Dev2_No_condemnation

There Really is NO CONDEMNATION For Those Who Are In Christ! There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom 8:1 NKJV


Romans 8:1 may be one of the most doubted verses in the Bible. We can not fathom that there is nothing in us that Christ condemns. Last time, we reviewed that when we became believers we knew that we must receive Christ through FAITH by His GRACE or not at all. We knew that we had nothing to offer Jesus but our sinful self-centered selves and we prayed to exchange our sinful self-life for His eternal life, receiving His righteousness as a gift. Freely we have received. We invited Jesus to live inside of us. Rom. 3:23, 6:23, 5:6, 8-10, 5:15-17, 6:6, 7:4, 7:25, 2 Cor:5:17, 2 Pet. 1:4
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Eph 2:8-9 NKJV
We believed that Father God filled us a new divine nature and we thought we would surely be able to keep His law now. BUT we found out that even with our new divine nature, we could not keep the law, do right, and consistently keep from doing wrong. We discovered that the purpose of our new nature is to abide in Him, to know Him, to have communion and to be one with Him. John 17

... He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, ... 2 Peter 1:4 NASU
What is even harder to believe is that Christ does not condemn us. I had always read the KJV that stressed there is no condemnation for those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. This fit well with the theology that we are righteous if we walk the walk (vs. we are made righteous because we are in Christ.) It fit that theology well because it said who walk after the Spirit vs. walk in the Spirit. Both of those additions communicated to me that we are running after the Spirit vs. resting when we are already filled with the Spirit. So is it about what we do? or what Christ did on the Cross? There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom 8:1 KJV There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Rom 8:1 ASV Which is right? Isn't the KJV always right? As I read Romans 8:1 in Alfred Marshall's "Parallel New Testament in Greek and English," I was shocked to find out that the KJV was wrong. There is no condemnation solely because (now that we have been born again) we are IN CHRIST. I also found out that the true translation of Rom. 7:18 is that my current problem is in my flesh (not my old unsaved nature as the NIV and LB say.)
We are like plain beige melamine cups. We are just RECEIVERS and RELEASERS, receiving Jesus Christ, walking in Christ, filled with the righteousness of Christ. We are releasers of Jesus Christ's righteousness because Christ is in us and we are in Him.

OK, so we choose to believe that there is no condemnation in Christ. Is this verse somehow only for those who do right, earn God's approval and acceptance, have exceptional self-effort or were already perfect enough to please God? Could it really literally mean that there is no condemnation just because we are born again in Christ. Is it not important to walk the walk? The accuser of the brethren says you are still your old unsaved nature. His goal is to convince us that we are not a divine new nature but half the old unsaved nature: nasty, filthy, selfish, shameful or at least off course, out of tune with God and impotent to walk in the Spirit. Satan says your old unsaved nature was NOT CRUCIFIED with Christ, dead, buried and raised again with Christ as in Romans 6. The Word says our flesh must be crucified daily but it never says we still have our old unsaved nature - that was crucified with Christ, dead, buried with Him in baptism - so we could be raised again with Christ to newness of life. Only as we abide in Him, do we realize we truly are not condemned! We really are the receivers of His righteousness - there is no condemnation. Our new nature is totally suited to abide in Christ walking in His righteousness. Dissatisfaction only comes when we revert to our own works out of separated thinking instead of one in Christ thinking. Our new nature will never be satisfied by our own works again - whether they look good or bad. It can only be satisfied in Christ. God's desire in sending Jesus was to show us the key; being in Christ. Nothing we can do will add to being in Christ. As we receive God's Truth about who we are, every area of our life begins to enjoy the benefits of being one in Christ: not conflicted but complete, not striving but abiding, not frustrated but full and not anxious but abiding in His acceptance. Have you got the revelation that in Christ, we contain all that He is? If we abide in Him for hours, we will only need minutes with men? Has being in Christ not only replaced your works mentality but also your identity? Are you full of His Spirit, His works, His life, His Truth and His power?
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5 NKJV
As we abide in Him, we are VERY fruitful - from our union with Him. He doesn't condemn us; He lives His life through us as we release Him to do it. In Christ, we walk with integrity and honor, not compromise and sin. He sees us as conforming to His image not deformed by satan and sin. We are in tune with His will, not conniving for our own will. In Him, our passion is to know Him with a pure heart. We have His compassion for others and even for ourselves. Everyday we rejoice because we are filled with the Holy Spirit. We trust Jesus that there is no condemnation and we are not afraid if what is hidden in our hearts is suddenly revealed. We are full of His light, His salt and His life. We hope we will reap what we sow generously in His love! We expect wonderful answers to our prayers because He prayed those prayers through us with His faith. We not only say we believe God's Word but we believe there is therefore no condemnation because His Word is true, what Jesus did on the Cross is sufficient and His Blood has not lost it's power! Being in Christ is enough; He is our all in all. Amen?
All that is important about a cup is that it is filled and that it is willing to be poured out over and over. Last time Copy and print me. I will be replaced by more living water. << Previous Next >>