If you will, I hope you have your copy of God's Word with you today. If you will turn to Romans chapter 8.
And while you're doing that in the hopes that I won't be a distraction to you this morning, I'll tell you why I'm in pain.
My lower back is just killing me and I'm not actually sure the reason. It's actually gotten worse as the day's gone on.
I've never been kicked by a horse in the lower back, but I'm pretty confident this is what it would feel like if I were.
So if you see me leaning a little extra heavy on the podium or pacing a bit, that's what's going on.
I'm glad to be here. If I grimace, it's because of my back, not because I don't want to be in this place with you.
Romans chapter 8. We'll look this morning at verses 1 and 2.
There's therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
So we're now seven full chapters into the book of Romans, beginning chapter 8.
And Paul has continued to develop the theme of the gospel, justification by faith alone.
And he's been at times recycling through some of the same truths.
That presents a problem for a preacher as myself.
What do I say that's new and fresh?
How is it that this is a new thing that we need to hear?
And the reality is we don't really need to hear a new thing.
We need to hear the same great old story that is the good news of Jesus Christ.
Somebody much wiser than myself, I believe Clay, shared this with me, so I'll give him credit for it.
But compared the gospel to a beautiful gym.
I think there's a number of newly engaged people in our congregation.
And probably, I don't know this for sure, but probably got engagement rings with a diamond set in the middle of it.
The gospel is a treasure like that, which is beautiful upon looking at it.
But to really grasp its beauty, we've got to turn it over and look at it from varying angles.
Ladies, I know you have looked at that diamond over and over and over and over again.
The diamond has perfect clarity.
You can look at it from one side and you'll know what it looks like on the other side.
It looks the same.
Gentlemen, if you bought a decent diamond, it looks the exact same from the other side.
It was cut the same way and it's clear, just like the rest.
But you don't really appreciate it until you turn it over.
The same is true with the gospel.
The preaching here to us in the letter of Romans is a turning, looking at varying angles.
The same great truth.
Martin Luther, in the 16th century, held a pastorate and preached every week the gospel to his congregation.
And his congregation began to murmur about that.
They began to come to him and say,
Martin Luther, when are you going to take us deeper?
When are you going to teach us new things?
Surely we've come to understand the gospel already.
And his response was, when you begin to live like you believe what I'm preaching to you, then I'll preach something else.
The truth of it is, we all forget, probably on a daily basis, the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If we would remember what he's done for us, we would live much differently.
And I think that Paul had the same thing in mind as he's writing.
He's continuing to turn the beauty of the gospel over and angle it differently and hold it up to the light in these varying ways that we might appreciate it more.
So we come to the beginning of chapter 8.
And he starts off saying, there is therefore now.
Now he's directly referencing back to chapter 7.
Verses 23-25, we saw Paul having the common struggle of every Christian,
where we're not all as bad as we could be, but certainly none of us are as good as we should be.
And we war against sin in our life, even though we've been delivered from it.
He writes, beginning in verse 23,
I see in my members another law, waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin.
That dwells in my members.
Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So directly, he's referencing back to that.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Indirectly, I believe he's referencing back to the entire letter to this point.
Chapter 1, verse 16 and 17.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel,
for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith.
As it is written, the righteous shall live by faith,
and those who live by faith have no condemnation.
Chapter 2, verse 12 and 13.
For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law,
and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,
but the doers of the law who will be justified.
And in chapters 3 and 4 and 5,
we see that none of us can earn our way to heaven,
that none of us are righteous on our own,
apart from faith in Christ.
And Christ gives us, imputes to us,
his righteousness.
Chapter 5, verse 4.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Certainly, he's referencing back to chapter 6, verse 6.
We know that our old self was crucified with him
in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing,
so that we no longer would be enslaved to sin.
The condemnation has been lifted.
So there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Interestingly,
our English word translated, no,
is the Greek word, oidaes.
It is an emphatic negative pronoun
which relates to time.
