This chapter begins with no condemnation, and then it ends with no separation. But it’s not to be thought that here are progressive steps between no condemnation and no separation. It doesn’t teach us that – if, if, if, if, then there shall be no separation. Rather, there are contained here simply a myriad of blessings to enjoy. The first happens to be no condemnation and the last happens to be eternal union with the Saviour. Rightly accepted, between those two, we might say that there is no frustration. And we’re going to try to take a look at these blessings over the next few weeks. Once again, the key to this chapter – to the entire Word of God – is the sovereignty and majesty of the Lord. As we look at the blessings of being a child of God, let’s praise the God of all those spiritual children.
But first, there once was a famous civil rights leader, who made an often quoted speech. One of the things that he said was: “Free at last, free at last.” I don’t know for sure, but I fear that poor man is suffering under the wrath of Almighty God today. No man, black, white, or of any other skin is ever free at all as long as he is under the condemnation of sin. But for those who are in Christ Jesus, there is absolutely no condemnation – there is a freedom from eternal judgment..
Among the many ways that we might divide this first verse, let’s look at it as teaching our unmatched position, our unbelievable blessing and the undeniable evidence.
If you asked twenty-five people off the street to describe a “Christian,” you might get twenty-five answers. Someone says, “A Christian is one who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ – a believer.” Some else says, “A Christian is a servant of God, or he is a child of God.” He is forgiven; He is justified; He is converted. These and many more are true. But others might say that a Christian is someone who is a part of Christian church or denomination. Just a decade ago, people said that a Christian is anyone who lives in a Christian country – but that has certainly changed. Some say that a Christian is a religiously watered person, whether dunked, soaked or just sprinkled. A Christian is someone who religiously receives the sacraments. There are a lot of definitions and mis-definitions, descriptions and confusions about what a Christian is. But one of the best and truest is the thought – A Christian is someone who is “in Christ Jesus.”
There are several things that this does NOT suggest. This is not simply “justified through Christ,” but “in Christ Jesus.” Saints are declared righteous through the merits of Jesus’ righteousness, but this is different. We not just in Christ’s hand, as He teaches us in John 10, but we are spiritually “in Christ.” It’s not just that we are in the thoughts and best wishes of Jesus, but “in Christ Jesus.” It’s not that we are in the plans and prospects of Christ, but “in Christ.” It’s not just that we shall be in the home of Christ and the Father, but we are “in Christ Jesus.”
There is a miraculously natural-unnatural union accomplished by God when the Lord saves a sinner. In some ways this union is illogical and is un-illustratable with any human parallels. We might talk about being in Christ Jesus as our Federal Head, or our Divine King. We see this in Romans 5. His choices, His decisions, His glory is shared by every one of His people. We can talk about Him as our Elder Brother and under His protection, which is certainly Biblical language. We could picture Him as our Great High Priest, and under His intercession for us before the Father. There may be a hundred types of Christ in the Bible, which we might use to illustrate our relationship. But none of them are as intimate and appropriate as this simple statement – “in Christ.”
As being “IN Christ Jesus” the only way that anything could touch us would be “THROUGH Christ Jesus.” For example, in order for the saint to be lost and condemned, Christ would have to be lost and condemned. For Jehovah God to pour out wrath upon us, He would have to pour it out first on His only begotten Son. And in fact that is exactly what He has done, and never can do again.
Let’s try a non-Biblical illustration or two. When firefighters are battling forest and brush fires, ironically they often use fire as a weapon. Let’s say that a house or cabin is in the path of a raging fire. Sometimes firefighters will go around that house, and in a controlled fashion, burn a circle around the building, so that when the wildfire reaches that place, it will have no fuel and will either die or turn away. We might say that Christ is that controlled burn and we are in Him – inside Him and inside His protection. It’s not a bad illustration, because it has the added fact that he suffered the effects of hell on our behalf and we are now safe in Him. We might talk about protective custody, being locked away behind closed doors and kept safe by an armed guard – Christ Jesus. In my very few minutes of television this week, watching a baseball game, I saw an ad for something, but I never paid enough attention to remember what it was. Someone designed some scuba equipment for his cat, and they filmed this cat swimming around at the bottom of a pool in some sort of diving equipment. That cat seemed to be perfectly content and happy in an environment that was not normally his, but he was in his scuba gear. Actually, the saint of God is far better protected, and certainly far happier, being “in Christ Jesus.”
You might say that this is the negative side of justification. “Justification” is the act of God, whereby in grace Jehovah declares us righteous in Christ Jesus. In addition to that the justified person can never be condemned – because he is righteous in Christ. In many countries, including the United States and Canada there are laws against double jeopardy. Here in this country according to the 5th Amendment to the Constitution, we are protected against three related abuses: Being prosecuted for the same offense after being acquitted. Being prosecuted for the same offense after being convicted. And being punished for the same offense more than once.
