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“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to 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 did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8.1-4).

I could wish that the cited paragraph taught any number of things; I could wish that it taught that all believers will receive unlimited physical blessing here upon the earth, but it doesn't. I could wish that it taught that all men will be saved regardless of their thinking about Messiah, but it doesn't. The plain truth is this: Biblical passages only teach what their authors intended for them to teach and they do so with absolutely no regards for what you or I may want them to teach. Therefore, Romans 8.1 teaches only that which Paul intended for it to teach – my personal interpretation and/or desires notwithstanding!

One matter that is not even remotely connected with Paul's words in the subject text is the matter of the eternal security of the believer. As an author and as an interpreter I am persuaded that when a believer ceases to be a believer, he/she stands in jeopardy of eternal condemnation. I believe this because many passages that implicitly and explicitly teach this truth. Having said this, I want to move on to the meat of Romans 8.1-4 and glean from it the lessons that Paul apparently intended it to convey.

One definition of condemnation is “damnatory sentence.” That is the obvious meaning of the term in this text. Paul was a person concerned with condemnation, especially from the “pre-believer” perspective he presented in Romans 7. From that perspective (prior to and apart from the work of Messiah) there simply was no way to escape condemnation. Not only was the state of “no condemnation” not a reality, the state of guaranteed condemnation was reality; the precise opposite of salvation in Christ existed in Judaism prior to Messiah. They were all under sin and looked forward only to the rightful wage that sin should receive – Death! Paul's lament as he closed Romans 7 was this: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7.24). The entire plight of all humanity could be stated in precisely the same way. Judaism was good in as much as it achieved the purposes for which God established it, but its purpose was NOT TO SAVE. Rather than save, it merely served to point out to otherwise honest men their inability to keep it perfectly – hence their condemnation!

Paul happened to be an honest man. He knew his fate as a Jew apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Condemnation was absolutely certain. He tried to keep the law, but try as he might, he sinned from time to time. Furthermore, sin under the law had no means of remission. However, in Christ, there is no condemnation. The effects of sin are neutralized by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Where only condemnation was possible, now no condemnation was possible! The irony of the two systems is stark and revealing. Choose life by choosing Jesus; choose condemnation by choosing any other system.

Questions:

1. What was the lament of Romans 7.24? How did that lament impact Paul?

2. What was the only hope of salvation that Israel (Paul/Saul included) enjoyed?

3. What is the meaning of the word condemnation in Romans 8.1?

4. Given the opposite effects of Judaism and the gospel, what would the reaction could one expect from an honest hearted Jew to the gospel (such as Saul/Paul)?

"Inspiration For You" from Randy Mitchell

Watching Your Dollars Fly Away