The Book of Romans: No Condemnation

 

The Book of Romans

Introduction:

Good morning brothers and sisters. What a joy it is to see you here this morning. My name is Stuart Davidson. I am the pastor here. If you are visiting with us, if you are tuning in online, welcome. We are overjoyed that you are here. If you are a long time member, boy it is good to see you too. 

Over the last several weeks, we have been peering deep into the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome. In fact, if you want, go ahead and find Romans 8:1-11 this morning. While you are looking, I want to ask you a question. 

What do these names have in common?

OJ Simpson.

Martha Stewart.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.

Ted Bundy.

Casey Anthony.

Lyle and Eric Menendez.

Derek Chauvin. 

And…Harvey Weinstein

Do you know what is? Do you know what they all have in common?

Each name represents a real life, real world, courtroom drama that unfolded before the eyes of the country. Each name served as a cultural touchstone. In most of these cases, millions of people around the world to tune in to see if a jury of their peers would find them guilty or not guilty. 

Perhaps the most recent of these courtroom dramas was the defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. What made this legal proceeding so different is that the world tuned in through their phones and tablets. This case spun off meme after meme and for many, the case was settled in the public through social media sites like Tic Tok and Twitter. The public was either team Johnny or team Amber. 

Growing up, the most famous of these cases was of course the OJ Simpson trail. I’ll never forget the summer of 1994. I was 15 years old. My family was in Orlando, FL. at the time. My Dad was on a business trip and he took me, my brother and my Mom along for the ride. It was like any other vacation to Florida. Hot. Humid. Lots of people. I’ll never forget sitting in my hotel room with my family. We flipped on the TV. On every channel there was a white Ford Bronco driving the 405 in Los Angeles. 

What in the world was going on?

You remember. It was OJ and his best friend Al Cowlings. Cowlings was driving and OJ was in the back of the vehicle. They were fleeing arrest. 

OJ would later be captured, taken into custody, and the trail of the century started. 

The world was introduced to Johnny Cochran, Robert Shapiro, F. Lee Bailey, Robert Kardashian, Marcia Clark, Chris Darden, Kato Kaelin, Mark Fuhrman, and of course Judge Lance Ito. How many of you are like me and can still remember all those faces? Like their faces are seared into your brain?

9 months later the verdict would be read. 

“We the jury in the above-entitled action find the defendant, Orenthal James Simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder in violation of Penal Code section 187(a)…”

“Not guilty!” Do you remember the response of the country. Reactions were divided down racial lines for the most part. One portion of the country thought OJ was guilty as sin. Another portion felt like he had been framed by a racist LA cop. 

Confusion ruled the day. Books were written. Documentaries produced. Films made. Years later OJ released a book where he describes the murders if he had committed them. Think about that for a second. 

You know, over time there have been a lot of really important court cases. No doubt there will be many more in the future. Let me tell you of the most important court case of your life. 

2 Corinthians 5:10 states…“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

What about Revelation 20:11-12? “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it… And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened… The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

Scripture actually states over and over that one day, everyone in this room will stand before God to give an account of his or her life. The good, the bad, the ugly. 

You know, when you tune into all these court cases, the suspense is what keeps us there. It’s all the new information. It’s all the surprising revelations. We wait on pins and needles to find out if the verdict is not guilty or guilty. 

Where there is tremendous suspense in all of these earthly court cases, there won’t be any doubt about our case before God. 

Are you curious as to what mine and your’s verdict will be?  How many of you think you will hear “not guilty”? 

Any takers? 

How many think you will hear “guilty”? 

Yeah, that’s what I thought. A room filled with guilty sinners. 

Psalm 14:2–3 states the terrible truth. “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”

Church, we are liable, in the wrong, convicted. We have been found responsible, blameworthy, capable. 

2 chapters from where we are this morning we know what our punishment will be. Death!

Romans 6:23 remind us that the “wages of sin is death…”. 

Friends, that is the bad news. We are all guilty. But here’s the good news. We are not condemned. Guilty yes. However, for those of us who are in Christ, we are not condemned. 

