Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1

Thoughts from Brian Cook

Dive Deeper

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“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:1

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To understand how to live with no condemnation, I think we first need to understand what it means to be “In Christ Jesus”. To begin, God made us in his image and wants to be in constant loving communion with us. We sinned, and the punishment for sin is death. But God loves us and still wants constant loving communion with us. So, He sent His one and only perfect Son to Earth to take our punishment of death, the condemnation for all of our sins. And because of Jesus’ sacrifice and immense love, He conquered death, He rose from the grave, and He will come back again one day. Hallelujah!

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Condemnation means to be sentenced to punishment. Our punishment for our sins, mistakes, and regrets is death. Because of the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, we are not condemned, but instead we are set free from the law, and we are now invited to participate in eternal life through God’s Holy Spirit. We can move forward every day becoming more like Christ as the Holy Spirit lovingly instructs, encourages, corrects, and disciplines us.

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I think that I have accepted the condemnation for my sin more than I have accepted the grace and forgiveness for my sin. It showed up in small and subtle thoughts, but I think it pointed to a larger misunderstanding of who I thought God was. As I struggle through my journey towards health, I have often wondered if my time spent in the hospital is punishment for my past mistakes. I wonder if my anxiety is rooted in doubt, waiting for another shoe to drop, for my punishment to be revealed. It was a dark and frustrating train of thought that I couldn't seem to get rid of

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As I was preparing to write this devotional, I put this verse as my phone’s lock screen. I was reminded throughout my day that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I was constantly remembering that my identity is not solely a sinner condemned to death, but rather someone loved and saved by the works of Jesus Christ. I was continuously encouraged by the truth that salvation is the beginning of faith, and we are invited into a life free of condemnation.

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The constant reminder of the freedom given by Jesus Christ started to change how I understood God and how I viewed my circumstances. I was able to see that the punishment had been paid, so there were no more shoes around to drop. I understood that God’s desire wasn't to continuously punish me for not being perfect. God loves me and He forgave me, not because I deserved it, but because of what Jesus had done. I felt motivated and encouraged to be courageous because my dark cloud of doubt had been pushed away.

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Lord God, thank you for loving us and saving us. Thank you that through Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set us free from the law of sin and death. Thank you for this freedom from condemnation and the invitation to be in communion with you. Thank you for softening our hearts towards you. Please continue to break the chains of condemnation in our lives and in our community. We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.

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“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 

Romans 8:1

Behind the Scenes

To understand how to live with no condemnation, I think we first need to understand what it means to be “In Christ Jesus”. To begin, God made us in his image and wants to be in constant loving communion with us. We sinned, and the punishment for sin is death. But God loves us and still wants constant loving communion with us. So, He sent His one and only perfect Son to Earth to take our punishment of death, the condemnation for all of our sins. And because of Jesus’ sacrifice and immense love, He conquered death, He rose from the grave, and He will come back again one day. Hallelujah! 

Condemnation means to be sentenced to punishment. Our punishment for our sins, mistakes, and regrets is death. Because of the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, we are not condemned, but instead we are set free from the law, and we are now invited to participate in eternal life through God’s Holy Spirit. We can move forward every day becoming more like Christ as the Holy Spirit lovingly instructs, encourages, corrects, and disciplines us. 

Make it Real

I think that I have accepted the condemnation for my sin more than I have accepted the grace and forgiveness for my sin. It showed up in small and subtle thoughts, but I think it pointed to a larger misunderstanding of who I thought God was. As I struggle through my journey towards health, I have often wondered if my time spent in the hospital is punishment for my past mistakes. I wonder if my anxiety is rooted in doubt, waiting for another shoe to drop, for my punishment to be revealed. It was a dark and frustrating train of thought that I couldn’t seem to get rid of. 

As I was preparing to write this devotional, I put this verse as my phone’s lock screen. I was reminded throughout my day that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I was constantly remembering that my identity is not solely a sinner condemned to death, but rather someone loved and saved by the works of Jesus Christ. I was continuously encouraged by the truth that salvation is the beginning of faith, and we are invited into a life free of condemnation.  

The constant reminder of the freedom given by Jesus Christ started to change how I understood God and how I viewed my circumstances. I was able to see that the punishment had been paid, so there were no more shoes around to drop. I understood that God’s desire wasn’t to continuously punish me for not being perfect. God loves me and He forgave me, not because I deserved it, but because of what Jesus had done. I felt motivated and encouraged to be courageous because my dark cloud of doubt had been pushed away.  

Rebecca Dyer

Rebecca Dyer

ACF Devo Team

End in Prayer

Lord God, thank you for loving us and saving us. Thank you that through Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set us free from the law of sin and death. Thank you for this freedom from condemnation and the invitation to be in communion with you. Thank you for softening our hearts towards you. Please continue to break the chains of condemnation in our lives and in our community. We pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.  

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