The Greatest News

I am excited to resume our flyover
study of Romans this morning. Several weeks ago, for those
of you who were with us, you’ll know that we left off in Romans
chapter seven, and so I just ask your indulgence, please allow
me a bit of a review here this morning. There in Romans seven,
Paul was discussing the law and its role in sinners’ lives, God’s
law. That subject, as you may recall,
was prompted by Paul’s somewhat surprising statement in chapter
six. that we as believers are no longer
under the law, but under grace. And that statement seems only
to stir his readers’ thinking, and so it begs for an elaboration
by the apostle. This whole subject really traces
all the way back to chapter 5, where Paul there made a surprising
statement, where sin increased, grace abounded. And in the ensuing chapter, chapter
six, the apostle takes that argument, hypothetically, to its extreme. If grace abounds in sin, should
we just continue in sin? And he answers in a stark denial,
may it never be, and he proceeds to inform us that we have died
to sin. That’s the literary style that
Paul is employing, question and answer, and he poses another
provocative question halfway through chapter six. Verse 15,
he says, shall we sin because we are not under law but under
grace? And he answers part of that question
in the latter half of chapter six, that we now have a new master. born out of God’s grace. And
then in chapter 7, he tackles the rest of that question. If
we have died to sin, if sin is no longer master over us, what
is the purpose of the law? What about the law? What is the
role of the law in salvation, or as his subject is, sanctification? What is the role of the law?
And to generate this conversation, almost pouring jet fuel on it,
he poses another faulty assumption in 7-7. Is the law sin? If the Christian is now under
grace and no longer under the law, isn’t the law then to blame
for our sin? As we saw, Paul strongly denies
that suggestion as well, just as he has the other faulty thoughts. May it never be. The law has
its God-ordained purpose, but those purposes don’t include
either salvation or sanctification. though it is an aid to both. And that is important to note
because here we are in the midst of a discussion on sanctification,
and Paul lays out four beneficial aspects to the law there in chapter
7. In verses 1 through 6, this is
all review. In verses 1 through 6, as we
saw, Paul calls believers to understand the reach of the law. Paul makes the point that the
law has no jurisdiction over a dead man. It has jurisdiction over a man
while he’s alive. But once he’s dead, so is the
law’s power. The law has nothing to say to
a dead man. And Paul says this because when
we come to Christ by faith, we die to the law. By our faith
in Christ, we are rendered dead to the law. And since the law
was designed to condemn sinners, it cannot accomplish one of its
purposes because we’re dead. What good is a sentence upon
a dead man? And so, what then is the purpose
of the law? If it isn’t to condemn a dead
man, and this is the concern that Paul takes up in verses
7 through 12. Paul indicates the purpose of
the law in verse 7 when he acknowledges, I would not have come to know
sin except through the law. Part of the function of the law,
as we saw, was to identify sin and condemn sinners, to let us
know exactly where we stand before a holy God. The law serves the
function of identifying God’s moral standards, and we now know
what sin is by the declaration of the law. The law brings in
an utterly devastating report that sin is a greedy opportunist
that festers and grows within our hearts, and the law informs
us and convicts us, and if we do not repent of our sin, condemns
us. But how far can the law go? Can
it kill us? Can it carry out the execution
of a condemned criminal? What are the limits of the law?
And to answer that question in verses 13 through 23, Paul provides
his firsthand experience. And he proceeds to speak in dreadful
terms. I am a flesh. Nothing good dwells
in me. In my flesh, he says. And he
outlines the sinful condition in which he was once trapped.