In fact brothers and sisters, that is the title of my message today. No condemnation. 

Today’s Message:

“No Condemnation”

This is the turn of the message from bad news to good news. How many of you are thankful that God does not give us justice? No! God gives us mercy!

Do me a favor this morning and fill in the blanks under “Today’s Thought”. We, you and I, are favored and flourishing. We have been set free from the law. You and I are no longer bound by sinful flesh! 

Church, we are free! God has give us mercy! Praise His glorious mercy!

Today’s Thought:
We Are Favored and Flourishing, Set Free From The Law, No Longer Bound By Sinful Flesh!

The other day, I was reading a blog entitled “Good News, Not Good Advice”. In fact, you can google the website this morning if you are looking for an interesting blog. The author of the blog is a fella named Jeff Hatton. The focus of his thoughts were from the very Scripture we are reading this morning…Romans 8:1. Listen to what he says about God’s righteous judgement. 

Today’s Quote:

“The ultimate verdict is in. The trial is over. Because of Christ, you stand fully acquitted. 

Did y’all hear that? BECAUSE OF JESUS you and I stand fully acquitted. Not because of your good deeds. Not because of who you know, how much you give, or how many little old ladies you help across the street. You can be super nice to your neighbor and still go straight to hell. You can build a business like Bezos, achieve incredible athletic success like Brady, have money like Gates, be creative like Jobs, artistic like Picasso, find success in politics like Trump, lead like Lincoln, and take care of the sick like Mother Teresa. You can do all of these things but if you are missing Jesus, you’ve missed heaven! 

Do you see that church? Do you understand that?

Let’s continue…

“The ultimate verdict is in. The trial is over. Because of Christ, you stand fully acquitted. 

The gavel has fallen in the heavenly courtroom and the Judge Himself has declared you righteous. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus—not today, not tomorrow, not ever. There is only welcome, acceptance, and grace. You no longer have to live under fear or shame because the sentence you deserved was placed on Him, and His perfect record has been placed on you.”

—Jeff Hatton, “No Condemnation (Romans 8:1)”, -Good News, Not Good Advice Blog

This morning we are reading again from Romans. Romans 8:1-11. 

Background and Context:

Romans 8:1-11 declares that in Christ there is no condemnation. Believers free from sin and death by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul compares life in the flesh, which leads to death, with life in the Spirit, which brings peace and the hope of resurrection. Putting it simply, Paul tells us in Romans 8 that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the very same Spirit that lives in us this morning. Let that sink in folks. The same Spirit that breathed life into Jesus’ dead body, raising Him from the dead, is the same Spirit that lives in us. Isn’t that awesome?

Statement of Belief:

“This morning, we open the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Today’s Scripture:
Romans 8:1-11 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. [3] For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, [4] in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. [5] For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. [6] For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. [7] For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. [8] Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. [9] 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. [10] But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord.”

Church: “Praise His name, praise His holy name.”

No Condemnation: Life In The Spirit

I. Believer, You’ve Been Freed! Christ Liberates Us From Condemnation vs. 1

So, thankfully there is no more condemnation. We now have life in the Spirit. 

Do me a favor and fill in the blanks for our first point this morning. Believer, you’ve been freed! Christ liberates us from condemnation. 

Think of it like this…

“Because of Jesus, we are fully released from the penalty of sin and there is no condemnation for those who belong to Him.”

Chances are you have never heard of Charlie Plumb. Plumb was an American fighter pilot during the height of the Vietnam War. During a dangerous mission, Plumb was shot down in enemy territory. He spent nearly 6 years as a prisoner of war in a brutal North Vietnamese camp. For all of those years, Plumb sat naked in a small, cold, wet, dark, prison cell. He was chained hand and foot to a wall. The enemy took great delight in beating him everyday. They mocked him relentlessly. They starved him to the point of him looking like a human Skelton. The only thing that kept him going was his dream of the day when that prison door would swing open and he would walk out into freedom. 

