Romans Ch 8 verse 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
I love the word ‘therefore’, when it is found in any of the apostle Paul’s letters, it signifies that what he has told his readers previously has a significance on what he is about to say. In other words, this was the situation, but now this has happened and therefore things have changed.
In the previous seven chapters, Paul has been explaining that humanity was lost to sin and that the law only revealed our sin to us but could not deliver us from it. But since the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, deliverance from sin has arrived for those willing to put their trust in him.
Therefore, because of this ‘there is now no condemnation’ [from God]. We can have the idea that God is a terrible judge just looking to beat us for our transgressions, to condemn us for our sin, but Paul says this is not true on the basis of his first seven chapters.
Imagine you were a condemned person, living under the threat of retribution, year after year with this hanging over you, but then one day you are told that there will be no retribution, you are no longer condemned, but are forgiven because of the actions of another. How would you feel, relieved, happy, liberated?
This is Paul’s message to the Roman Church and to us today, we no longer live under condemnation, because of Jesus.
Amen
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