And he effectively gives the hopeful side of his personal
testimony. How he came to hate his sin and
turn from it to eternal life. against the dark backdrop of
his sinful condition, the law had performed its work in him,
exposing his sin and bringing him to conviction for it. Well,
and that conviction of sin becomes so overwhelming that we come
to the fourth section in chapter seven, the cry from under the
law. And this we find in verses 24
and 25, examining his own sinful life, Paul cries out, wretched
man that I am. More accurate words were never
spoken. He’s doomed. He’s condemned by his own sin. And as we noted, this is the
eventual cry of every sinner’s experience. Every sinner comes
to the point where they have to acknowledge their own wretched
sinfulness before a holy God. And it’s with that understanding
of the role of the law in the sinner, the reach of the law,
the purpose of the law, the limits of the law, the cry under the
law, that Paul brings us into arguably the greatest chapter
in the entire Bible. Our condition is so sinful, so
wretched, so hopeless, that we need divine intervention. And
that’s what Paul outlines for us here in Romans chapter 8.
I’ve already declared that Romans is the greatest document ever
written, so it’s not unreasonable for me to suggest that there
should be a greatest chapter in this greatest document. And
I would strongly champion that Romans 8 is that chapter, the
greatest chapter ever written. After all, it stands right up
against that dark backdrop of the role and the impact of the
law condemning us as sinners, judgment, gloom, condemnation. You may recall my illustration
there at the end of Romans 7 from two weeks ago. The image that
Paul describes elicits there a picture of pitch blackness. That’s where the sinner stands,
shrouded by a heavy black curtain that separates the sinner from
glory, God’s glory. But suddenly, That black shroud
is pierced by a pinprick. And bright light streams in and
invades the gloom. But what is a pinprick there
in Romans 7? Opens up to the full glory of
God in Romans 8. Paul is answering the question
there in Romans 7 24, who will set me free from this body of
death? And he alludes to the answer
briefly in verse 25. Thanks be to God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8 takes and builds on
that hopeful sentiment. What the sinner needs most is
divine assistance. And that’s what Paul discusses
here in Romans 8, divine assistance in the life of the Christian.
And all three members of the deity are present here, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. If you would, let’s read Romans
8. Romans 8 in its entirety. There is therefore now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin
and death. For what the law could not do, weak as it was through
the flesh, God did. sending his own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh. And as an offering for sin, he
condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the law
might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the
flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to
the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but
those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh
is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.
Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it
does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even
able to do so. And those who are in the flesh
cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh,
but in the spirit. If indeed the spirit of God dwells
in you, but if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he
does not belong to him. If Christ is in you, though the
body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because
of righteousness. But if the spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ
Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through his spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we
are under obligation not to the flesh to live according to the
flesh, for if you’re living according to the flesh, you must die, but
if by the spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body,
you will live. For all who are being led by
the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you have
not received the spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you
have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out,
Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies
with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs
also, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ. If indeed
we suffer with him so that we may be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing
of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons
of God. For the creation was subjected
to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected
it in hope that the creation itself also will be set free
from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory
of the children of God. For we know the whole creation
groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until
now. And not only this, but also we
ourselves having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves. waiting eagerly for our adoption
as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been
saved, but hope that is seen is no hope. For who hopes for
what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do
not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. In the same
way, the Spirit helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray
as we should. But the Spirit himself intercedes
for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches
the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he
intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know
that God causes all things to work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He
also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that
He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom
he predestined, he also called. And these whom he called, he
also justified. And these whom he justified,
he also glorified. What should we say then to these
things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not
spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will
he not also with him freely give us all things? Who will bring
a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.
Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is he who died,
yes, rather, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God,
who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the
love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, for your
sake we are being put to death all day long. We were considered
as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things, we overwhelmingly
conquer through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. There you have it. One of the
greatest chapters in all the Bible. I would think of it this
way. You’re on a mountain hike. Blazing a new trail, no one’s
ever walked it. Walking through the forest adjacent
to a rocky hillside, and you come across a bend in the road,
and as you round the bend, you come face to face with a jeweled
cave, spilling forth priceless gems of every kind and size. It’s an awesome, jaw-dropping
sight of inestimable riches. That’s a picture of Romans 8.