Because the Lord Jesus was convicted, condemned and punished on our behalf, WE cannot be condemned. Christ knew no sin, but He was made sin for us. That is nearly a quote from II Corinthians 5:21 – “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” When Jesus was made sin for us and died under our penalty, we were made free from that penalty. And we have been made the righteousness of God in Him. If we are in Christ, we have been given the righteousness of Christ, and therefore there can be no condemnation for us. But this isn’t just a legal arrangement and the satisfaction of a law – divine though it be. There is a sense in which the saint of God is “in Christ Jesus,” and so possesses these things.
What should we make of the word “now”? “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh.” It isn’t talking so much about time as it is a conclusion or a state of things. I am trying to learn a new word this week: “illation.” An illation is the act of drawing a conclusion or reaching a deduction because of the facts of the case. When Paul says, “there is NOW no condemnation,” he is saying that based on our Saviour’s death, and that you and I are in Christ, it is impossible for us to be damned – or eternally punished for our sins. Again, it’s not a matter of our guilt – because we are guilty – but Christ has borne our punishment.
And perhaps it should also be pointed out that many experts want to take the word “no” in “no condemnation” to say “not one.” There is not one person for whom Christ died who can ever be condemned. And there is not one thing for which any of those people can be condemned. Christ has born it all for every one of those people.
I’m not sure that I really like to use the word “evidence” in this way, but I couldn’t come up with anything better. So I need to make sure that no one jumps to conclusions. For example, someone might think that the Lord looks for evidence to things, and like a wise judge, weighs that evidence to decide if a person is really in Christ or not. Then based on a person’s life, He removes that person’s condemnation. That is the salvation theology of millions of people. In other words, they have the idea that if they “walk after the Spirit,” according to their definition, the Lord will eventually perfect them and take them to Heaven.
This is contrary to the scriptures and is not countenanced by this verse. The Lord doesn’t look at the sinner for reasons to save his worthless soul. The Lord looks at the Saviour who died as a sacrifice for that worthless sinner.
Another word of caution must mentioned about “walking after the Spirit.” Since no verse of scripture ever clearly defines what this means, because it is a rather broad subject, it is easy for people to reach their own conclusions – wrong conclusions. For example, someone might think that church attendance is “walking after the Spirit.” They might see someone who goes to their church every day of the week for prayer or the mass, and they might conclude that person is spiritual and therefore without condemnation, but actually he might be a maffia hit man trying to do penance. Church attendance might very well BE directed by the Holy Spirit, and it might be an indication of a person’s regeneration, but on the other hand it doesn’t necessarily prove anything at all. There are people who attend this church regularly who give little additional evidence of being children of God, and I fear for them. When I see a bumper sticker which says, “Pray the Rosary,” should I assume that person is driving “after the Spirit”? Some people will make that assumption, but I will not, because it is contrary to the Word of God.
Paul likes to refer to the general direction of a person’s life as his “walk.” A person’s walk is not a reference to his worship, to his religion, or to his devotion; It’s a reference to his entire way of life and the general tone or tenor of that life. To “walk after the flesh” is to live according to the dictates of the flesh, which is generally sinful. To “walk after the Spirit” is to live a life which is more holy and spiritual than carnal, worldly or sinful. A couple of us were talking about this sort of thing yesterday, and we had differing opinions. Paul has just told us, at the conclusion of chapter 7, that there was a constant battle in his life between living spiritually and living fleshly. I’m sure if we could examine the life of that Apostle, we’d be quick to say that his was a Spiritual life. But I’m not sure that he would agree with our assessment. I may look at your life and think “there is a spiritual walk,” but you might think that I was too generous. And we might both look at a third person, and you might say “spiritual,” while I would say “carnal.” From our somewhat corrupt perspectives, we might reach different conclusions. Imagine a man perched up in a crow’s nest at the top of mast thirty feet above the deck of his ship, swinging back and forth 10 feet as he is trying to look through a telescope at a dot on the horizon – that might be a picture of us trying to look at other sinners. We must look, but it will often be with difficulty.
Perhaps we should consider the last part of this verse, not for information about others, but for ourselves. Can you honestly say that you live your life more by the direction of the Holy Spirit than by your flesh? Can you honestly say that you hate your sins as much as Paul hated his, and that you are striving to beat them into submission or extinction? In the privacy of your mind, or your home, who is in charge – the Spirit of God, or the “old man” of sin? “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Can you say that you are not under condemnation, and that the testimony of the Holy Spirit agrees? If not, then you need to fall on your face before God in repentance. You need to crawl to the cross, and cling to the Saviour in repentance and faith. Let’s use this verse to examine our hearts this morning – are you prepared to face the Judge, knowing that there is now no condemnation?