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.

Forever Faithful

In John 15:12 Jesus told His disciples, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." And in verse 13 he added, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." How much did Jesus love us? He loved us enough to lay down His life for us on the cross. He was faithful to those He loved, paying the penalty of sin on our behalf so that we would not suffer eternal death, or eternal separation from God.

A faithful friend never fails to do whatever may be required to help the people he loves, just as Jesus did, even when that meant giving His very life. That is the faithfulness that has defined service men and women in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces throughout the history of this great nation. It is these faithful people that are remembered and honored all across our land today—Memorial Day.

Over the years, so many men and women have given their lives for their country and the people they love. This day, people everywhere gather together to celebrate their lives and to remember their faithfulness. But it is more than that. It is a day to celebrate the faithfulness of all who have served our country and defended our freedom. It is a day to dedicate ourselves to follow Christ in our devotion to Him and to each other in Christ-like love. "Forever Faithful!" should be the cry of every believer.

Again John 15:12 says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." That last phrase, "just as I have loved you" is the key. It is God who first love us. Our love for each other is a reflection of His love for us and flows from our love for God. First John 4:19 says, "We love, because He first loved us." God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. That great gift, the gift of His Son, leads us to love God in return and to put Him first in all things. So being "Forever Faithful" means being faithful to love God above all else.

In Matthew 22:37-38, quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, Jesus said, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment." Before we can truly love anyone else we must first love God with our whole being (our heart, our soul, and our mind!). And if you love God with all you are, your life will show it, first by living rightly before Him, then by attending church and worshiping with fellow believers, and also by loving one another.

Look again at John 15:12-13. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." When you are faithful to love God, you will be faithful to love your brothers in Christ. The two always go hand in hand. That is why when Jesus gave us the greatest commandment, to love God above all else, He immediately added, "The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (quoting Leviticus 19:18).

In fact, John 13:34-35 says the same thing: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Your love for one another proves your love for God. And did you catch the standard? "Even as I have loved you," or as our text in John 15:12 said, "Just as I have loved you." Like Jesus, be faithful to love one another.

Jesus died for you. So you should be willing to do anything for your brothers in Christ, even to die for them if necessary. We can't die for their sin. Jesus has already done that for us. But we can give all we have to take care of them and to protect them. And that is what many of these service men and women who are being remembered today did for us. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for our good will, for our freedom to worship, and for our freedom to gather at cemeteries all across our land today and remember. Remember, and be thankful for the love of your brothers. Follow their example. Be faithful to love God and be faithful to love one another. Amen.

To Live Is Christ; To Die Is Gain

In Philippians 1:21, Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." The assumption is that Paul was in prison because of his faith when he wrote this verse. He was awaiting trial and he had to face the fact that it was uncertain whether he would live or die. However, to him the matter made little difference. His indifference was not because he did not care about living. Paul enjoyed life as much as anyone. However, he saw living and dying all within the loving arms of God.

For Paul, living gained meaning through Christ. For him, living was Christ, and life could not be separated from his Lord. Hence the statement, "For to me, to live is Christ" (v. 21a). For Paul, Christ had been the beginning of his life. He was born again on the Damascus road where he first encountered the risen Christ. Life had literally begun all over for him.

From that moment on, Christ had become the sustaining element of his life. There had never been a day since that experience when Paul had not lived under His presence. Christ had become the reason for his existence. Christ was the one who had made him an apostle and had sent him out as an evangelist to the Gentiles.

Even more so, Christ was the reward of Paul's life. The only thing that made life totally worth living was the thought that all of his life would ultimately result in Christ Himself. If Christ were to be taken from the life of Paul, there would be nothing left. To him, Christ was nothing less than life itself.

Paul’s dependency upon Christ did not end with his days of living. He made the statement, "To die is gain" (v. 21b). Over the years, this statement has frequently been misunderstood, taken out of context, and misused in an attempt to say that somehow it revealed a weakness in Paul. This statement was not the result of any weakness on the part of Paul, but instead it was the result of strength.

Paul knew that, prior to Christ's coming to gather all of His people unto Himself, the only entrance into the presence of Christ was through death. For Paul, death was not just falling asleep but an immediate entry into the presence of the Lord. For if you believe in Christ, Paul believed very strongly that death delivers you into an immediate union with Christ and with those whom we have loved and lost.

How does Paul's description of "death as gain" affect us today? To make such a statement is not just some idealistic thought. Such a position is the result of a deep-rooted belief in the Lord of Life.

First, death is gain because it removes us from the pain and suffering of life. Jesus said that in this life there will be tribulation. No one is immune. We all must face those days of suffering and heartache. But when death occurs for a believer, suffering comes to an end. Death removes us from all of life's pain and suffering, and ushers us into the abiding presence of Christ where there shall never again be pain. Life includes pain and suffering. Nowhere are we promised an existence that is free from pain. The good news is that it is all a temporary condition.

