No Condemnation Through Christ

INTRO

Many scholars suggest Romans 8 is the most beautiful chapter in the Bible. Why? First, there’s no condemnation or judgment in the chapter. And it contrasts the law vs. the Spirit. The chapter can be divided into four sections: (1) Freedom from Judgment—No Condemnation (vv. 1-4); (2) Freedom from Defeat—No Obligation (vv. 5-17); (3) Freedom from Discouragement—No Frustration (vv. 8-30); and (4) Freedom from Fear—No Separation (vv. 31-39).

TEACHING

Romans 8:1-4: The word “condemnation” means to express strong disapproval about something or someone. But there is no strong disapproval for those who are in Christ Jesus, because the Justifier has removed the penalty (v. 1). Believers have been set free from any penalty for the sin in our lives (v. 2). The Spirit of Life has set us free. However, sometimes we are set free from things and we don’t know how to act in that freedom. For example, in the movie, The Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman’s character was set free from prison, but he didn’t know how to act with that freedom because he was so bound to the laws that had ruled his life in prison.

The law was weakened by the flesh, and it no longer did what God intended it to do. The law was set up to guide us with lanes to run in and boundaries to stay within to keep us holy. We chose to ignore those boundaries, weakening the presence of the law in our lives. When I was younger, I was a ski instructor in a children’s ski school. Sometimes the day on the slope with little ones was tough. We’d joke afterwards that it would be the perfect job if we didn’t have the children. However, our whole purpose was to be there for them. Likewise, the law was given to us to help us, but we mess it up and weaken it.

The phrase, “Who walk not according to the flesh” is not in some of the more reliable manuscripts. It’s a tricky statement that tends to paint a picture of conditions to meet in order to have life in Christ—in order to live in the Spirit. We do not have to perform to meet Jesus. There is NO condemnation in Christ. God loves us. He has set us free, and He meets us where we are (Romans 5:8). We are free from judgment AND there is no condemnation. God is not sitting up there making lists about our sins and casting judgment down on His children.

Romans 8:5-17: As believers, we are all “in process”–the process of growing in Christ. In this section of verses, some scholars will start to set up the case for identifying those who are saved or not. Although this is true, we need to remember that all believers are “in process” and always growing in Christ, so keep that in mind.

Verse 5 divides believers into two groups—those with their minds on the things of the flesh and those with their minds on the things of the Spirit. I remember when I became a believer and I was still having thoughts in my head—thoughts that judged others, that were cynical, that were off-color. I wondered to myself why Christ had not taken all that from my life. I was a little defeated, wondering what I was doing wrong.

John 15:1-4 talks about pruning branches off a vine. Fruit grows from the support of the branches. Pruning those branches takes time; they do not grow overnight. We have a peach tree in our back yard. I hacked off a ton of branches, and we’ll have to wait a year or so to see the branches fill out and fill in those I pruned. As the tree fills in, it fills in the way I want it to in order to produce the best fruit. (Galatians 5:22-24—fruit of the Spirit has to grow.)

Being in the Spirit is one of life and peace, while being in the flesh is hostility toward God (vv. 6-7). As I grew in my faith, I learned to set my mind on the things of Christ. I knew sin was dead to me, but it was like I had to retrain my brain and my body in the Spirit. Thoughts, jokes, feelings, and emotions would still creep into my brain, but since I knew that I was dead to sin and had life in Christ, I could cast them away. Over time, I kept winning those small battles, and I experienced freedom from defeat. I knew I could win those small battles and was not obligated to submit to those (Ephesians 5:7-10). If we do not have the Spirit of God within us, Christ does not belong to us (v. 9). Therefore, as believers, we are NOT in the flesh. With Christ, the life of the Spirit and His righteousness are in us.

The Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, and He lives within us, giving us life (v. 11). We are debtors then to the Spirit, not to the flesh (v. 12). We are not slaves to sin, and we owe it nothing. If we live by the flesh, we will die; but we can put to death the flesh by walking in the Spirit and live (v. 13). When we are led by the Spirit, adopted as sons of God (vv. 14-17), we walk out our lives as children of the Father—the child of One who wants to lead us by the Spirit into righteousness. We are to be those who lead our children and those around us. We lead them into a relationship with Christ; set an example of living by the Spirit; share our own experiences and walk; teach them to do the same; and disciple them in trial and error.

Romans 8:18-30: The trials of this present age are transient (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)—they come and go (v. 18). We’re all still waiting for the Second Coming of God’s Son (v. 19). God is coming; He has a plan that sets even His creation free from its bondage to corruption (vv. 20-21). The whole of God’s creation is groaning together, even mankind, waiting (v. 22-23). Wiersbe writes, “Today’s groaning bondage will be exchanged for tomorrow’s glorious liberty!”¹ God wants us to walk by the Spirt, so that we can walk out His plan as we prepare for His return (vv. 24-25). The Spirit helps us when we are weak and intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (vv. 26-27). If we all submit to the lordship of Jesus in obedience, He will cause all to come together (v. 28). God calls us to be conformed in the image of Christ (v. 29). God is getting us ready to usher in Jesus’ return (v. 30).

Romans 8:31-39: Paul gave us these powerful words in verse 31b: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” God has equipped us with everything we need, so that we can get ready for His return (v. 32).

CLOSING

God has a plan for His creation, for His people and for His return. We do not walk in condemnation or fear. We walk by the Spirit of God, to fulfill His purpose for us and His kingdom.