Justified in Christ Jesus

Romans 8:2 tells us that we have been justified, or set free from sin in Christ Jesus: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." "For" (v. 2a) means "because" and introduces the reason there is "no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (v. 1). For believers, "law" (v. 2a) here refers to a principle of operation, just as it did when Paul earlier spoke of "a law of faith" (Rom. 3:27), and in Galatians when he speaks of "the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2).

Here in verse 2, "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" is set over and against "the law of sin and death." The thought is this: Those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, those who believe in Christ Jesus, are set "free from," or are delivered from the condemnation their sin required. In Christ you are set free to live the life of the Spirit as God intended.

This is justification—delivered from sin and set free to obey Christ. True salvation will always lead to true obedience. True salvation by faith in Christ delivers us completely and permanently from sin's power and penalty. But it also gives us the ability to obey God.

Paul told Titus, God "saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Titus 3:5-6). When you place your trust in Jesus, it is the Holy Spirit who gives you life in Christ and who enables you to live the spiritual life in Christ Jesus as God intended you to live.

As a believer, you are no longer a slave to sin. You are no longer under sin's control. You are free from its bondage and its ultimate penalty—death. Satan and the influences of the world around you, even your own humanness, can cause you to falter and fall back into sin in some way or another, but they cannot destroy you because your new life in Christ is the life of God's Spirit within you. He has set you free to obey God! That is the refreshing message of Romans 8:2. Amen.

No Condemnation

Romans 8:1 says, "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." "Therefore" (v. 1) marks a result, a consequence, or a conclusion. Paul spent the first seven chapters in Romans primarily focused on justification by faith alone, which was made possible solely by the power of God's grace. Now there is a major change of focus. In chapter 8, Paul begins to look at the results of that justification in our lives. What does this all mean?

The Greek word for "condemnation" appears only in the book of Romans; here and in Romans 5:16, 18. Although it relates to the sentencing for a crime, its primary focus is not so much on the verdict as on the penalty that the verdict demands. As Paul already declared, the penalty or "condemnation" for sin is death: "For the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).

But the good news Paul is declaring here in Romans 8:1 is the same as the last part of Romans 6:23, which says, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The good news for Christians is that there will be "no condemnation" (Rom. 8:1). There will be no sentencing and no punishment for sins ever committed—past, present, or future. Your sins are all forgiven in what Christ did for you on the cross. The penalty has been paid.

The Greek word "no" (v. 1) is an emphatic negative adverb of time, which carries the idea of complete cessation. For the believer, it is over! Never will anyone who is in Christ suffer any condemnation at all! Not now. Not in the future. That is eternal security.

It does not mean that there is nothing worthy of condemnation. It means what it says: "There is… no condemnation" (v. 1). All of us deserve to be condemned for our sin. All of us fall short. But praise be to God, Jesus paid the penalty for us on the cross, and through our faith in Him, the condemnation we deserve has been removed. There is no greater statement of eternal security.

Who is secure? "Those who are in Christ Jesus" (v. 1). Those who come to Jesus by faith. When you trust Jesus for your salvation and receive Him by faith, your sins are forgiven, you are declared righteous, and you are never again subject to condemnation. Your conflict with sin continues until you go to be with the Lord, yet there still is no condemnation for you because the penalty was paid in Christ and applied by grace. This truth, that you, being in Christ, will never face the eternal death penalty, is the foundation of all of Romans 8.

The last part of verse 1 in the KJV and NKJV, "who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit," is not found in most of your translations because it is not found in most of the oldest and best manuscripts of Scripture. This statement was probably inserted here by a copyist. The exact same statement is found in the context in verse 4, and so the addition here does not change the meaning.

To "walk" means to regulate the inward and outward life—how you live. It follows from the nature of your union in Christ that your whole life, your very character, will be transformed. Your old nature, your "flesh," will no longer control you. Rather, the Holy Spirit, who now resides within you, will control you and transform you into the very image of Christ. Amen.

The Gift of God—Eternal Life in Christ

The gospel message is really quite simple. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." None of us are free from sin. We are all in need of a Savior. To that is added in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God made us to have fellowship with Him. But our sin has cut off that fellowship and separated us from God. The "wages" we should receive is to be eternally separated from God (spiritual death), but God wants no such thing. Therefore He has offered us a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Who are in Christ Jesus? Those who have placed their faith in Christ and received Him as their personal Savior. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

There is that phrase again—"gift of God." Salvation from your sin is God's gift to you by His grace through your faith. There is nothing you can do to earn it. You can't buy it; you can't earn it. No matter how good you make yourself in this life it will never be enough. However, you can receive it because it is a free gift that God is offering to you right now.

John 1:12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." Believing (faith) leads to receiving (through prayer and submission). When you have faith, you not only understand who Jesus is, but you come to know Him in your heart inwardly by placing your complete trust in Him and asking Him to come into your life and take control of your life. That is receiving God's gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 5:11-13 adds this assurance: "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

Again, God has given us the gift of eternal life. This gift of life is in Jesus. Everyone who has received Jesus into their life by faith has this eternal life in Him. They are the ones who have the Son. Therefore, when you know Christ Jesus in this way, when you "believe in the name of the Son of God," you can "know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).

God sent His Son to die on the cross for you, so that through faith in Him, you would have forgiveness of sin and new life in Christ. If you receive Jesus Christ by faith, you will receive eternal life. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Confess your sin and ask Jesus into your life right now, and you will begin a relationship with the Son of God that allows you to experience His love and strength each day. All who know Jesus as Savior and Lord can fully experience that grace from God. Let Him in and let Him give you that grace. Amen.

Not Ashamed

Harbour Lights is a Southern Gospel Quartet that is affiliated with my church here in Stanzel. Two of the four members of the quartet attend my church; one is our lead elder, the other is the pastor of a church in a nearby community but, along with his wife, attends our Sunday Evening Worship. They have recently produced a new CD called Not Ashamed, with the tittle song I'm Not Ashamed.

As songs often do, that song has been floating through my head for several days now, and it is the inspiration behind today's Bible Insight. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul wrote: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" (Rom. 1:16a). As he begins his letter to the Roman believers, he encourages them to take a stand for Christ.

The issue of salvation is so important for everyone everywhere, that to fail to confess Christ before your unsaved friends and relatives, is like telling them you really don't care. You don't care what happens to them in eternity. You don't care whether they join you in heaven or if they are cast into eternal hellfire.

With the issue of their eternity in the balance, why wouldn't we openly share the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all we come in contact with? Why not? Out of fear. We are afraid of a little ridicule, a little persecution. We are afraid of being rejected and of losing friends. So we risk losing them for all eternity instead! All because we are ashamed of the gospel. All because we are ashamed of Christ.

For this reason, Jesus said, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 10:32-33). That is the biggest risk of all—having Jesus deny you before the Father in heaven.

Don't take that risk. Take a stand for Christ and confess Him before people everywhere you go. With no thought of yourself, tell others about their need for a Savior. Tell them about Jesus. Encourage them to trust Christ. Do not hold back. Share with them the gospel of Christ for their salvation. Why? "For it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Rom. 1:16b).

The gospel of Jesus Christ really is that powerful. "It is the power of God to salvation" (v. 16b). No other message even holds a candle to the gospel message. Don't be ashamed. Throw caution to the wind and take a stand. Let people know that you are a Christian and tell them about Jesus. Amen.