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Romans 8:1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
We know that anytime a chapter starts out with the word "therefore" we have to back up and see what the word therefore is there for. Paul is stating a conclusion based on the preceding two chapters that deal with our struggles with the carnal self. In Romans 7:24, Paul realizing the wretchedness of the natural condition asks the question, Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? he gives us the answer in verse 25 in the phrase, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord ............. He was thanking God that Jesus had accomplished what he in His flesh could not. He had brought deliverance form sin and condemnation. He rejoiced in this the rest of his life. We hear him exclaim in ... 1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus he is confidently stating his conclusion: Because of what Jesus has done There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. He expressed this confidence when he stated in Ephesians 1 that we who had believed in Christ were sealed by the Spirit, showing that we had been accepted in the Beloved, in Jesus. His confidence was based on the fact that He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteous of God in Him and that we sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. All this is to say that I do not stand in my own goodness or holiness, but when I have been covered by His blood and filled with His Spirit, I stand before God in the righteousness of Christ and not my own, my sin has been covered and cannot condemn me. Some would use these scriptures to justify loose living, living according to the flesh. We know that is not the case. Paul continues on to tell us that if we live after the flesh we will die, but if we, by the Spirit mortify or kill the deeds of the flesh we will live. We can’t state it any more clearly that that. Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. We have a teacher who helps us in this regard, a teacher named Grace. We read in Titus 2:11 that the grace of God teaches us that we are to deny ungodliness and worldly lust and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, while we await the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 ¶ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; There is a big difference between condemnation and conviction. Condemnation comes from the devil, the accuser of the brethren. Conviction comes from the Holy Ghost and leads us to repentance. When I miss the mark and come before God in repentance, I come confident of the fact that His word tells me that if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is a propitiation for my sin, or simply that He made the only acceptable payment for the sin that I am confessing. The word also tells me that if I confess my sin, He is faithful and just to forgive me of my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteous. When I am in Christ and in fellowship with God, that which is on the inside will automatically show on the outside. My thoughts will be His thoughts, My will will conform to His will and my desires will be for the furtherance of His kingdom and not my own. John tells us that if our hearts condemn us not that we have confidence towards God. A confidence that we can our prayers will be answered and the we can come boldly before His throne and expect to find help in the time of need. When our condemnation has been replaced by confidence in God we can do as Jesus said, and be that city that is sit on a hill. Men will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. And as Paul said we can be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation as we shine as lights to the world. Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Song: My God, My King and My Redeemer "It's not about perfection; it's about our intimacy with God, or our connection, our relationship with God. Once we get through that, once we realize that we can be imperfect, flawed, broken; those kinds of things are the ingredients of spirituality." - Mike Yaconelli Our Expository Studies
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