I'll catch that.
It's an emphatic negative pronoun
that relates to time.
It carries the idea
of the completion
of a period of time.
So those of us who are in Christ
once bore the condemnation
of our sin,
but that period of time in our life
is now over.
That's not a call to learn
and understand the original language.
I don't know what is,
because the English word we get is no.
Much more meaning carried in oidaes.
Condemnation.
Katakrama is the Greek word.
It's only found in the book of Romans
here and in 5, 16, and 18.
So it's three places in the New Testament.
And it relates to the sentencing of a crime,
but focuses not on the verdict,
not that we've been declared guilty,
which we have,
but on the penalty
the verdict demands.
That's the emphasis.
It emphasizes the verdict.
Excuse me.
The penalty that the verdict demands.
Chapter 6, verse 23,
for the wages of sin is death.
Amen.
So now,
in Christ,
those who have placed their faith in Him,
there is no condemnation.
But before that,
if you haven't placed your faith in Christ,
or before you have placed your faith in Christ,
if you are in Him,
there was great condemnation on you.
The guilt of your sin pressed down upon you.
Let me read to you an excerpt
from a wonderful sermon
by Jonathan Edwards
called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
If you haven't yet read this,
I hope that you will.
It was delivered in 1741,
June or July 8th,
I can't remember,
in Connecticut.
I am told that Jonathan Edwards
stood at the back of the sanctuary
and read this in a very monotone voice.
I'm going to try to inflect my tone a bit
so that you can understand
what I'm saying to you.
But listen to the weight
of the words he uses here.
There is the dreadful pit
of the glowing flames
of the wrath of God.
There is hell's wide, gaping mouth open,
and you have nothing to stand upon,
nor anything to take hold of.
There is nothing between you and hell,
but the air.
It is only the power
and mere pleasure of God
that holds you up.
You probably are not sensible of this.
You find that you are kept out of hell,
but do not see the hand of God in it.
But look at other things,
at the good state of your bodily constitution,
your care of your own life,
and the means you use
for your own preservation.
But indeed,
these things are nothing.
If God should withdraw His hand,
they would avail no more
to keep you from falling
than the thin air
to hold up a person
that is suspended in it.
Your wickedness makes you,
as it were,
heavy as lead,
and to tend downwards
with great weight
and pressure towards hell.
And if God should let you go,
you would immediately sink
and swiftly descend
and plunge
into the bottomless gulf,
and your healthy constitution
and your own caring prudence
and best contrivance
and all your righteousness
would have no more influence
to uphold you
and keep you out of hell
than a spider's web
would have to stop
a falling rock.
This is where it gets really good.
Were it not for the sovereign
pleasure of God,
the earth would not bear you
one moment,
for you are a burden to it.
The creation groans with you.
The creature is made subject
to the bondage
of your corruption.
The sun does not willingly
shine upon you
to give you light
to serve sin and Satan.
The earth does not willingly
yield her increase
to satisfy your lust.
Nor does it willingly
a stage for your wickedness
to be acted upon.
The air does not willingly
serve you for breath
to maintain the flame
of life in your vitals
while you spend your life
in the service
of God's enemies.
God's creatures are good
and were made for men
to serve God with
and do not willingly
subserve to any other purpose
and groan when they are abused
to purposes so directly
contrary to their nature
and end.
And the world would spew you out
were it not for the sovereign
hand of him
who has subjected it
in hope.
There are the black clouds
of God's wrath
now hanging directly
over your heads
full of the dreadful storm
and big with thunder
and were it not for the
restraining hand of God
it would immediately
burst forth
upon you.
Isn't that incredible?
the earth
rejects us
in our sinful state.
The earth doesn't want
to be a stage
for which
in which we carry out
evil intentions
towards God.
Did you catch all that language?
The sun does not
willingly shine upon us
to give us light
to sin
against our God.
The air
doesn't willingly
sustain our life
as long as we serve
the enemy.
