers continually: I can forgive everything, but not that you are that you are what you are that I am not what you are indeed that I am not you. The other s very existence is a reproach. The mind of the flesh goes by feelings instead of by covenant. The Holy Spirit goes by sound objective reason. 8 Verse 4 tells why Jesus condemned sin in the flesh, in order that. The Righteous Requirement Of The Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Jesus said that He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He gave His life in order to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law in us. The law required death and He fulfilled that as our substitute. That took care of condemnation. The righteous requirement of the law is accomplished (fulfilled) in us by not walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Jesus swore that the righteous requirement of the law would never pass away until heaven and earth pass away. Therefore 3
whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:18-20 ESV). The word flesh is mentioned 11 times in this chapter. 9 Verse 5 says, those who live According To The Flesh [5] set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. [6] For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. [7] For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. [8] Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 10 Verse 16 speaks of The Witness Of The Spirit [16] The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God A witness is someone who testifies. The witness of the Spirit is the testimony of the men of God who wrote the Bible. The deeds of the body witness to the natural feelings and emotions of the flesh. Putting the deeds of the body to death involves the suffering of siding with God against self. The spiritual person values honesty above his feelings. He is noble. He searches the Scriptures daily to discover the truth and to be led by the Spirit s testimony. He bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God when we agree with His word. 11 Carnal Christians 4
The Apostle Paul accused church members in Corinth of being of the flesh (carnal). He says, you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? (1 Corinthians 3:2-3 ESV). There is a false teaching that says there are two types of born again people, carnal ones and spiritual ones. Here again, as we discussed 2 weeks ago, we see the influence of the Higher Life movement and their second blessing emphasis. Some of them even teach sinless perfection. No. There are not two kinds of true converts. 12 There are two kinds of outward Christians: those in the flesh and those in the Spirit. Both are covenant members of God s church, but only overcomers shall be clothed in white. The church in Corinth was mixed with both types. Paul called them all the church of God. They all had their names written in the Book of Life, but those who died as carnal Christians were blotted out. Jesus said to His church in Sardis, if you will not wake up, I will come upon you as a thief He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life (Rev 3:2-5). Once an overcomer you will never be blotted out. But covenant members of God s church who never overcome will be blotted out. So let us break up the fallow ground of our hearts and seek the Lord till He comes and rains righteousness on us instead of coming upon us as a thief to blot us out. 5
The Message Pastor Ron Smith No Condemnation Romans 8:1 George Whitfield said, The indwelling of sin in the heart is the burden of a true Christian.
What s It There For? It s there because of what the previous verses say. Look at Romans 7:25.
The Law of the Spirit of Life Romans 8:2 The law of the Holy Spirit cannot operate in us until the guilt of condemnation has first been settled.
Now Written on the Heart God s Law is now in the church.
The Holy Spirit Spirit of God, verse 9. Spirit of Christ, verse 9. Spirit of him who raised Jesus, verse 11. Spirit of God again, verse 14.
God Condemned Sin in the Flesh Romans 8:3 Sinners feel condemned in the presence of the Spirit.
Resentiment The other s very existence is a reproach.
The Righteous Requirement of the Law Romans 8:4 Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the last of these commandments will be called least in the kingdom (Matthew 5:18-20).
According to the Flesh Romans 8:5-8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
The Witness of the Spirit Romans 8:16 The witness of the Spirit versus The witness of the flesh
Carnal Christians For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh? (1 Corinthians 3:2-3).
Two Kinds of Outward Christians To His church in Sardis: if you will not wake up, I will come upon you as a thief.he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life (Revelation 3:2-5).
The Message Pastor Ron Smith No Condemnation Romans 8:1 George Whitfield said, The indwelling of sin in the heart is the burden of a true Christian.