Romans 8 is all the more striking when you remember that we’ve
only just come from that oppressive darkness of Romans 7. Now it’s
Paul’s turn to proclaim the excellencies of God in the application of
justification and salvation. The glories of the gospel now
radiate against that backdrop, that impact of the law. And here
in this chapter, as we just heard, the Holy Spirit, the Son, and
the Father are all presented as effecting the redemption of
sinners. Let me just show you the structure
of this chapter. And by the way, I mean, I was
almost embarrassed when I looked it up this past week at the log
that I have of everything that I preached. I preached through
Romans 8 one time. And so I’m going to do it again.
I’m going to break my own rule. We’re not going to just spend
one week in Romans 8, the greatest chapter in the Bible. We’ll take
it in the weeks to come. But the first portion of it,
is that the Christian’s life is established in Jesus Christ,
verses 1 through 11. Paul is writing to the Roman
Christians to encourage them in what God has done for them,
not what they can do for themselves. God did it all. The keeping of
God’s moral law couldn’t save anyone. It was impossible to
accomplish, and so the law could not save, it does not save, so
God did the saving by sending his son as an offering for sin.
As a result, all those who place their faith in Christ are said
to be in Christ Jesus. We’ll come back to that thought
in the weeks to come. Secondly, not only is the Christian’s
life established in Christ Jesus, secondly, the Christian’s life
is sustained by the Spirit of God. That’s section 12 through
27. It actually opens up with what
I would characterize as an implied statement. Paul doesn’t say it,
but it’s clearly there in verse 12. Would you glance at it? So
then brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according
to the flesh. And he doesn’t complete the statement
because it’s so obvious. We are under obligation as believers
to the spirit who resides in us. We are under obligation to
the Spirit to live according to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit,
the third person of the Trinity, has an active and vital role
in the life of the Christian, not only the establishment of
the individual as a believer in Christ through that divine
awakening we call regeneration, but also in the day-by-day, moment-by-moment
support that the Spirit provides. Well, there’s a third person
involved, not only Christ and the Holy Spirit, but God also
is involved in the life of the Christian, in his redemption,
not only establishing us in Christ and sustaining us through the
Holy Spirit, but the Heavenly Father ordains it all. I would just have you glance
at one verse, verse 28, we know We have a settled confidence.
We know deep in our hearts that God causes all things to work
together for good. God is in control. He’s sovereign.
And the Heavenly Father, too, presents himself as active in
the Christian’s life. Every suffering, every trial,
every twist and turn of life, good or bad, adversity or prosperity,
is ordained in love by a sovereign God. for the believer’s good. Every
event of life is orchestrated for His glory and for the believer’s
good. And that brings us really to
almost the summary of the chapter. Verses 31 through 39, the Christian’s
life is absolutely secure. If Christ initiated it and the
Holy Spirit sustained it and God ordained it, what do we have
to worry about? What then should we say to these
things? If God is for us, who is against us? Verse 31. And through the course of this
chapter, we’ll look at this in the next couple of weeks. Verse
31 asks, Paul is responding effectively to a question that is behind
it. Where’s the Christian’s enemy?
Verse 32, where’s the Christian’s grace? Verse 33, where’s the
Christian’s accuser? And then verses 35 through 39,
where’s the Christian’s God? We’ll look at those sections
in the coming weeks, but right now I’d like to tackle one single
verse. Would you turn back to Romans
8.1, the beginning of this incredible chapter. The way I think of it is, if
Romans is arguably the greatest document ever written, Romans
8 is the greatest chapter ever written, then we could make a
good argument that Romans 8.1 is the greatest single verse
ever written. In one verse, it declares some
of the most important thoughts ever communicated to mankind
that sin and death are conquered, that salvation has been provided
by God, that sinners may be reconciled to God. These verses communicate
to us the greatest news that a person, any person, will ever
hear. It is comprised of a string of
superlatives that provides a declaration of hope for sinners. Romans 8.1
communicates the hope of the gospel in a single sentence.
