(Read Romans 8:1,2)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” In our last message we looked at how a Born-Again believer is a new man, in an old body, who needs a new mind. Today we get to a couple of verses that are somewhat challenging to understand if you do not know the context in which they were written. I love Romans 8:1,2 and I often quote these verses, but like any other quote, if the text is taken out of the context, it can easily be misconstrued.
The New International Version of Romans 8:1,2 reads, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Whenever you read the word “therefore” you must find out what it is there for. We have walked through Romans chapters 5, 6 and 7 to this point. We have a good understanding by now of what Paul is writing about. In these two verses the Apostle builds upon the foundation he had already laid in the previous chapters.
Paul had already told us “that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead” (Romans 7:10), that “if there were no law, sin would not have power” (Romans 7:9), and that “now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit” (Romans 7:6). It is clear to me that Paul is comparing the life we used to live under the Law of Moses, which led to sin and death, with the Spirit-led life we are supposed to live now, which leads to us maximizing our purpose and potential. This helps us understand The Law of the Spirit vs. The Law of Sin and Death.
The J.B. Phillips translation does a good job of doing this. It reads, “No condemnation now hangs over the head of those who are “in” Jesus Christ. For the new spiritual principle of life “in” Christ lifts me out of the old vicious circle of sin and death.” Once again, this is a comparison between the life many of us lived under the Law in an attempt to comply with external rules, and the life Jesus died to give us, which is a Holy Spirit-led life.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. The Law of Moses was a law that led to sin and death. Jesus died to deliver us from this Law and to provide us a new one: The Law of the Spirit.
2. Under the Law of Moses believers worked tirelessly to comply with external rules and the effort was all human. Under the Law of Spirit Born-Again believers can be internally led by the Holy Spirit to live a life pleasing in God’s sight. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit does not just provide direction, He also provides assistance and divine power. The Holy Spirit tells us what to do and He turns around and helps us do it. This is much different from the Law of Moses.
3. Christ set us free from both the power of sin and the sting of death. Since sin and death have no power over us, we are able to live free from condemnation. The devil comes to condemn us, which strips us of our confidence (faith). The Holy Spirit will never condemn you, He will convict you. But He will not convict you of your sin, He will convict you of your righteousness. The Holy Spirit will remind you who you are in Christ Jesus. This righteous conviction will build your confidence (faith) and help you get back on God’s desired path for your life.
5. When you do wrong the devil wants you to feel condemned, because once you do, you will have no confidence, you will have no faith, and you cannot live a life pleasing to God without faith. But the Apostle Paul teaches us that there is NO CONDEMNATION for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit is quick to convict of us our righteousness and get us back on God’s path. So don’t let the devil cause you to wallow in condemnation. If you do, you will live beneath God’s best. You will still be a Christian, but you won’t accomplish anything for God and you won’t advance His Kingdom. When you live this way, you are no threat to satan. Satan sees a threat in any believer who resists condemnation, who accepts the righteousness Jesus died to give us, and who seeks to be led of the Spirit daily to make a difference in the world. Because remember, God does not want to use you because you are so good, He wants to use you by Grace, because He is so good!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me more and more about Your amazing, unyielding and undeserved Grace. You knew I could never be good enough to comply with the Law you provided Moses on tablets of stone. But that Law did serve its purpose, it revealed to me my sin and my need for a Savior. I called out to Jesus, I accepted Your Son as my Lord, and I was Born-Again when You placed Your Spirit down inside me. Now I do not have to live my life focused on external laws written on stone, because You take Your Law and write it upon my heart by Your Holy Spirit who lives in me. I am no longer under the Law of Sin and Death. I live my life under the Law of the Spirit and I seek to be Spirit-led in all things. There may be times when I miss what the Holy Spirit is saying, or times when I flat-out make a mistake and sin. But even in those times You do not want me to wallow in condemnation. Condemnation strips me of my confidence and I need confidence in You to live by faith. That is why Your Word tells me that there is no condemnation for me. I am in Christ Jesus and I resist satan and his every attempt to cause me to feel condemned. The Holy Spirit does not condemn me, but He does convict me of the righteousness Christ Jesus died to give me. So when I do wrong, instead of accepting condemnation, I embrace the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I see myself the way You see me, I get back on Your path for my life, and I allow myself to by used of You by Your amazing Grace! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
