Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1
No Condemnation
Sin deserves condemnation. And not only does sin deserve condemnation, sin gets condemnation. From the biggest of sins to the smallest of them, any thought, word, deed, or attitude that does not measure up to our holy God's perfect standards deserves and gets condemnation.
As we take an inventory of our lives—examining all our thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes—there's no question about it. We fail to live up to God's perfect standards. Ask yourself, "How often have I failed to defend the reputation of a friend? How often have I lashed out in anger at one who hasn't been very nice to me? How often have I harbored attitudes of greed or lust or resentment or jealousy in my heart? How often have I…"
When honestly we must say "at least once" to any of those questions, we are faced with the reality that we are guilty of sin before our holy God. In fact, because even the best efforts we can muster in our lives are stained with sinfulness, there's no way around it. We are guilty of sin before our holy God. And our sin deserves condemnation.
So, does that mean we will get condemnation? After all, not only does sin deserve condemnation, sin gets condemnation.
Focus on what God says: "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
These words of God are not a misprint. They're not a lie designed to distract us from the reality of the punishment our sins deserve. These words are God's truth: "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
These words are truth because of the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came into this world to carry our sins. He came into this world to carry our sins to the cross. And as Jesus died on that cross, he paid for our sins with his life.
So, do our sins get condemnation? Yes, they do. But praise be to God, we do not get the condemnation our sins deserve, because Jesus Christ already took our condemnation upon himself. He has paid the price for our sins, and no payment will ever need to be made again.
That's why "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you carried our sins to your cross and took the punishment we deserved for them upon yourself. Free from the fear of condemnation, lead us to live in ways that reflect the peace and joy we now have in you. Amen.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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