Romans 8 - No Condemnation?
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."(v1). This is one of my favorite verses and years ago, when I was struggling to move on after a time of sinful indulgence, I endeavored to memorize all of Romans 8. I got pretty far but never completed the project :-/ something to re-visit in the coming days. Like all of Scripture, though, this verse does not stand alone - there is **context** to consider - and it is important!
It is certainly cause for rejoicing to know that, if we are indeed IN CHRIST, there is NO condemnation for us (see verses 2-4a). There may be consequences we have to live with but we are, nevertheless, counted as righteous and holy. So my first consideration here is, if God does not condemn me, what right do I have to condemn myself? My sins have been cast away and God sees me both in my journey of sanctification and in my unchangeable future reality as perfect, pure, righteous, and holy. ALL of my sins are erased (not "will be"!!) - no hint of them remains on my account - not the tiniest reminder exists. This is NOT a license to sin! Far from it, it is the FREEDOM to live a holy and righteous life, glorifying God, as I was designed to live. Freedom to be ALL that I was created to be in Christ!
There are a lot of self-described "Christians" who take that first verse and then just live their lives believing they are free from condemnation, when, in truth, they may not be - they may be very much deceived. Starting in verse 4b, we see the essential context of verse 1.... "who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Verses 5-8 dig a little deeper and tell us that, if we look at our lives and see we are living comfortable with sin in our lives, we need to look intently at our supposed salvation and question if it is real or if we have been deceived.
Some will look at their lives and consider themselves "good" people and think they are saved. They are loyal to their spouse, they are kind to their neighbors, they are honest in their work, etc. None of that, however, is evidence of true salvation. We need to consider what it means to "walk in the flesh" - it is most often NOT the flagrant sins we see in this world. While it includes the obvious - drunkenness, abusive/angry behavior, habitual lying, etc., it is most often the subtle and simple lifestyle that does not include a vibrant and *active* relationship with Christ Jesus.
If we are not spending time in God's Word and in prayer, how can we say we have a "relationship" with Christ? A vague acquaintance maybe, but not a relationship. If we do spend time in the Word and prayer but fail to *hear* His conviction on our hearts, humble ourselves and repent of our sin and strive to be what He designed us to be (holy & righteous), again, there is no "relationship" - just an intellectual assent to His existence. James 2:19 says, "You believe that God is One; you do well. Even the demons believe - and shudder!"
It is not enough to "believe" in God unless that "belief" is such that it produces reverence, submission to His will, repentance from sin, faith in who God is and what He will do, and a desire to live righteously before Him - i.e. a REAL relationship with Christ. The reason the demons aren't saved by their "belief" is because, despite their full and complete understanding of Who God Is - they refuse to humble themselves, repent, trust and love Him. They even obey Him when He requires it - but that obedience is forced, not willing submission and certainly not out of any love for God.
These things - His will, what sin is, who God is (His character, what He loves, what He hates, how He works, etc), how to live righteously, and so forth - are only found and realized through the Holy Spirit, who works in the lives of true Believers through the Word of God. This is where our relationship with Christ deepens - as we are called to "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." And in prayer we commune with the Holy Spirit and strip off the distractions that keep us from seeing our failures (sins), confessing them and finding a deeper dependence on God as we cast our cares upon Him. In the Word we learn who our God is; in Prayer, we experience and practice His intimate involvement in our daily lives.
When you are in a REAL relationship with someone, the desire to know them and spend time with them is evidence of that relationship. If you are living your life without the desire to seek and know your God through the Word and Prayer, it would be wise to look deeper into your belief about your salvation. If you are not "In Christ" (immersed in an active relationship with Him), you are not free from condemnation.