14th July 2023
The unbelievable and outrageous truth
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…
Romans 8:1 (NIV)
This is a verse that provides comfort, reassurance and hope. It’s such wonderful news that it’s hard to believe what it’s saying. Let’s take a few minutes to consider what the apostle Paul is telling us:
Therefore: To understand this verse, we need to look at the end of Romans chapter seven. There it tells us how, although we want to live for Jesus, we often find ourselves slipping into sin, yet through it all we see that we are delivered by Jesus, and we give thanks to God as a result. The wonderful message of Romans 8:1 comes as a result of the deliverance from sin we have through Jesus.
there is now: This amazing truth that Paul tells us about is for the present. It is not something for the future that might apply to us if we’re good enough. No, what Paul has to tell us is a current reality. In addition, this scripture is true for all time, and so will always apply.
no condemnation: God does not show disapproval of us or punish us because he delivered us from sin through Jesus giving his life on our behalf. He has reached out to us in love, saving us, not condemning us for any mistakes we make. Similarly, condemnation targeted at us by others, or attempted self-condemnation, is of no effect, as the reality is that we are not condemned in any way.
for those who are in Christ Jesus: Those of us who have put our faith in Jesus and received the new life he has for us, and who live in union with Christ, we are the people who live in this new reality where there is no condemnation.
So, in view of what Jesus has done for us, we live in the present reality where we, as disciples of Jesus, are not condemned for any wrongdoing. The God of love has dealt with all our shortcomings and given us a new status as his holy and sinless children. We may see our sins and feel we deserve condemnation and punishment, but that isn’t going to happen because at that point we are not seeing ourselves as we really are. That’s why I say this verse seems almost unbelievable, and outrageous in that we don’t get what we deserve. No matter how we may see ourselves, the reality is the wonderful truth we see written here. There is, right now and forever more, no condemnation for those of us who live in relationship with Jesus.
Prayer
Father, thank you for what we read in this verse. Help us to accept this true reality, and as a result live lives of thankfulness and joy at the wonderful and undeserved status we have because of what Jesus has done on our behalf. In his name we pray. Amen.
Study by Anthony Dady
About the writer:
Anthony Dady is a minister in Grace Communion International and is the Regional Pastor for Wales, the Midlands, and Northern England.
Local congregation:
GCI Northampton
Ecton Village Hall
78A High Street
Ecton
Northampton
NN6 0QB
Local congregational contact:
Maggie Mitchell
Email: maggie.mitchell@btinternet.com
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church