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No Condemnation (Romans 8 Overview)
Romans 8 is a chapter the Holy Spirit uses to bring into Christians lives hope, encouragement, blessing, & conviction. God willing, for a number of weeks we are going to look closely at what Paul wrote. Along the way we will be blessed… challenged… comforted… & at times convicted.
There is a huge difference btwn the last verses of Ch 7 & Ch 8. Because of that, we need to u’stand two important concepts. Here are 2 rhetorical question: 1) What is the nature of sin? And 2) What are we saved from?
First, the nature of sin is NOT that we become sinners b/c of what we do. Instead, we sin because of WHAT we are… SINNERS. There is a HUGE difference! Listen to Scripture…
Ps 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, & in sin did my mother conceive me.
Ps 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth…
Ro 3:10 None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one u’stands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Every person is born a sinner. From birth everyone is inclined to lie… covet… gossip… steal… cheat… be bitter… angry… jealous… & rebellious. We do what we do because of what we are… SINNERS. It is our nature & who we are. This is what Paul describes in Ro 7:7-24.
2nd, God doesn’t save us from our sins, but His wrath toward what we are, sinners! Ro 5:9…
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by (Jesus’) blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. {NOTE THAT… “From THE WRATH OF GOD”}
On the cross Jesus received from God the wrath we deserve because of who we are.
Here’s the theology of salvation. We’re born sinners. Sin is our nature & who we are (Eph 2:3). It is BECAUSE we’re sinners that we commit acts of sin. So we’re not saved from our sins, but God’s wrath toward who we are that RESULTS IN what we do… namely sin.
If it were ACTS of sin God saved us from, He would punish them in hell rather than people. But because PEOPLE are sinners… & thus commit acts of sin… the individual is punished for eternity.
As sinners, we all deserve condemnation. No one deserves forgiveness. It is because of God’s mercy & grace that any of us are forgiven. Because Jesus took the wrath from God we deserve, we escape hell.
And what is hell? It is the trash dump of the universe. It is a place of utter darkness. It is a place where all who reject Christ spend eternity. It is a place where God’s wrath is poured out on sinners for all eternity. It is a place of eternal physical, emotional, & spiritual torment. It is a place where those who reject Christ are condemned to suffer forever & ever & ever & ever.
Imagine your worst nightmare… your most horrifying thought… the thing that the possibility of causes you to tremble in terror. Now imagine them all taking place at one time… and increasing in intensity… forever and ever and ever. That is hell. (PAUSE) Now look at Romans 8:1!
“There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!”
Q: Why is there NO condemnation for those in Christ… those who are Christians? Because on the cross Jesus took on all of God’s wrath that they deserve! As a Christian… you are no longer condemned to the eternal hell I described a moment ago! For you… because of & in Jesus… there is NO condemnation!
Jesus’ death on the cross accomplished two things. First… God’s wrath was satisfied. His wrath no longer abides on you (Jn 3:36). He loves you because Jesus’ blood made you clean. Then second, as a result of being in Christ, you are MORE THAN FORGIVEN.
WHAT? How is a Christian MORE than forgiven? By the perfection of Christ being imputed to you. Imputed, “Placed upon.” The moral perfection of Christ’s sinless nature is judicially yours. In Christ, you aren’t just forgiven… you are morally & spiritually PERFECT! You are conpletely JUSTIFIED!
Otherwise you’re still a sinner. A forgiven sinner mind you… but still a sinner. And no sinner can enter God’s presence. Not even a forgiven sinner can dwell with God in heaven. That’s why being “IN CHRIST” is so important. Because of Christ’s work on the cross, Romans 4:23-5:2 is true…
The words “it was counted to him” were not written for (Abraham’s) sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us (Imputed) who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses & raised for our justification. 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace w/ God thru our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thru Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Heaven).
Romans 8:1 is not just a verse of hope… it is more! MUCH more! B/c of all we’ve examined…
Christians are set free from sin (2). Christians have life & peace (6). Christ Himself dwells in the Christian (11a). Their mortal body will live forever (11b). They are sons of God (14). They will inherit all God’s riches (17). They have patient hope in this life (24-25).
God’s Spirit prays for them (26). God works all for their good (28). God conforms them to Christ’s image (29). God is for, not against them (31). God gives them good things (32). No one can condemn them (33-34a). Jesus prays for them (34b). And nothing, nor anyone, can separate them from God’s love in Christ Jesus (35-39)! ((BIG PAUSE))
Is our God great? Is He worthy to be worshipped? There is no God but Jehovah God!
No one can believe those things & not be changed. Especially if we believe what we say we believe… that apart from Jesus Christ no one can be saved (Jn 14:6). We say Jesus is the only way of eternal life… but do our actions show it?
Q: Do we want others to know the Jesus of the Bible? Do we take risks in order for the lost to hear the truth that Jesus alone can save them from God’s wrath? (PAUSE) Tell you what…
Let’s reverse Romans 8:1. “There is only condemnation for those who are not in Christ Jesus.” Every person who rejects Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation has nothing to look forward to but the eternal wrath of God… which we’ve already described. There is hope in no one else according to what we find written in Acts 4:11-12…
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Do we believe that? If the answer is yes… then we will act on it regardless of the cost! Every one of us… without exception… have someone that GOD placed in our lives to tell them about Jesus. A neighbor… co-worker… family member… or friend. If you don’t know… then ask God to show you.
Do we care enough about the lost around us to TELL THEM about Jesus? You may be the ONLY person they would ever hear from about Jesus. So if YOU don’t tell them, what does that say about you? What does it say about how you view that person… whoever they are?
Q: What if every C’ian here asked God to grant them the joy of leading ONE person to Christ by 2/6/2012? Do you think God could/would do that? If we asked God to give us the honor of Him using us to lead ONE person to salvation in the next 365 days… what would happen?
Well… we’d baptize every Sunday. We’d double in attendance. There would be excitement as God’s Spirit moves. And that is called awakening.
What about it? Will you pray & ask God to use YOU to bring someone to salvation? Will you pray & ask God to show you who is lost that you can tell them about Jesus?
What about YOU? Do YOU know Christ as Lord, Master, & Savior? If not, can I tell you that if you die w/out Him, you’ll remember this day for the rest of eternity… with regret. Why not trust Christ? Why not confess what you are? Why not come to Jesus that your sin condition be made clean?
