Good News About Good News About Being a ChristianBeing a Christian

#1 #1 There Is NoThere Is NoCondemnationCondemnation

by Tim Bondhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=44934&Sermon%20There%20Is%20No%20Condemnation%20by%20Tim%20Bond

Romans 8:1Romans 8:1 NET NET There is therefore now There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.Christ Jesus. 22 For the law of the life-For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set

you free from the law of sin and death.you free from the law of sin and death.

33 For God achieved what the law could For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened not do because it was weakened

through the flesh. By sending his own through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and

concerning sin, concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,he condemned sin in the flesh,

44 so that the righteous requirement of so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do the law may be fulfilled in us, who do

not walk according to the flesh but not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.according to the Spirit.

Michael Breissen was a new father, and Michael Breissen was a new father, and he was not about to let his wife’s first he was not about to let his wife’s first Mother’s Day pass uncelebrated. But Mother’s Day pass uncelebrated. But

she was a nurse, and on that particular she was a nurse, and on that particular Sunday was working at the local Sunday was working at the local hospital, and they weren’t able to hospital, and they weren’t able to

celebrate together at home. celebrate together at home.

So Michael plunked his new son, Jason, in the baby carrier, drove to the

hospital, and in front of all the patients and co-workers he surprised Miriam with candy and flowers and balloons that said, "World’s Greatest Mom."

It was a great Mother’s Day. But after It was a great Mother’s Day. But after celebrating, it was time for Miriam to celebrating, it was time for Miriam to

go back to work, and Jason and go back to work, and Jason and Michael to go back home. Michael Michael to go back home. Michael

gathered all the things that had been gathered all the things that had been part of the celebration: the candy, part of the celebration: the candy,

flowers, and balloons. flowers, and balloons.

It wasn’t as much fun taking those things It wasn’t as much fun taking those things out to the car as it was taking them in to out to the car as it was taking them in to

the hospital for the surprise. He the hospital for the surprise. He begrudgingly tossed the candy on the begrudgingly tossed the candy on the

front seat and got the flowers arranged on front seat and got the flowers arranged on the floor where they wouldn’t tip over. He the floor where they wouldn’t tip over. He pulled the balloons in out of the wind and pulled the balloons in out of the wind and

got everything arranged, and headed got everything arranged, and headed home. home.

On the way home, people began to honk their horns and flash their lights

at him. He didn’t realize what was going on until he hit 55 miles per hour

on the highway.

He heard a long scraping noise go down He heard a long scraping noise go down the roof, followed by a loud thump. He the roof, followed by a loud thump. He

watched in horror in the rearview watched in horror in the rearview mirror as the baby carrier bounced off mirror as the baby carrier bounced off the trunk onto the highway and began the trunk onto the highway and began

to slide along behind the car. to slide along behind the car.

Michael screeched to a halt. He ran Michael screeched to a halt. He ran back down the highway to the baby back down the highway to the baby

carrier. Jason was okay. As the waves carrier. Jason was okay. As the waves of guilt and fear and relief began to of guilt and fear and relief began to wash over him. Michael fell on the wash over him. Michael fell on the

highway and began to sob.highway and began to sob.

That did not stop a passing policeman That did not stop a passing policeman from writing him up, nor the local from writing him up, nor the local

newspaper from writing a story about newspaper from writing a story about it. A reporter interviewed Miriam, who it. A reporter interviewed Miriam, who showed amazing understanding. She showed amazing understanding. She said, "It’s so unlike him. He really is a said, "It’s so unlike him. He really is a

good father." good father."

While there’s a part of us that says, While there’s a part of us that says, "How "How could he?"could he?" there’s another part of us that there’s another part of us that

relates to Michael Breissen. We recognize relates to Michael Breissen. We recognize all the mistakes we have made, the dumb all the mistakes we have made, the dumb things we have done born out of hurry or things we have done born out of hurry or frustration or distraction. We know that frustration or distraction. We know that there is enough Michael Breissen in us there is enough Michael Breissen in us

that we could be guilty of such things too. that we could be guilty of such things too. It’s all part of being human. It’s all part of being human.

The eighth chapter of Romans begins with one of the greatest promises in all the Bible. ““There is therefore now no There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus."Christ Jesus." And even standing by itself there is something in those words

that makes your heart flutter.

The significance of the fact that in spite of our sin, God doesn’t condemn us is overwhelming in and of itself. But the truth of the matter is, when you read that verse in light of chapter 7, the

personal application of its truth is even more invigorating.

You see, chapter 7 is one of the most powerful statements about struggling with sin in the history of all literature.

What makes it so powerful is, that it is Paul providing us a glimpse into his

own struggle. For me that is encouraging.

Often when I think of the apostle Paul, I think of somebody who is bigger than

life. I see him standing up and defending his faith in front of the Roman governors and even the

emperor. I remember him on his great missionary journeys all over the

Roman empire.

