Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesusbecause through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Rom.8:1-4)
The certainty of our standing with God empowers us to live for him. In the days of the Old and New Testaments, Kings were absolutely sovereign and their declarations became law – standing orders from the King himself. Once it was law, all the forces of the kingdom would be brought to bear to enforce what the King had declared. Once it was law it was unchanging unless it was superseded by another law issued by the king due to a change in circumstances.
Paul tells us that those in Christ stand without condemnation because through Jesus the law of the Spirit of Life has set us free from the law of sin and death. There was once a law, a standing order, that those who sinned must die – the wages of sin is death. Sin was a manifestation of rebellion and rebellion was a capital crime in the kingdom. The consequence of sin for every man was separation and alienation from the Father and death was the prescribed penalty. But a change in circumstances occurred. God himself put on flesh and paid the penalty for all men who would accept his sacrifice and his Lordship in their lives. When that circumstance shifted a new law was declared – the Law of the Spirit of Life. God has declared and established an unchangeable law that for those who have faith in the word of God and the saving work of his Son, there is life imparted by the Spirit and all condemnation has been removed forever as long as there is faith. The assurance of our standing with God based on what Jesus did rather than the shortcomings of man should embolden us to take hold of every promise of heaven.
Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it” (Mt.11:12). I like that. Forceful men are those (both men and women) who believe aggressively in the promises of God and grab hold of every promise with the assurance that comes from knowing who they are in Christ. These are the folks who run over the devil to get to Jesus. These are the folks who stand on the Word of God and call the devil a liar to his face. This standing of righteousness and acceptance in heaven is not just for some but for all who believe – mature and immature, rich and poor, gifted and not so gifted, saintly or struggling and is the unchangeable law of heaven.
To be clear, the Holy Spirit does convict his children but that is vastly different from condemnation. Conviction is the work of redirecting our hearts, thoughts and actions while condemnation is the work of rejecting us. God does not reject those who trust in Jesus because for them there is no condemnation. The result is articulated in the Book of Hebrews. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb.4:16). Later, in Romans 8, the apostle Paul confirms our sure position with the Father when he declare, “If God is for us who can be against us?” Several translations instruct us to come before the throne not just with confidence but with boldness. I believe God wants his children to live with a boldness that confronts the enemy and scatters him. We can do so because by one sacrifice we have been made perfect forever while God is making us holy. Know who you are. Know what Jesus has done in your life. Know your standing in heaven and live with the boldness of the Lion of the tribe of Judah. It is God’s will for your life!