Isn't that phenomenal
language?
We are a burden
to the earth
before Christ.
And this
is the condemnation
that laid upon us
that we inherited
from Adam
apart from Christ
this is where
you
are.
I'll add
that many
of the congregants
in Jonathan Edwards
church building
that day
were clutching
the pews
in front of them
and begging him
to stop
preaching.
They were afraid
that the floor
was going to open up
and that hell
was going to swallow
them whole.
Incredible.
Absolutely incredible.
But now
for those of us
who are in Christ Jesus
this burden
has been lifted.
There is no
condemnation
for us.
Jesus says in
John chapter 10
verse 27
through 29
My sheep hear
my voice
and I know
them
and they follow
me.
I give them
eternal life
and they will
never perish
and no one
will snatch
them out
of my hand.
My Father
who has given
them to me
is greater
than all
and no one
is able to
snatch them
out of my
Father's hand.
You see the
connection there
now.
Those of us
who are in Christ
are secure
in the hand
of God.
There is
no condemnation
for us
any longer.
Udice
katakramah
no condemnation
for us.
We can live
guilt free.
The sins
that you've
committed
and are maybe
in the process
of committing
now
and will
commit
have already
been paid
for
by Christ.
That wrath
that is due
to you
apart
from him
because
you're
in him
who bore
it for you.
We are
secure
in the hand
of God
if we're
in Christ.
If you're
not in
Christ
if you've
not placed
your faith
in him
if you have
thought that
anything you
can do
will hold you
up from being
swallowed into
hell
you are
desperately
wrong.
I won't
pretend
that there's
a special
time
of any
service
for you
to repent
and believe
in Jesus
Christ.
You don't
have to wait
for me to
ask you
to do
that.
I don't
hold that
kind of
power.
The front
of this
building
is in
no way
some
secret
special
place
for you
to
consecrate
yourself
to
God.
The
holy
place
for that
to
happen
is
in
your
heart.
if you
feel the
weight
of
condemnation
on you
this
morning
believe
in
Christ.
Do that
now
where you
sit.
You don't
have to
listen to
anything
else I
say
this
morning.
Place
your
faith
in
Christ.
Verse
2
For
the law
of the
spirit
of life
has set
you
free
in
Christ
Jesus
from
the
law
of
sin
and
death.
The
article
at the
beginning
of
verse
2
4
So
there's
no
condemnation
for those
of us
in
Christ
because
if you'll
allow me
my own
interpretation
because
in
Christ
Jesus
we have
been
delivered
from
the
law
of
sin
and
death
we've
been
set
free
from
that
to
the
law
of
the
spirit
of
life.
Now
Paul
here
is
not
referring
to
the
Mosaic
law
or
any
other
divine
commandments
or
requirements
he's
referring
to
a
principle
of
operation
the
thing
that
drives
you
where
you
get
your
motivation
so
where
do
we
get
that
from
as
Christians
the
law
of
the
spirit
of
life
which
is
the
Holy
Spirit
what
he's
referring
to
when
Jesus
explained
the way
of
salvation
to
Nicodemus
in
John
3
5
he
said
truly
I
say
to
you
unless
one
is
born
of
water
and
the
spirit
he
cannot
enter
the
kingdom
of
God
explains
in
Titus
3
5
and
6
God
saved
us
not
because
of
works
done
by
us
in
righteousness
but
according
to
his
own
mercy
by
the
washing
of
regeneration
and
renewal
of
the
Holy
Spirit
whom
he
poured
out
on
us
richly
through
Jesus
Christ
our
Savior
it
is
the
Holy
Spirit
who
bestows
and
energizes
our
spiritual
life
Paul
clarifies
this
in
the
following
verses
in
chapter
8
so
follow
with
me
down
in
chapter
8
we're
going
to
discuss
these
in
brief
in
coming
weeks
we'll
discuss
living
by
the
Spirit
verses
6
9
and
10
see if
you can
