Text: Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Why does God not agree with sex before marriage?
If someone finds out that their unborn child is malformed or handicapped and they get an abortion should they be condemned from the church?
If I swear when I know I shouldn't. Will God love me any less?
If we pray but have doubts about whether God is real, is that a sin?
If you want to believe a lot in God but can't seem to and you die, will you go to heaven?
I love these sort of questions. These come out of my collection from secondary school students. I've singled these out because they all seem to me to be asking whether can God cope with the fact that we're sinners? How will God deal with me if my life doesn't come up to standard? What if I fail or even want to fail in the area of sex? What is God's reaction if I do a simply thing like swear? What if I do something as serious as have an abortion? What if my faith isn't as strong as it should be?
I enjoy answering questions like these, because God's answer is so great. In each case we're able to say with a huge grin, no problem, no problem at all. In Christ you're forgiven, he's paid the penalty you've deserved. His death on the cross has completely taken care of your sinfulness. Salvation comes as God's gift to you. Christ has taken your sin on himself and you've been declared, not guilty. It's all there in the first verse of our text: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". Can God cope with my sin, all my sin? Of course he can, and he has already through his Son.
It's marvellous to proclaim God's judgment of "Not guilty" to people who know they deserve to hear nothing but "GUILTY". In the verses just before our text Paul faces the reality that even when he aims to do the right thing, even when he desires to do the right thing, he find that he fails again and again and so opens himself up to the judgment of guilty. He concludes with the terrible lament, "What a wretched (person) I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
But you know it seems to me that there's one problem with all this law court talk and imagery. Many people seem to react as if they were simply a guilty prisoner who hears that he's been let off. "PHEW!" they say, "THAT SURE WAS CLOSE!" And we intellectualize the whole process by asking questions about what the judge might do if we repeat our sinful action, or if he discovers that we aren't really sorry, and so on. We wonder what we might be able to get away with, or how strict he'll be next time.
But that's not how it is for the wretched man, Paul. His response to the Judge's announcement of NOT GUILTY is a wonderful song of praise "Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
And no wonder. Paul really understands what the NOT GUILTY verdict means. In our text Paul lists one positive consequence on another.
First we're given a whole new way of life as we now find ourselves living in union with Christ Jesus. We are not just declared forgiven and left to be crushed again by the Law of God as it continues to demand we give all we are and have in the service of God and others. We are rescued from the reimposition of these impossible demands of God's law, Christ has fulfilled them for us; we are given a wonderful freedom as we are drawn into a close relationship with our God who now reveals himself as our loving brother. We're much more than released prisoners we're members of the family of God.
And in the place of the law's harsh demands we're given the Spirit to guide, control and direct us. Our challenge is now to live by the Spirit, and his task is to bring us real life and peace. Instead of our minds being trapped in sin, they are now "set on what the Spirit desires." We belong to God as his spirit-filled people. Our lives are now ruled not by our selfish desires but by God's Spirit. We are no longer headed for death but life.
God does much more than declare guilty people innocent. Our amazing God claims us as members of his family and then lavishes us with all sorts of undeserved gifts.
And if you read past our text. If you read the whole of Romans 8, you find even more wonderful consequences of God's declaration of NOT GUILTY.
As people who are "in Christ" and "led by the Spirit" we are now able to call the Lord of the Universe, Father - our heavenly Father - our Dad even. What a privilege, especially when we also realize that this means we are also his heirs. The glory of God's heaven will one day be granted to us as our rightful inheritance.
Paul admits that all this doesn't mean that suddenly life will become a bed of roses. There will be suffering, there will be pain, there will be waiting and hoping, but through it all as his people we can know that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him". If God has declared us NOT GUILTY, then final glory and victory cannot be taken from us. Nothing is powerful enough to separate God's love from his people. Paul ends this chapter with the bold declaration:
"...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.... neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
When you're treated as amazingly and lovingly as that, the last thing on your mind is trying to find loopholes so that you can break God's law again, and the gasp "PHEW! THAT WAS CLOSE", doesn't come anywhere your lips. You say..., no, you sing..., no, you shout...., no, every day of your life you live in thankfulness to your loving God, declaring "Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
In my childhood I was taught that the characters in the OT were perfect heros who I needed to follow, if I wanted to live as God's child. Now I know that I am in fact no different from those sinful, arguing, fighting rascals, (see OT Lesson) and that despite it all, God accepted and used them, just as he accepts and uses me.
In the coming week may you again rejoice in all your God has done for you by showing his acceptance and love to others.