One day, it finally happened. The doors opened. The enemy threw him some trousers and a shirt. The men who had beaten him, made fun of him, and starved him, told him he was free to go. They unchained him. At first he didn’t believe them. He thought that if he left the cell that they would kill him. Finally, the guards disappeared, leaving the door open. Freedom was to tempting. He put on his clothes and walked out. For the first time in years, he saw blue sky, the sun, and breathed fresh air. 

Charlie Plumb was free. He had been granted new life. 

Friends, John 8:36 tells us “if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free.”

What Charlie Plumb experienced those many decades ago pales in comparison to the freedom that Christ has given to us. We were chained by sin, locked away under condemnation, with no hope of escape. Then the Son of God stepped in, took our punishment, and opened the prison door. He did not just loosen the chains; He removed them entirely and told us to walk in the light of His freedom.

In Romans 8:1, Paul tells us that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Church, I have already laid out our case. We are guilty. Imagine a courtroom scene where the case is open and shut. There is video evidence of a man committing a terrible crime. Everyone has seen it. To make matters worse, imagine if the man looked into the camera and admitted to the crime. 

Now, imagine the judge having all that information. He looks at the guilty party and he doesn’t just say “not guilty”. The judge stands and declares “INNOCENT”!

The courtroom would erupt! His verdict would make the news! I can see a reporter interviewing the judge after the proceeding. 

“Judge, he was clearly guilty. We all saw the video. He even admitted it. Why did you let him go?”

The judge looks at the reporter and says, “you know, I let him go because his punishment had been redeemed, paid for, paid in full.”

Friends, that’s the freedom that we have. Jesus stepped in to our prison cell, took off our chains, and took our place. It’s not just that we were set free, He took our station. Instead of condemnation, we received salvation.

The woman caught in adultery knew what that felt like. She was dragged into the street surrounded by men holding stones, and Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”

The thief on the cross knew what that felt like. He hung there condemned, paying for his crimes, and with nothing to offer the Lord but a plea for mercy. Jesus looked at him and said, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”

Barabbas knew what that felt like. He was guilty, he was waiting on death row, and the next sound he expected to hear was the footsteps of the executioner. But instead, the guards came and said, “You are free to go… someone else is taking your place.” And that someone was Jesus.  

No Condemnation: Life In The Spirit

I. Believer, You’ve Been Freed! Christ Liberates Us From Condemnation vs. 1

II. Believer, You’ve Been Filled! The Spirit Leads Us To New Life vs. 4-6

Let’s move on to our second point. First, we have been freed. Second, we have been filled. The Spirit leads us to new life. 

Go back to verses 4-6. 

Romans 8:4-6 ESV

[5] For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. [6] For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

You might understand what Paul is saying by reading the explanation there on your sermon outline. 

“The Holy Spirit empowers and directs us to live according to God’s will, replacing the old sinful nature with new desires that lead to life and peace.”

4 times Paul says the word “Spirit”. He is talking about the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. You know, I did a little digging and dove into my Greek Lexicon. The Greek word being used for the word “Spirit” is pneuma. The word actually means “breath” or “wind”. When you think of breath, our bodies are filled with breath. When you think of wind, wind fills our atmosphere. God’s name, at least when He is introduced in the Old Testament, is referred to as Yahweh. God’s name, in Hebrew texts would be YHWH. Ancient Hebrew writing didn’t have vowels, and the consonants of YHWH are mostly “breath” sounds when spoken softly, like an inhale and an exhale.

Yah…inhale

Weh…exhale

Yah…inhale

Weh…exhale

From the moment that we take our first breath, to the moment we breath our last, God’s name is on our lips. The very breath that you are breathing right now is a testimony to the reality of God. God not only fills your body with His breath, He wants to fill our spirits as well. 

What is it like to be filled by God? Paul answers that in Galatians 5:16, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”

To be filled by God is to live under the constant direction and influence of the Holy Spirit. It means that your thoughts begin to change, your priorities begin to shift, and your desires start to look more like His. It is the difference between a sailboat with its sails hanging limp and a sailboat with the wind of heaven pushing it forward. When the Spirit fills you, He empowers you to say “no” to sin and “yes” to righteousness. He gives you strength you did not have, wisdom you could not find, and peace you could not manufacture.