Second, death is gain because it removes us from the evils and struggles of this life. We are limited creatures. Life is most definitely a battleground between the forces of good and evil, and we are constantly caught up in that battle. We are weak and sin fills our lives, even in the best of us. There is a battle of conscience that wages itself constantly in our lives and in the lives of all believers. In fact, it is not pessimistic at all to believe that life is a long series of struggles. We grow as a result of these struggles, but they have their price. Death sees the end of life's struggles.

Third, death is gain because it secures for us those things that are unfailing. Life has many disappointments. We work and strive for those things that thieves can steal, storms can destroy, and time can take away. Much of life seems to surround things that are failing. However, once we are ushered into the divine presence of Christ, all things become unfailing. For our reward shall be gifts from Christ that shall never tarnish, nor can they be taken away. They become our gifts for eternity.

Fourth, death is gain because death alone can bring us into the presence of Christ. All men and women should seek to follow the example of Paul who made Christ his ultimate goal. Christ was not only Paul's beginning, his sustaining element in life, but the end for which all of life should be lived. Christ should be our ultimate goal. To be ushered into the presence of Christ solves everything. All the problems, struggles, and pain will be done away. The Good Shepherd of life and death will care for us in such a way that is beyond our own imagination.

There is pain, grief, and suffering in this life. But let us not forget the hope that surrounds us and sustains us. With the apostle Paul, we can individually and collectively acknowledge our faith in a Lord who is in control of all of life. We recognize that death is simply the passage from one stage of life to another. Without death, our own resurrection would never be possible. Paul really was correct when he said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (v. 21).

May God grant us the strength and courage to so embrace our faith that we may see that all of life is in His hands. Amen.

Just As I Am

John 3:16 is a verse many of you perhaps memorized as a child. It is one of the most quoted verses of Scripture. It is a verse that is well known, yet a verse that is packed so full of truth that we must take a closer look.

"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" (John 3:16). Note where the verse begins: "For God so loved the world." That's right! God, the creator and sustainer of the entire universe, loves you. You can't begin to understand what God did for you until you understand how much God loves you. Yet, at the same time, you can't begin to understand how much God loves you until you understand what God did for you. He paid a great price for you. He sent His Son to die for you—to take upon Himself the penalty that you deserved to pay for your sin. That is love.

God made you in His own image. He made you the pinnacle of all creation. No other creature was made in God’s image—only man. God made you to have fellowship with Him. All of this was so that God could lavish His love upon you. 1 John 4:8 tells us that "God is love." 1 John 4:19 adds, "We love Him because He first loved us." And in John 15:12 Jesus said, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." The Lord Jesus loved you enough to lay down His life for you. There is no greater love. The truth is: God loves you!

Let's move on. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16a). Why? Because you need a Savior and His love for you is so great that He willingly went to the cross to provide for your salvation. So what caused the need? Sin. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And Romans 6:23 adds, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God meant for you to have fellowship with Him, but because of your sin that fellowship was broken and you became separated from God. If you remain in your sin you will spend eternity separated from God. That is spiritual death, the "wages of sin." That is the problem.

So what can you do about it? Nothing, absolutely nothing! There is nothing you can do to earn your way back into fellowship with God. Even by paying your own penalty—death—you won't succeed. The only hope is for a substitute to die in your place. But who? "All have sinned" and deserve the same "wages." That is where God comes in. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for you. He is your substitute. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." He "knew no sin," and therefore, He took your sin upon Himself on the cross and died in your place so that you might be made righteous.

That requires one thing: faith. "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" (John 3:16). Belief. Trusting in Jesus. That is what is required of you. Jesus has already paid your penalty. What will you do with Him? How will you respond to His great love?

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "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." Faith. By the grace of God, salvation has been provided for you. You receive it through faith, which in itself is a gift God gives you. Receive that gift. Trust in Jesus. How? Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

What does your heart say? If you "believe in your heart" that Jesus died for you and that "God has raised Him from the dead," then confess it with your mouth. Make confession to God. Confess your sin, acknowledge Jesus and receive Him by prayer as your Lord and Savior. It's all about that faith in your heart of hearts. Where do you stand? Do you believe in your heart that Jesus died for you?  Have you confessed with your mouth that God raised Him from the dead? Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior? That is what God wants from you.

John 1:12 says, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (ESV). If you believe in the name of Jesus, that God raised Him from the dead, and you receive Him as your Lord and Savior, your fellowship with God is restored. You become His child forever. You are saved for all eternity. That is the clear message of all of Scripture.

John 3:18 says, "He who believes in Him is not condemned." Once you trust in Jesus, you no longer face the penalty of sin. The penalty has been paid. You need only believe and trust fully in Jesus. That is all. As John 3:16b says, "whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Amen.