We have all listened to him as he instructs the churches to be faithful, and as he encourages Timothy and Titus to remain true to their calling.

Probably most of us have put Paul on quite a pedestal.

But when we come to the 7th chapter of Romans, we get a peek behind eyes of the apostle, and he’s a lot more

human than we might have first thought. Paul is a fellow struggler.

Romans 7:14Romans 7:14 NET NET For we know that the For we know that the law is spiritual — but I am unspiritual, law is spiritual — but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. sold into slavery to sin. 1515 For I don't For I don't understand what I am doing. For I do understand what I am doing. For I do

not do what I want — instead, I do not do what I want — instead, I do what I hate. what I hate. 1616 But if I do what I don't But if I do what I don't want, I agree that the law is good.want, I agree that the law is good.

1717 But now it is no longer me doing it, But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me. but sin that lives in me. 1818 For I know For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. but I cannot do it. 1919 For I do not do For I do not do

the good I want, but I do the very evil I the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want!do not want!

Did you notice what is going on here? Paul is honest enough to recognize

within himself a tendency to get caught in the stranglehold of sin. This is not

Paul talking about the way he used to be sinful before he became a

Christian.

This is Paul saying, “Just this morning, I gave in again.” It happens to us all. Earlier

in his letter he has proclaimed Romans Romans 3:10b3:10b NET NET ""There is no one righteous, not There is no one righteous, not even one,”even one,” Later he stated matter of factly Romans 3:23Romans 3:23 NET NET for all have sinned and for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.fall short of the glory of God. But now he states it even more personally. “I struggle

with sin, and sometimes I lose.”

Finally, the frustration of losing seems to break through to the surface as Paul proclaims in

Romans 7:22Romans 7:22 NET NET For I delight in the law of God For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. in my inner being. 2323 But I see a different law But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. sin that is in my members. 2424 Wretched man Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from thisthat I am! Who will rescue me from this body body

of death?of death?

How many times a week could you just kick yourself for failing?

You try to be patient with your kids or your spouse or your parents, but in a flash you strike out and the words you say have done their damage before

you even knew it.

You thought you had broken the grip of that nasty habit, but there was that one weak moment, and you listened to the whisper that told you "it will be okay

just this once," and now you feel like a failure.

You knew you should have steered clear, but you thought you could

handle it. Before you know it, you have found out the hard way that you were

weaker than you thought.

A thousand times, in a thousand different ways you have tried to live by the standards that you know are right. But like Michael Breissen, even though

you knew better, you did the stupid thing. And now all you feel is stupid,

filthy, wretched to use the language of Paul. Let’s read where Paul goes from

here.

Romans 7:24Romans 7:24 NET NET Wretched man that I Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? of death? 2525 Thanks be to God through Thanks be to God through

Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my myself serve the law of God with my

mind, but with my flesh I serve the law mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.of sin.

8:18:1 There is therefore now no There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus. 22 For the law of the life- For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set

you free from the law of sin and death.you free from the law of sin and death.

You see, I told you that promise was even more grand when you know

Paul’s train of thought. Paul admits that there is a struggle going on within every human being, and when we try to win on our own strength we often

get pinned to the mat.

But the greatness of the promise of God’s grace is that even when we fail again, there is no condemnation for

those who are in Christ Jesus. There is security in our relationship with God.

If we are in Christ, we don’t need to wonder if God is angry with us.

““There is therefore now no condemnation There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."for those who are in Christ Jesus." If you have a personal relationship with Jesus,

you don’t need to fear God’s wrath. ““There There is therefore now no condemnation for is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."those who are in Christ Jesus." When God looks at you, He doesn’t see a wretch, He sees a son or daughter.

I am not saying we have a license to sin! No! Far from it! Let’s review what Paul

said two chapters earlier.Romans 6:1Romans 6:1 NET NET What shall we say then? What shall we say then?

Are we to remain in sin so that grace Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? may increase? 22 Absolutely not! How Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?can we who died to sin still live in it?

He goes on to talk about putting our life of sin to death when we join Jesus in

death through Baptism. Then, as Jesus was raised from the dead we come out of the waters of baptism

having put our old sinful life to death so we can then live a new life.

Just because we are living a new life under God’s grace we should live in

obedience that results in righteousness. Romans 8:15 Romans 8:15 NETNET What What

then? Shall we sin because we are not then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely under law but under grace? Absolutely

not! not! 1616 Do you not know that if you Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, present yourselves as obedient slaves,

you are slaves of the one you obey, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or either of sin resulting in death, or

obedience resulting in righteousness? obedience resulting in righteousness? 1717 But thanks be to God that though But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed you were slaves to sin, you obeyed

from the heart that pattern of teaching from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, you were entrusted to, 1818 and having and having

been freed from sin, you became been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.enslaved to righteousness.

This being the case you have avoided the 2nd death, Hell and will receive

the gift of EEternal Lifeternal Life.

