Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
There is therefore now no condemnation: The simple declaration of no condemnation comes to those who are in Christ Jesus. Since the Father does not condemn Jesus, neither can He condemn those are in Him. They are not condemned, they will not be condemned, and they cannot be condemned.
Paul's therefore is important. It means that what he says comes from a logical argument. It's as if Paul begins, "I can prove what I say here." This is what he proves: if we are one with Jesus and He is our head, we can't be condemned. You can't acquit the head and condemn the hand. You can't drown the foot as long as the head is out of water. Joined to Him, we hear the verdict: "no condemnation."
In Christ: "This phrase imports, that there is a mystical and spiritual union betwixt Christ and believers. This is sometimes expressed by Christ being in them … and here by their being in Christ. Christ is in believers by His Spirit, and believers are in Christ by faith." (Poole)
The verdict is not "less condemnation." That's where many of us are at - we think that our standing has improved in Jesus. It hasn't improved, it's been completely transformed, changed to no condemnation.
We perhaps need to consider the flip side: If you are not in Jesus Christ, there is condemnation for you. "It is no pleasant task to us to have to speak of this matter; but who are we that we should ask for pleasant tasks? What God hath witnessed in Scripture is the sum and substance of what the Lord's servants are to testify to the people. If you are not in Christ Jesus, and are walking after the flesh, you have not escaped from condemnation." (Spurgeon)
No condemnation: This place of confidence and peace comes after the confusion and conflict that marked Romans 7. Now Paul looks to Jesus and he finds his standing in Him. But this chapter is more than just the answer to Romans 7; it ties together thoughts from the very beginning of the book.
Romans 8 begins with no condemnation; it ends with no separation, and in between there is no defeat.
Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit: These words are not found in the earliest ancient manuscripts of the Book of Romans and they do not agree with the flow of Paul's context here. There were probably added by a copyist who either made a mistake or thought he could "help" Paul by bringing in these words from Romans 8:4.
While it is true that those who are in Christ should not and do not consistently walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, this is not a condition for their status of no condemnation. Their position in Jesus is the reason for the standing of no condemnation.
"The most learned men assure us that it is no part of the original text. I cannot just now go into the reasons for this conclusion, but they are very good and solid. The oldest copies are without it, the versions do not sustain it, and the fathers who quoted abundance of Scripture do not quote this sentence." (Spurgeon)
We receive this glorious declaration from God's court: "no condemnation." We don't receive it because we don't deserve condemnation; we certainly do deserve condemnation. We receive it because Jesus bore the condemnation we deserved, and our identity is now found in Him. As He is condemned no more, neither are we.
Oh Dear God, THANK YOU for freeing me of the condemnation I deserve simply because I accept the blood of Jesus as the payment for my sins. I praise you!
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