Church, when you are filled with the Spirit, you are not just surviving this life, you are walking in step with God Himself. You are no longer running on your own steam…you are carried along by the very breath of Yahweh. That is what new life looks like, and that is what God wants for every single believer.

And here’s the best part, that life the Spirit gives you now is only the beginning. The Spirit who fills you today is the same Spirit who will keep you tomorrow, the same Spirit who will walk with you through the valley of the shadow of death, and the same Spirit who will one day raise you up to live with Christ forever.

That brings us to our last point this morning.

No Condemnation: Life In The Spirit

I. Believer, You’ve Been Freed! Christ Liberates Us From Condemnation vs. 1

II. Believer, You’ve Been Filled! The Spirit Leads Us To New Life vs. 4-6

III. Believer, You’ve Been Given Forever! The Spirit Secures Our Eternal Destiny vs. 10-11

Life in the Spirit means that we have been freed, filled, and it also means that we have been given forever. The Spirit secures our eternal destiny. Go back to verses 10 and 11 this morning. 

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Know this…“The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now dwells in us, guaranteeing eternal life and victory over death.”

You know what, life can be frustrating, can’t it. In my 25 years of doing vocational ministry…what I mean by that is, 25 years of doing church as my job, my calling…in all of those years I have seen so much hurt. So much heartbreak. I have witnessed betrayal. I have seen friends turn on friends. I have seen both the best sides of people and the worst sides of people.

And if we are being honest, life in a broken world can take the wind right out of your sails. It can make you wonder, “Lord, how am I going to keep going?” 

I have stood at gravesides with families whose pain was so deep they could not see tomorrow. 

I have sat in living rooms with couples whose marriage looked like it was breathing its last breath. 

I have prayed with people who felt like the darkness was closing in and hope was slipping through their fingers.

I have walked hospital hallways with parents who did not know if their child would make it through the night. 

I have seen the look in the eyes of men and women who have lost their job and with it their sense of security. 

I have counseled teenagers who feel like they have no worth, no future, and no reason to go on. Life has a way of pressing down so hard that it feels like it is trying to squeeze the very breath out of you.

And I have to tell you, it is not just something I have seen in other people’s lives. I have felt it in my own. I wish I could stand here and tell you that as a pastor, I always have it together, that I always have the right words, that my faith never wavers and my patience never wears thin. But that would not be true. There have been seasons where I have been tired, discouraged, and frustrated. There have been moments where my temper was too short, my words too sharp, and my trust in God too small.

I have wrestled with doubt. I have let fear creep in where faith should have been standing guard. I have made decisions I wish I could undo and said things I wish I could take back. And if you have ever felt like you have failed the Lord more times than you can count, you are not alone, because I have been there too.

Saying all of that, Paul gives us some good news in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8,

“So we are always confident, because we know that while we are living in the body, we are away from our home with the Lord. We live by faith and not by sight. We are confident, and we would prefer to leave the body and to be at home with the Lord.”

There will come a day when all the failings will be fixed. 

There will come a day when every burden will be beautifully banished.

There will come a day when every tear will be taken away.

There will come a day when every wound will be washed away.

There will come a day when every trial will be turned to joy.

We will exchange this earth for eternity and we will call that day heaven. We call that moment forever. 

This is the promise of salvation. Do we deserve condemnation? Yes. Do we deserve justice? Absolutely. Is that what we recieve? No. 

We are given freedom. We are given mercy. We are given compassion. 

Remember friends…

If Christ Has Set You Free, You Are Free Indeed!

Closing Prayer:

Father, we thank You for the truth of Romans 8, that in Christ there is no condemnation. Thank You that we have been freed from the penalty of sin, filled with the power of Your Spirit, and given the promise of forever in Your presence.

Lord, we admit we fall short. We wrestle with weakness, fear, and failure, but we praise You that our standing with You is not based on our perfection, but on the finished work of Jesus.

Help us walk in the freedom You have given, follow the Spirit’s leading each day, and hold tightly to the hope that one day every tear will be wiped away and every burden lifted. Until then, keep our hearts steady, our faith strong, and our eyes fixed on You. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.