NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST
INTRODUCTION
A. Review previous lessons up to chapter eight:
a. whole world needs gospel because the world stands condemned
b. gospel is about God making a person righteous apart from law
c. faith in God’s Son justifies & brings peace & hope
d. we are either connected to Adam or Christ
e. a Christian does not live in sin, not because he is under law, for he is not, but because of his union with Jesus’ death & his release from the tyrant sin master & loyalty to his new loving master Christ
f. union with Christ’s death freed us from law’s dominion & its frustration
B. We will look at chapter 8 in 2 lessons.
a. part 1 - no condemnation in Christ & how being led by the Spirit defeats sin (v1-17)
b. part 2 – glorification of God’s children comes through the help of the Spirit & the constancy of God’s love (v18-39)
I. NO CONDEMNATION “IN CHRIST”
A. (v1) This is among the greatest assurance passages in Scripture.
a. “there is therefore NOW no condemnation” (not guilty)
b. “in Christ Jesus” – in union with Jesus
a. immunity from sin’s condemnation, not because we are under law, but “in Christ”
b. blessed arrangement (Rom.4:7,8)
c. we are not condemned, but sin is (Rom.8:3)
B. (v2-4) These passages tell us how our not being condemned was effected.
a. resulted from a law that came outside of man - it is a law that doesn’t make man save himself – “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”
b. God’s moral law demanded man save himself by sinless living, which didn’t result because of our weakness or the “law of sin” living within us
c. the law of sin brought death (“law of sin & death”), our union with Jesus’ death ended that arrangement (“made me free” ) & it also gives us a union with His life, resulting in victory over sin & its condemnation – we live under the arrangement called the “law of the Spirit of Life”/“law of faith” (gospel)
d. those who serve under “the letter” are condemned while those who serve “in the newness of the Spirit” are not
C. Verses 1-4 are among the most disbelieved passages among our people.
a. lady’s statement – “I’m sorry to hear you say that” in reference to my statement about not being condemned when we occasionally sin
b. reflected in some prayers – “since we last stood justified”
c. law gospel position produces nothing but hypocrites
D. (v5-8) These are among the most misunderstood passages among our people. Paul is still addressing the false charge that his gospel would encourage sinfulness. He is going to show that “the law of the Spirit” doesn’t promote sinfulness, but holiness.
a. those who rely on their own efforts to make themselves righteous by keeping law, will fail miserably – they live with the “law of sin” in their members
b. those who accept God’s gift understand what God did for them through Jesus & enjoy the Spirit’s gift of life that produces peace/assurance
c. the way of “the flesh” rejects God’s grace & tries to stand without God’s gracious gift & thus never honors God’s law because he fails to establish it (because he is offering up his flawed efforts)
II. SPIRIT-LED LIVING DOES NOT ENCOURAGE SIN
A. (v9-13) Paul is still dealing with the slander that his gospel encourages sinfulness. Paul is showing how illogical such is by telling his readers that how can a person led by the Spirit (which gave them life) be encouraged to practice the very things that caused them to die?
a. Christians are ruled by the Spirit & not their own ability to defeat sin
b. though our body is dead, or will die, because of sin, the Spirit gives us life because our union of Christ has made us righteous
c. even our bodies, that are committed to death because of sin, will be resurrected
d. since it is the Spirit that gives us life, we have a moral obligation to live after the Spirit (this refutes the slander that Paul’s gospel put one in debt to sinfulness)
e. relying on the flesh results in a failure to overcome sin (frustration & death), but being led by the Spirit helps us overcome sin
B. (v14-17) Those who are Spirit-led are God’s children & have no fear of being in a “bondage”/”captivity” arrangement as when they were outside of Christ & “sold under sin.”
a. ours is a Father & child relationship (children don’t live in fear of condemnation)
b. the Spirit joins with our spirits in declaring us to be God’s children
c. we are “heirs” - heirs do not receive because they earned it
d. we are “joint heirs with Christ” – what Jesus gained, he gained for us
e. our union with Jesus will cause suffering, but glory is coming
CONCLUSION
There is “no condemnation” for Christians. Being led by the Spirit does not logically encourage one to practice sin, but holiness. We are heirs, not earners of God’s rich blessings. Our union with Jesus brings suffering & glory.