And it certainly ranks among other key passages in scripture. John 3.16, the passage we read
this morning, Titus 2.11, 2 Corinthians 5.21, he made him who knew no
sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness
of God in him. Those and a handful of other
passages would even come close to this statement. Romans 8.1
is more than just a promise. It’s a definitive declaration
on the condition and the standing of the person who has placed
his or her faith in Jesus Christ. It’s not just wishful thinking.
It’s not just great hopefulness or human confidence. It is the
God-ordained truth about the security and the liberty that
a Christian enjoys. Now, before we look very far
in this magnificent statement, please allow me to make one important
clarification. If you have interacted with or
if you still have a King James Bible on your lap, you need to
hear this. The King James specifically provides
a much more lengthy version of this verse. An extended description
of those who are in Christ. This is how the King James reads.
If you’re glancing at your own translation, you won’t find it. King James reads, there is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Well, that sounds
really good. Sounds like a summary of essentially
the first 11 verses. And it’s the latter portion of
that sentence that is in question. Most ancient manuscripts, including
the most trusted of those manuscripts, do not contain those words. And
so they have to be rejected as a scribe’s clumsy insertion of
those words into the biblical text. If the words sound familiar
to you, they should. If you glance down at verse four,
there you’ll notice that the phrase actually occurs legitimately
in verse four. And so we quibble not with the
genuineness or the truth of that phrase, only the placement of
it by the King James translators. Verse one should read like this.
There is therefore now no condemnation. for those who are in Christ Jesus.
And now, if we may, let’s consider what I would suggest are the
superlative elements of this passage. It gives the crown jewels
of the Christian’s hope, these superlative elements, which together
comprise the greatest verse in the Bible. The first superlative
element that we find is the greatest conclusion. Look at Romans 8.1
one more time. There is therefore, now no condemnation
for those who are in crisis. It’s that word, therefore. Not
only is Paul’s epistle the greatest document, Romans 8, the greatest
chapter, Romans 8.1 is the greatest verse, based on these superlative
elements, not the least of which is this conclusion that Paul
draws. Paul’s giving us the greatest
news that a person will ever hear. And the first thing that
he tells us is this is a conclusion. What is it that warrants Paul
to draw this particular conclusion? To what does this, therefore,
refer? Some want to look back only to
the immediate context, to chapter 7, verse 25. Thanks be to God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation. Others were willing to go back
all the way to chapter 7, verse 6. Listen to that verse. We have
been released from the law. We have died to that by which
we were bound, so that we serve in newness of spirit, not in
oldness of letter. There is therefore now no condemnation. But I believe the best approach is to apply this verse with this
therefore to all that Paul has said thus far, to the first seven
chapters of instruction that Paul has provided. And though
we are in the eighth chapter, without doubt it refers to everything
that Paul has said thus far. If you would, let’s do a little
exercise. Go back to Romans chapter one. Paul’s making a declarative conclusion
based on the truths that he’s already articulated to the fact
that we have been absolved from the power and guilt of sin by
our faith in Christ Jesus. We’ve been justified because
of God’s work of grace in our hearts. Let me demonstrate this
for you. If you’re in Romans 1, glance
down at verse 16. The gospel is the power of God
for salvation to everyone who believes. There is therefore
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Would
you turn to chapter 3 in verse 21? Chapter 3 in verse 21, where
Paul says that apart from the law, the righteousness of God
has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ. There is therefore
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Would
you glance three verses later, Romans 3 24, that we are justified
as a gift by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ
Jesus, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus. Romans 5.1, Romans 5.1, where
Paul speaks there of having been justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is therefore now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 5.8,
