No Condemnation

We are born “in Adam”, under the dominion of sin and death. As children of Adam, God has found us all guilty of sin. God is just and He had to pass judgment on our sin and the sentence is death. Without an advocate, we are on death row, condemned to die, physically and spiritually.

The good news is we have an advocate who pleads our case before God the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He the lawyer who represents our case before God, and He was willing to serve our death sentence so we can be set free. 

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2

"No condemnation" means that God will never condemn you to Hell because you are "in Christ”. Jesus paid the penalty of our sins as our Substitute. We have been acquitted, declared not guilty, made righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4

The law is holy, righteous and good because it came from a holy, righteous and good God, who is perfect and just in everything He does. But the law can’t save us. The law can't transform us. It can’t bring us into a right relationship with God. So God did what the law cannot do. He stepped in to save the day.

Our salvation is completely from God. He is the one who offers us the free gift of eternal life. He is the One who sent His Son into the world. Our salvation is totally dependent on the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. It’s not a cooperative venture.

Our freedom from condemnation only comes through Jesus. He obeyed the Father’s will completely. He showed us what the Father is like. He was the exact representation of God right here on earth. He was tempted in all points just like us, yet He never sinned. He fulfilled the law, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 

Jesus delivered us from the power of sin through His death but daily deliverance from sin is not automatic. It only happens when you allow the Holy Spirit to control your life. God’s righteousness is fulfilled in us when we walk according to the Spirit. Walking in the flesh means allowing your sinful nature to control your life. Walking in the Spirit means living in submission to the Holy Spirit of God.

If you're not a follower of Jesus, you're still in Adam. You are under a death sentence and when you stand before God you will be declared guilty and deserving of eternal punishment. The only hope is to turn your life over to Jesus.

But if you are in Christ you have been delivered from the dominion of darkness and now are part of the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. You have been acquitted, justified, declared not guilty before God because you are trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your salvation. You have been given new life through Christ and your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.