Romans 8:1-2 - 1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Message: The Spirit Delivers; we have no condemnation
Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.
What the Lord is Saying:
Background
I. Introduction 1:1-17 - Paul introduces himself and greets the church in Rome, specifying that his life and theirs, is all about the gospel.
II. Condemnation - The Need for God's Righteousness 1:18-3:20 - Paul expresses the guilt of the gentile and then the Jew. The Jew will be judged by their words, their works. God is impartial. No one gets a free pass. Jews do not obey the Law and Jews do not believe the oracles. All people are guilty before God. No one is good.
III. Justification - The Imputation of God's Righteousness 3:21-5:21 - Through Jesus, His perfect life, His death, and Resurrection, God credited to man Christ's righteousness when man believes. This is a legal transaction that takes place. Paul takes us back to Abraham and show how he was declared righteous. Abraham's righteousness was apart from works, circumcision, and the Law. He had faith. Because of being declared righteous, we have peace with God. And we have joy in tribulation. We are free from God's wrath. Adam sinned once and it spread to all men. Christ died once and for all sin. His righteousness can make all new.
IV. Sanctification - The demonstration of God's Righteousness 6:1-8:39 - I have read about sanctification and sin. We are free from sin in principle and practice. Sin no longer has master over us. And we are dead to the Law, but alive to God. The Law cannot deliver from sin. The Law exposes our sin and the Law is Good and should be fulfilled. Man wrestles doing good because sin still resides in him and sinful tendencies remain.
There now
Spirit occurs 20 times in Romans 8. The reality of these verses is after Christ imputes righteousness to a person, the person takes on some permanent characteristics. Christ's righteousness has been transferred. This is a done deal. We have peace. We have joy in tribulation. We are freed from sin. The Law no longer has a hold on us. Yes, we struggle. Yes, we sin. And yes, we want to be people known for how we fulfill the Law, but through it all we are now changed.
No condemnation
Condemnation is the opposite of justification and Paul states there is no condemnation. Judgment will never come down on us. Condemnation is to judge, discriminate or pronounce sentence against. And so there is no judgment or their is no pronouncement of a sentence against us. Why? Because we are in Christ Jesus. A change has occurred and so judgment, talked about in Romans 2, doesn't have a hold on us any longer. What an incredible comfort in our life that we don't really comprehend until we see who we are in Christ.
It's the Christian that sees that he has escaped death because the Christian knows what it is to be dead. I think this is an important point. As I talk to people that are seemingly lost, it is hard for them to see they are lost. And it is hard for them to see any danger for them remaining where they are at in Adam.
This is why it is so important to read and meditate on the scripture. When we don't we really are living in Adam with all of our focus on life on how our life should improve. This is the way the world lives. The world is all about self-improvement. When we are reading God's Word and studying it, there is a shift in our life from self-improvement to self-awareness. And this moves me to embrace people and be concerned about them.
A lot has been said about this generation not being good laborers for the gospel. Our harvest is big, but our laborers are few. My feeling is people are not spending time in the Word enough and therefore, don't have good self-awareness, don't have a keen since of their sin, and so have no urgency to preach the gospel because many Christians are living for self-improvement. I know this because I lived in this for so many years. I think I partly have in me a desire to help others, but I didn't have an urgency for it like I believe I now do. That said, I'm growing in urgency because I still don't desire it more than anything else.
No more law of sin and death.
And just like that words are repeated from the previous chapter. There is the reminder that we struggle with sin and doing what is right. We struggle with doing things that don't glorify God, but instead glorify ourselves. Yesterday, in Romans 7:25, it talked about the law of sin. Here it refers to the law of sin and death. Previously, it stated that the wages of sin was death. The Law exposes our sin. We struggle with our sin as we attempt to fulfill the Law after been regenerated.
Romans 5:5 states that the Holy Spirit was given to us. We have died to the Law and serve in newness of the Spirit (Romans 7:6). Yes, I have a new nature, but I need the Spirit of God to intercede in my life, indwell in me, so I can resist the schemes of the devil.
The Spirit of Life. The Holy Spirit provides us with life. In chapter 6 and 7 there was the struggle between right and wrong in our daily life, but I must remember that still nothing can be counted again me. There is no condemnation. But, I need to also remember that the Spirit of Life is working in me. There is no receiving of the Spirit, that is done. The Spirit is living in me. That is the complete truth.
In chapter 7 is so much about the law of sin and the law of the mind and the law of death. But, now we have the Law of the Spirit. What amazing comfort this is to me. That in the same way there are these laws of sin, there is a law of the Spirit. It is definite and a done deal. The law of the Spirit is higher and more powerful than the law of sin or the law of death.
And we have been set free from the law of sin or death. The Holy Spirit sets us free. O Lord, how we must just surrender to you and accept your hand of providence and believe in Your power. You are there.
Promise: There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
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