Just below, Romans 5.8, God demonstrates his love for us in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. There is therefore now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 10 verses
later, Romans 5.18, through one act of righteousness that resulted
in justification of life to all men. There is therefore now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Would you look
at 520 and 21, where Paul summarizes there, where sin increased, grace
abounded all the more, so grace would reign through righteousness
to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is therefore
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. One
last one, Romans 6, 4. Romans 6, 4. As Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk
in newness of life. There is therefore now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus. So the first superlative is this
great conclusion that Paul draws based on everything that he’s
said thus far in Romans. But there’s a second superlative
if you’re back in 8.1, Romans 8.1. The first superlative, the greatest
conclusion. The second superlative is the
greatest change. That’s the only way I could describe
it. Romans 8, 1, there is therefore now no condemnation. The word now implies the past. Even as he speaks of the present,
And here it silently acknowledges our sinful past in contrast with
the present grace of salvation. Listen to these parallels from
the immediate context just here in Romans. Romans 5-9, having
now been justified. Romans 5.11, our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received our reconciliation. Romans 6.19,
as you presented yourself as slaves to impurity, so now present
your members as slaves to righteousness. Romans 621, what benefit were
you deriving from the things which you are now ashamed? In each of those passages, including
this one, Paul notes a spiritual distinction between our present,
now, and our past. We know well the past. Our sin,
our guilt, our wretchedness, But by this one word, now, Paul
indicates that something remarkable, something amazing has happened.
And given the context, it can be no other than the individual’s
faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ for salvation. This
is all predicated on that little word, now. Now that Christ has
died, accomplishing our redemption. Now that the Spirit has regenerated
us by His grace. Now that we have repented of
our sin. Now that our faith rests in Christ
alone. Now that we are in Christ. Now that we stand before a holy
God, justified. God has done a remarkable work
in the sinner’s life so that his or her present state is nothing
like the natural condition. Sin is gone. Guilt is gone. Judgment is gone. The person
has been radically transformed so that now things are completely
different. There’s a third superlative element.
Would you look again at Romans 8.1? not only the greatest conclusion
and the greatest change, but the greatest liberation. That’s
the only way I could characterize it. The greatest liberation.
Condemnation, as we have previously been reminded earlier in this
study, is God’s wrath directed it towards sin. So when Paul
says, there is therefore now no condemnation, That is a noteworthy
declaration. This condemnation, we first were
informed back in 516 of this epistle, it came about a result
of Adam’s sin and its effect on all humanity, that we’re all
under that condemnation. Condemnation came from one man’s
sin, but two verses later, Paul says, it spread, it fell upon
all people. Every person ever born stands
under the just condemnation of God. And that condemnation not
only includes the sentence demanded for sin, the powerful enslavement
to sin and the crippling guilt that comes with it, but primarily
the just punishment that it warrants. We stand condemned outside of
Christ in our natural sinful state. We stand beneath the wrath
of God in the severest kind of condemnation. And so it’s not
simply that God pronounces us not guilty, but also that there
will be no sentence handed down. There is no longer an indictment
standing against us. Christ has paid it all, and by
God’s grace and an individual’s faith in Christ, the sinner is
moved from one extreme to the other, from being utterly condemned
to being completely forgiven. And that leads naturally to a
fourth. the greatest conclusion, the
greatest change, the greatest liberation, and the greatest
degree. This is just an amazing thought
here. There is therefore now no condemnation. And there’s a superlative sense
even in that little word, two-letter word, no. It’s emphatic in the
Greek text. It’s a strong negative. There’s an absoluteness to it. Listen to some of the ways that
this word is translated in the New American Standard. Nothing,
no one, none. It completely negates that to
which it refers. And in this case, condemnation.
