These two great statements open and close Romans chapter 8, the well-loved chapter that speaks of a new life in Christ, and between them 18 usages of “spirit” as compared to one in Romans 7.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (verse 1 ESV), and the rest of the verse as given in KJV, NKJV, Amplified, etc., does not appear in the most ancient manuscripts and has been interpolated from verse 4 by later scribes (copyists). “There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”, period. I thank God I am not condemned because I read the Sunday paper. I thank God I am not condemned because I go to the movie theatre or I participate in mixed bathing or any of the other injunctions that one of my former denominations insisted I obey. I now have no condemnation. You too should realize there is no condemnation from God for ever, as you are in Christ Jesus.
I suspect nearly everybody reading this has heard the verse before, time and time again. It is not a license to sin; it is your liberty in Christ. There is a difference. Just because there is no condemnation you do not say “I’m going to go out on Saturday night and paint the town red” and hope that God forgives you Sunday morning. We used to have the saying about young men who would go out and sow their wild oats on Saturday night and pray for a crop failure on Sunday morning! “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” There is only one question you have to ask, Am I in Christ Jesus? And if I know that I know that I know I’m in Christ Jesus and reckon the fact, and present myself to God as that, there is therefore now no condemnation.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Romans 8:35). This not to do with our love towards Christ, but Christ’s love to us, as is also apparent in verse 39. Seven items are mentioned as possible challenges to separate us from the love of Christ. All will try but all will fail.
Paul gives a solid and unequivocal answer in verse 37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” When God says “No”, that’s exactly what He means. “More than conquerors” is from a Greek word only used here in the New Testament. “Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ” (NLT). Know it, reckon it, accept it. You, yes you, are a victor because Christ is a victor; it is “through him who loved us”. Act, talk, look like a conqueror. Like my friend Jack Hunt always said, “Walk down the street as if you own one side and you’re thinking about buying the other!”
— Adapted from Peter Wade’s new book In Christ, Christ In: The power of your position and His prescence.
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