3 December ROMANS 8

There is no condemnation Romans 8 is described as the most important chapter in the New Testament

John Piper says: “The greatest book in the world is the Bible; the book is Romans; and the greatest chapter in that book is chapter 8, and the best verse is verse 1.”

Why is it so important? It starts off where we ended in Romans 7—the struggle with living a life that pleases God. Our struggle with sin remains an issue, as Paul described in Romans 7. Our sinful nature is in constant conflict with our Spirit. This struggle remains.

Then in Romans 8, Paul clarifies that there is no condemnation once we are in Christ. Romans 8:1(AMP) Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

Paul discusses the truth of justification as the removal of all condemnation, referring to the reign of sin and death initiated by Adam’s fall.

The power of sin does not exist for those who are in Christ and who do not walk in relation to the flesh but in relation to the Spirit.

Being in Christ Jesus is essential to experience this freedom from sin’s bondage, being justified. The second step to victory is walking in relation to the Spirit, sanctification.

The key is, whoever believes in Him, whoever is in union with Christ - whoever has been placed in Christ, whoever has been born-again - whomever the Spirit has sealed - whoever has trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour are not condemned.

If we trust Him as Saviour, there is no condemnation. If we do not trust Him as Saviour, there is condemnation. Our position in Jesus Christ is the reason for our standing of no condemnation.

Romans 8 begins with no condemnation; it ends with no separation, and in between there is no defeat.

John Piper makes a powerful statement when he says: “What God wants us to understand from Romans 8:1 when he says through the apostle Paul, ‘There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,’ is that all of God's condemning wrath and all of his omnipotent opposition against us in our sin has been entirely replaced by almighty mercy and omnipotent assistance. In Christ Jesus God is always for you. Always! This is where Paul is going in Romans 8. He gets there in verse 31 and says, ‘What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us!’ His point is that in Christ Jesus ‘no condemnation’ means that God is always omnipotently for us and not against us. Always! Now this is breathtaking. If we could believe it, practically, morning till night deep in our souls - if this truth that God is only for us and not against us, and that he is for us with almighty mercy and omnipotent assistance all day and all night, waking and sleeping, Oh how differently we would live and sleep! What freedom! What a joy! What a peace! What a risk-taking boldness! What a fearlessness! What a sacrificial life-style of love and service and mercy! What a patience! What a serenity . . . we would have.”

This phrase no condemnation really captures the heart of the Gospel that Jesus’s death entirely and permanently paid the debt of sin and the penalty of the law, death, for every person who humbly comes to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, asking for God’s mercy and grace.

When we are justified by God, through grace by faith in Jesus Christ, every Believer is wholly and forever released from sin’s bondage and its penalty, which is death, and justified, and you can stand sinless before God. This is the specific aspect of justification that Paul is focusing on in verse 1 of chapter 8.

In Christ, there is no condemnation.