Now, coming to an understanding of the holiness of God, with
whom we have to deal, the Holy God, and our own wretched sinfulness, we might even expect, even upon finding ourselves saved,
we wouldn’t be surprised if we were taken to the proverbial
woodshed by God, punished, chastised in measure, even though we’re
forgiven, perhaps even a season of probation, something. We almost
longed for it. We had it coming. So it would
not surprise us if Paul declares that there is no condemnation. not the slightest bit remaining. Because of what Jesus Christ
accomplished for sinners and our faith in that work, all guilt,
all power, and the entire penalty is gone. For the believer in
Christ, we are completely removed out from under God’s wrath. No
other sacrifice needs to be offered. No punishment needs to be feared. Our past, pardon me, our just
punishment isn’t just removed, leaving a remnant, some trickle
down of punishment. Our sentence of death is removed
entirely. All condemnation is completely
and overwhelmingly eliminated. And there’s a fifth and final
superlative here in the crown jewel of the Christian’s hope. The superlative verse, the greatest
verse in the Bible, I would argue, regarding the Christian, the
condition, rather, that Christians enjoy, not only the greatest
conclusion and the greatest change, the greatest degree and the greatest
liberation, but fifth and finally, the greatest haven. The greatest
haven. If you glance at Romans 8, 1
again, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus. A sinner comes to Jesus Christ
completely empty-handed. He or she brings nothing. They come to Christ exceedingly
needful, dead in their sins, sinful, condemned. What could
they bring? He or she comes to Jesus Christ
as a shelter, as a refuge, as a haven like no other. By his or her faith, the individual
is justified and then stands before God in Christ’s perfect
righteousness. He or she is in Christ. Every spiritual blessing communicated
to the believer in Christ comes because of their association
with him. The righteousness of God, Paul
spoke of in 322. Redemption in 324 is because
of our being in Christ. That we are alive to God. Romans
6.11, and that we have eternal life, Romans 6.23, everything
is because of our union with Christ. Remember Paul’s vivid
illustration at the beginning of chapter six? When the believer
comes to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, he or she is immersed,
placed into the person of Christ. And if a person is in Christ,
they can never be extracted from him. If they are in Christ, they
are no longer exposed to God’s wrath because Christ has already
faced it all. It is only for those in Christ,
only for those who are in union with Him, they are acquitted
of their sin and its penalty. There are many people who misunderstand
this principle. Here’s how it works. They think
of the Christian As a person who, if he confesses his sins
and asks for forgiveness, he’s forgiven. I mean, that much we
would all agree with. At that moment, he’s no longer
under condemnation. But then if he should sin, and
who doesn’t, he’s back once again under condemnation. And then he repents, he confesses
his sin, asks for pardon, and he’s removed from under God’s
condemnation once more. Such a person is constantly passing
back and forth from one state or another, in and out of condemnation. That’s not how it works. The
truth is, if a person is truly in Christ, placed into the being
of Christ, they are not now, never can be, not ever will be
under condemnation again. When Paul says, there is therefore
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, he speaks
of totality. He speaks of it in a superlative
sense. If a person is in Christ, Paul
explained it this way, 2 Corinthians 5, 17, there is therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things have
passed away, behold, new things have come. He no longer is under
condemnation. She no longer is under condemnation. The Christian is a new creature,
no longer under the judgment, wrath, and condemnation of God. I’d argue that Romans 8-1 is
the greatest verse in all the Bible. Our gracious God, every person
in this room has to deal with this verse. Lord, for those of
us who have placed our faith in Christ, we can hear no sweeter
words. You have accomplished it all.
You have brought us to repentance. You sent your own son to pay
for our sin. And it would be more likely that
you would have to come back and die again on a cruel cross than
for us to ever face any measure of condemnation again. Lord,
we rejoice in that. Father, if there is even a single
soul in this room who has not interfaced, interacted, responded
to these words. Lord, what glorious news this
is for a sinner. God has handled it all, as we
will see in the upcoming weeks. God is the one who has worked
our salvation through all three members of the deity. And because
of that work of grace in our hearts and lives, Lord, we stand
completely before you in Christ’s righteousness, uncondemned, forgiven. There is therefore now no condemnation
for us who are in Christ Jesus. Father, we thank you for that
truth. We rejoice before you in Jesus’ name, amen.