This teaching will be in four parts due to its length. This is a powerful teaching full of great truth, so study through it, don’t just read it.
I remember studying Romans 8:1 the other day, which was 8/1/2013, and I felt compelled to share it at this time. I actually wrote this teaching on 8/1/2013. It was my birth date which is August 1. Therefore, Romans 8:1 is my birth scripture, because my birthday is the 8th month, the 1st day. I was not born under a zodiac sign, I was born under a scripture.
As I was studying I continued on and just got set free all over again from the law, sin, and religion/legalism. Here it is in the NLT with comments added.
1. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
As I studied those words, I focused in on the word “now”, because it is a present perfect tense word. It means the exact moment of time which you find yourself in.
So when I studied this verse on August 1 it was right then, and when I started to write this it was right then, and as I’m saying it right now, it’s right now. As I study it tomorrow or in the future, it will be right then. So, it means every moment of my life this verse applies right now or at that very moment.
If I find myself acting less than I ought to, “now” there is no condemnation. If a less than pure thought crosses my mind, “now” there is no condemnation. If I happen upon one of those drivers on the road, and I yell at them inappropriately, “now” there is no condemnation. Why? Because I belong to Christ Jesus.
Well, I never study the Word without using the “before/after” process. So I continued studying and just got more set free. Here’s the “before”.
Romans 7:24,25.
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
This is Paul’s statement after all that is in Chapter 7 of Romans which depicts his life before Christ as a lost Pharisee. I don’t have time to go into that right now, but there are several teachings on this website that explain this. So Paul is using an introduction into the Truth of what follows in the next verse and into Chapter 8.
25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
This is exactly where religion and legalism want to keep people. That being, thinking in their minds that they must, need, should, have to obey God’s law. In other words performance based religious works to please God. Notice, Paul is using the noun “I”, and says “In my mind”, not the mind of Christ or the renewed mind (Romans 12:2). So first he tells us the answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord, and now he shows you how trying to do this by yourself is nothing but failure in action.
So all of this moves right into verse 1 of Chapter 8. Again remember there were no chapters when Paul wrote this, so when you read it, read it as it flows. Like this. “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Why is there no condemnation to those who belong to Christ Jesus? Because the answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Come on. This stuff is not hard if you just quit reading and start studying. On to verse 2.
2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
You see, it just gets worse. “The power of the LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Now, either we believe what scripture reveals or we don’t. If there is power in the Life-giving Spirit, and we belong to Him, then it’s legitimate to say we are free from the power of sin that leads to death. YAY!!!
I’ll stick with Romans 8 for this study, but just look at Romans 6, verses 7, 11, 18, and 22 which confirms we are free from the power of sin.
3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
So much for the Mosaic Law. It couldn’t do what Jesus did. You see, God did something that works for everybody. Look in that verse where it says “God declared an end to sin’s control over us…” Now either we believe and receive what God said or we don’t. I know I said that already, but it needs to be continuously repeated.
4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Why did God do this? So that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us. For who? Yep, that’s right…for us. A just and righteous God demanded fulfillment of the law. All of His wrath and judgement was poured out on Jesus at the Cross. When Jesus said “It Is Finished”, He meant it. All of God’s wrath was taken by Jesus.
I think I’ve shared this before, but it is so impacting and powerful I want to share it again. It’s a comparison of Elijah at Mt. Carmel and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. It reveals a great contrast between the law and grace.
Elijah declared a drought as God directed. For 3.5 years there was no rain or dew. Rain = Spirit. Dew = favor. So for 3.5 years there was no spirit and no favor. Then on Mt. Carmel when it was Elijah’s turn to call on his God, the judgment of God came down. God’s judgment consumed the sacrifice that was placed on the altar. As a result, people died by the numbers. (Study this at 1 Kings 18).
Jesus’ ministry lasted 3.5 years. During that time He was full of the Spirit and favor from God. When he went to the cross and declared “IT IS FINISHED”, the judgment of God screamed down out of heaven directly on Jesus. But this time the sacrifice consumed the judgment forever, and people from that time forward received newness of life and are still being saved.
So with Elijah, the judgment consumed the sacrifice. But with Jesus, the sacrifice consumed the judgment.
This is a perfect place to end this part 1 teaching. It will provide some time for you to absorb the contrast between Elijah and Jesus as it applies to those 3.5 years. We've only touched the surface of this study in Romans 8. Don't miss the staggering truth that follows in the next 3 parts. Grace and Peace.
