I’m sure you’ve read Romans 8.1-3 countless times. It’s one of those passages in Scripture that we never tire of reading. “…no condemnation…set you free…from the law…he condemned sin in the flesh…” It’s rich from start to finish, full of soul-gladdening truth.
But it’s one thing to know the truth and it’s another to be comforted by it. I want to encourage you to look briefly at this text and to walk away from it with the comfort God intends you to have by it. Let’s walk through it together.
First, note that what is said here is based squarely on what was said before–hence the word “therefore.” We can’t take the time to look back (you need to do that on your own), but what Paul’s saying is this: for those who are in Christ, that is, who belong to Christ and are united to Christ before God (cf. 5.19; 6.5), there is no condemnation, no danger of hell or damnation. It’s impossible for a person to be united to Christ, and, in Him, to be at peace with God (5.1), reconciled to God (5.11), and still subject to the threat of damnation.
Secondly, Paul further explains why this is so in verses 2 and 3. It is because the law of the Spirit of life has set them free from the law of sin and death. How so? By God doing what the law could not do for sinful man. God incarnated His Son for sin, that is, for the purpose of dealing a death blow to sin and delivering His people from it (cf. 1Jn 3.5). God sent His Son to condemn sin in the flesh, that is, to deal a death blow to the power of sin in our lives. All who are in Christ Jesus are therefore no longer under the power of sin but are now under the power of the law of the Spirit of life (6.14).
But what I want to point out is this: God’s Son was born in the likeness of sinful flesh in order to be born under the law (Gal 4.4-5; cf. Lk 2.22-24, 39). Why under the law? Two reasons: 1) so that He could fulfill it as our Surety and, 2) so that He, blameless in Himself (Heb 7.26), could bear the weight of our sin and atone for it (1Cor 15.3; Heb 9.26b, 28).
Having fulfilled the law of God for us (10.4) and having borne the full weight of our sin (Col 2.14; Rom 4.25), there is therefore no sin to condemn us and there is therefore not one iota of the law not fulfilled for us. We are therefore just, righteous, and clear before God (5.1-2, 6, 8-10).
Do you find comfort in this today? If you are in Christ, then your sins cannot condemn you. Confess them to your loving Father and think of them no more. Do not live in the fear of them rising up against you on that Day or of God suddenly turning against you because of them. They are sins, and, as sins, they have no place in your life in Christ and you’re to repent of them and walk worthily of the salvation you’ve received (Col 2.6). But though they are sins, they are not able to condemn you because Christ bore that condemnation Himself. Therefore put them under your feet by repentance and rest in the peace you have with God the Father through Christ the Saviour. He has set you free from the law of sin and death. Live this day in the joy of your freedom in Christ––freedom from sin’s dominion and freedom from sin’s condemnation.
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Ps 103.10-12
Wow! What an awesome truth. Thanks for this post brother. God’s grace is an amazing gift to wretched rebels such as I. It is so true that it is the law of life and liberty, the law of Christ that “fuels” us and drives us on as we run after Christ. Praise be to God!
Also, not to sound like Machen, but I am always amazed by Christs active obedience, I suppose it is because I fall so far short. Thank God for the active obedience of Christ 🙂
Amen brother. Thanks for the comment. There is more grace in God than sin in us. At the end of the day, our sins all add up to a finite number, but His grace remains infinite.