follow
me
verses
6
9
and
10
for
to
set
the
mind
on
the
flesh
is
death
but
to
set
the
mind
on
the
spirit
is
life
and
peace
you
however
are
not
in
the
flesh
but
in
the
spirit
if
in
fact
the
spirit
of
God
dwells
in
you
anyone
who
does
not
have
the
spirit
of
Christ
does
not
belong
to
him
but
if
Christ
is
in
you
although
the
body
is
dead
because
of
sin
the
spirit
of
life
the
spirit
is
the
life
because
of
righteousness
I'm
so
sorry
I got
ahead of
myself
but
if
Christ
is
in
you
although
the
body
is
dead
because
of
sin
the
spirit
is
life
because
of
righteousness
so
we're
granted
by the
law
of the
spirit
of
life
in
Christ
Jesus
to
not
have
condemnation
that's
an
interesting
phrase
in
Christ
Jesus
we see
it both
in
verses
1
and
2
of
chapter
8
in
Christ
Jesus
this
little
phrase
has
been
vexing
me
all
week
I
get
the
concept
I
understand
generally
but
how
to
explain
a
mystery
as
profound
as
what
it
means
to
be
in
Christ
I'm
still
not
sure
I
could
do
a
fantastic
job
of
it
I
was
trying
to
come
up
with
all
kinds
of
analogies
and
things
I
could
bring
in
to
show
you
I
think
everything
falls
short
of how
really
profound
this
mystery
is
and
I
don't
know
that
we're
really
going
to
fully
understand
it
until
we
see
him
face
to
face
but
the
point
is
that
we're
not
simply
united
with
Christ
but
that
we're
united
in
Christ
in
1st
Corinthians
15
22
!
Paul
gives
us
a
little
more
explanation
he
says
for
as
in
Adam
all
die
so
also
in
Christ
shall
all
be
made
alive
and
in
the
same
epistle
chapter
12
verse
27
you
are
the
body
of
Christ
and
individually
members
of
it
so
we're
in
Christ
verses
1
and 2
chapter
8
and
Christ
is
in
us
verses
9
and 10
we
just
read
that
you see
in
verse
9
in
the
spirit
if
in
fact
the
spirit
of
God
dwells
in
you
in
verse
10
again
but
if
Christ
is
in
you
although
the
body
is
dead
because
of
sin
the
spirit
is
life
because
of
righteousness
so
we're
in
Christ
and
Christ
is
in
us
the
best
analogy
I can
think
to give
you
is a
biblical
analogy
And
that
is
!
when
Christ
died
when
he
bore
the
wrath
of
God
even
though
he
lived
a
sinless
life
he
did
so
for
the
church
and
in
so
doing
he
imputed
to
his
church
he
gave
to
his
church
his
righteousness
so
what
Martin
Luther
called
the
great
exchange
he
took
on
the
sin
of
the
church
bore
the
wrath
of
God
for
it
and
gave
!
to
us
his
righteousness
so we
are then
clothed
in the
righteousness
of
Christ
we
are
wearing a
Christ
suit
so to
speak
so that
when we
approach
the
Father
the
things we
do
can be
seen as
pleasing
in his
eyes
because
he
sees
the
righteousness
of
Christ
in
us
Christ
is
also
in
us
the
spirit
dwells
within
us
motivating
right
living
apart
from the
spirit
of
God
abiding
within
you
everything
you
do
is
sin
we
can
categorize
the
things
you
do
as
good
things
but
anything
that
you
do
apart
from
faith
full
dependency
on
God
is
sin
and
your
heart
does
not
incline
toward
that
it
actually
rejects
that
kind
of
notion
apart
from
the
spirit
of
God
dwelling
within
you
so
if
this
weren't
true
that
in
Christ
and
Christ
in
us
we
would
be
unable
to
stand
before
God
and
we
would
be
unable
to
live
rightly
as
I
said
in
the
coming
weeks
we're
going to
look
at
what
life
in
the
place
your
faith
in
him
listen
to
these
number
one
in
Christ
you
were
given
grace
before
the
world
was
created
2nd
Timothy
1
9
says
he
gave
us
grace
in
Christ
Jesus
before
the
ages
began
number
two
in
Christ
you
were
chosen
by
God
before
creation
Ephesians
1
4
God
chose
us
in
Christ
before
the
foundation
of
the
world
number
three
in
Christ
Jesus
you
are
loved
by
God
!
