The message today is somewhat of a controversy in some circles, however it is so very vital that we absolutely must look at it honestly and openly. The Apostle Paul makes no hesitation in writing that for a believer in Christ Jesus, there is no more condemnation and that to behave otherwise is to live outside of the Gospel. In-fact he devotes an amazingly large volume of text to this fact and also addresses various objections that the religious leaders of the day had to this message.
While the full text of Paul’s writings are too vast to cover entirely today, we will be studying the core message of no condemnation, and specifically how and why we can receive this today without shame because of Jesus Christ.
First we must remember one important point, that all scripture is God-breathed and inspired by the Holy Spirit and profitable for teaching. (2nd Timothy 3:16).
One commonality that I notice all the time is that believers get into trouble because they try to inject their own ideas into the scripture that they are reading. My friends, this will never work.
The scriptures are the very words of God, they are His words and letters to us. As such, to inject our own ideas into them are to corrupt them in one fashion or another and render them utterly useless. I mention this because this is the at the very core of the rejection of the message of no condemnation which was preached by Paul. The message of Grace in the Bible is so incredibly wonderful and so amazingly secure that men believe it to be “too good to be true” and men try to inject their own ideas of merit and Old Testament law back into this message, and the scriptures clearly state that this mixture will only lead to ruin and death.
We see in Romans 7:15-25, that Paul here is struggling with the thoughts and ideas of condemnation because of the law and the sin nature of mankind. Let’s read it now.
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
If then I do that which I would not, I consent to the law that it is good.
Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! who will deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Here is described the very essence of every good person, the things I should not do I find myself doing; and I also do not do those things which I should do. So everything is opposite, backwards and completely frustrating. Haven’t we all felt that way? However while this is a great struggle indeed, we should always remember that the Holy Spirit did not write letters in chapters and verses… those are the additions of man. So just because Romans chapter 7 ends at verse 25, it does not mean that the Holy Spirit is done with this subject. Let’s continue reading at Romans 8:1-6:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
My friends, here it is right in verse 1, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. This is a very big statement which very few believers have actually grasped hold of.
Now I could spend the rest of my time here today defending against various theories and engaging in what the Bible calls “unprofitable arguments”, but it’s really not necessary at all. If you are as tired of all of men’s ideas and commentaries as I am and you simply want the truth of God’s own Word, then you have come to the right place and thank God that you are here today. Here it is:
Jesus Christ died for all of your sins, past, present and future – because all of your sins were in the future when He died. As such, when you accept Jesus you are accepting His divine righteousness and sacrifice or you, and now no taint of sin can touch you. There is now no condemnation for you because all of your sin was paid for by Jesus!
That is it my friends, and now you can see how marvelously wonderful the work of Jesus Christ truly is!
So does this mean that we no longer care about living right and doing good? Those things are nice, and we should do them to be a testimony to others and because we actually love people… but the message of Christ is that He has cleansed us. No amount of good works can ever cleanse the sin nature within us, only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ being divine and all encompassing can accomplish the total rebirth which He gives us. Once you allow Him to change your position from sin to righteousness, then w can truly produce good works.
See, works are a fruit of the tree, not the root. If we are still tainted by our sin nature then our works are still unclean even if we intend them to be good. An apple tree can not produce oranges no matter how hard it tries to.
However after Jesus changes our nature from sin to righteousness, then we produce righteousness automatically without it being a struggle. Once Jesus has washed you, and you simply trust Him, then you will effortlessly love and do good without having to try hard. Once you realize that you are not condemned, then you will not condemn others.
You see now how righteousness is a gift? No condemnation is a gift of God, because Jesus paid everything that we owed. Our sins did not escape unpunished, it’s just that they were punished in the body of Jesus instead of our body, that right there is the price paid for your healing.
Give Jesus the praise for the wonderful gift that He has given us!
Your conscience has no right to be troubled any longer! The price has been paid for you to be at peace!
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