Romans
8
38
39
I
am
sure
that
neither
death
nor
life
nor
angels
nor
rulers
nor
things
present
nor
things
to
come
nor
powers
nor
height
nor
depth
nor
anything
else
in
all
creation
will be
able to
separate us
from the
love of
God
in
Christ
Jesus
our
Lord
number
four
in
Christ
Jesus
you
were
redeemed
and
forgiven
for
all
your
sins
Ephesians
1
7
in
Christ
we
have
redemption
through
his
blood
the
forgiveness
of
our
trespasses
number
five
in
Christ
Jesus
you
are
justified
before
God
and
the
righteousness
of
God
in
Christ
is
imputed
to
you
2
Corinthians
5
21
we
have
in
Galatians
3
26
in
Christ
Jesus
you
are
all
sons
of
God
through
faith
we're
halfway
there
this
phrase
is
in
the
New
Testament
88
times
this
isn't
that
many
number
seven
in
Christ
Jesus
you
have
been
seated
in
the
heavenly
places
even
while
he
lived
on
earth
Ephesians
2
6
God
raised
us
up
with
Christ
and
seated
us
with
him
in
the
heavenly
places
in
Christ
Jesus
number
eight
in
Christ
Jesus
all
the
promises
of
God
are
yes
for
you
praise
God
2
Corinthians
1
number
nine
in
Christ
Jesus
you
are
being
sanctified
and
made
holy
1
Corinthians
1
2
to
the
church
of
God
that
is
in
Corinth
to
those
sanctified
in
Christ
Jesus
number
10
in
Christ
Jesus
everything
you
really
need
will
be
supplied
Philippians
4
19
my
God
will
supply
every
need
of
yours
according
to
his
riches
and
glory
in
Christ
Jesus
number
11
in
Christ
Jesus
the
peace
of
God
will
guard
your
heart
and
mind
Philippians
4
7
the
peace
of
God
which
surpasses
all
understanding
will
guard
your
hearts
and
your
minds
in
Christ
Jesus
and
number
12
in
Christ
Jesus
you
have
eternal
life
Romans
6
23
for
the
wages
of
sin
is
death
but
the
free
gift
of
God
is
eternal
life
in
Christ
Jesus
our
Lord
this
ought
to
radically
change
the way
we live
the light
of this
truth
should
expose
all
the
darkness
of our
hearts
if we
believe
that there is
therefore now
no condemnation
for those who are in
Christ Jesus
our lives will look
radically different
from the lives
of those around
us
there are so
many people
who don't
believe in
God at
all
and from the
exterior
if you looked at
their life
you would
say
that's a
really good
person
you would
even go as
far to
say
that person
is better
than some
of the
people I
know
who say
they believe
in God
and in
Jesus
Christ
shame
on us
if we
don't
live
rightly
it is a
clear
evidence
that we
don't
believe
this to
be true
not that
you're
necessarily
not a
Christian
but the
value of
the gospel
the immense
treasure
that it
is
is far
from you
in those
moments
take this
truth
with you
this week
there is
therefore
now no
condemnation
for those
in Christ
Jesus
I'm sure
I've said
it enough
now that
you have
it memorized
and preach
the gospel
to yourself
when you
wake up
in the
morning
and as
you head
off to
class
or to
work
go get
the kids
up
there's
therefore
now no
condemnation
for those
who are
in Christ
Jesus
I
am in
Christ
and Christ
is in
me
what a
glorious
truth
let's pray
together