Romans 8:20 Romans 8:20 NETNET For when you were For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with slaves of sin, you were free with

regard to righteousness. regard to righteousness. 2121 So what So what benefit did you then reap from those benefit did you then reap from those

things that you are now ashamed of?things that you are now ashamed of?

For the end of those things is death. For the end of those things is death. 2222 But now, freed from sin and enslaved But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal to sanctification, and the end is eternal

life. life. 2323 For the payoff of sin is death, For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in but the gift of God is eternal life in

Christ Jesus our Lord.Christ Jesus our Lord.

The point is we have become slaves of God, hence, we live to serve Him. We

must act like we belong to God and not sin. What needs to happen when

we fail? 1 John 1:9John 1:9 NET NET But if we confess our sins, But if we confess our sins,

he is faithful and righteous, forgiving he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all us our sins and cleansing us from all

unrighteousness.unrighteousness.

You remember the story of the prodigal son. The boy disregarded his father, and then disgraced himself in every

way possible. Dr. Vernon McGee says “Do you know the difference between

the son in that pigpen and the pig? The difference is that no pig has ever said to himself, ’I will arise and go to

my father.’”

He’s right, but a child can do that! And when that dirty, stinking boy came within eyesight of home, His dad was there to

clean Him up and throw Him a party. Paul wants to make sure that you understand that God is just as anxious to throw His

arms around you. ““There is therefore now There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in no condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus."Christ Jesus."

Now let me tell you why this is so important to understand. Because if

the truth be known, there is sometimes condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus. But it never comes from God. It comes from Satan. Do you

know what the word “satan” means in Hebrew? Accuser!

He loves to fool us into believing that we are condemned. He wants to trap us

into believing that we are so wretched that God doesn’t want anything to do with us. He wants us to be like Adam

and Eve in the garden after they sinned. All they wanted to do was hide

from God!

And the truth is, we’ve all been there. We have failed, and kicked ourselves,

and felt condemned. And we have hidden ourselves from God, and

turned away, not because we don’t love Him, but because we are

ashamed.

We have felt like a wretch, and we have listened to Satan tell us that God

condemned us for our sin. But if we were in Christ at the time, then we

were wrong.

A little while back there was a girl who was the daughter of one of the royal families of Europe. She had a big,

round nose that destroyed her beauty in the eyes of others and especially in her own eyes. She grew up with this

terrible image of herself as an ugly person.

So her family hired a plastic surgeon to change the contour of her nose. He

did his work, and there came the moment when they took the bandages

off and the girl could see what happened.

When the doctor removed the bandages, he saw that the operation had been a total success. All the ugly contours were gone. Her nose was different. When the incisions healed

and the rednessdisappeared, she would be a beautiful girl. He held a mirror up for the girl to

see.

But, so deeply embedded was this girl’s ugly image of herself that when she

saw herself in the mirror, she couldn’t see any change. She broke into tears

and cried out, “Oh, I knew it wouldn’t work!”

The doctor labored with that girl for six months before she would finally accept the fact that she was indeed different. But the moment she accepted the fact that she really was different, her whole

behavior began to change.

Paul recognizes a very important truth, that we act according to what we know

we are. If we are deceived into thinking that we are not what God says we are, then we are going to keep on

acting that way. That is why the way to break the power of the most vicious

and evil habit is to see yourself as God sees you.

Then you begin to act that way. Now, how many of you believe the Bible to

be true? I want to find out. Remember, when you say the word “Amen” you

are actually saying a Hebrew word that means “That’s the truth!” In a minute I

am going to read a promise from God’s Word, and I want you to

respond.

If you believe the truth of the promise, then respond by saying “Amen!” (Not wimpy amen) God’s Word proclaims

““There is therefore now no There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."Christ Jesus." Do you believe it?

The challenge that we face, is not to just say that we believe it, but to live like it. Don’t let anything that you have ever done, or will ever do to separate you

from God. A little later in Romans 8Romans 8 Paul asks a very important question that at one time or another is on the mind of

every Christian.

Romans 8:35Romans 8:35 NET NET Who will separate us Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or

nakedness, or danger, or sword? nakedness, or danger, or sword? 3636 As As it is written, "it is written, "For your sake we For your sake we

encounter death all day long; we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be were considered as sheep to be

slaughteredslaughtered."." ((Psalm 44:22Psalm 44:22))

3737 No, in all these things we have complete No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! victory through him who loved us! 3838 For I For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, am convinced that neither death, nor life,

nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor that are present, nor things to come, nor

powers, powers, 3939 nor height, nor depth, nor nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to anything else in creation will be able to

separate us from the love of God in Christ separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.Jesus our Lord.

You see, none of those things can separate us from Him. But when we

are foolish and fail, our tendency is to turn away in shame.

For five weeks beginning today I am preaching from Romans 8Romans 8 on “The “The

Good News about being a Good News about being a Christian.”Christian.”

Nothing else I can ever say could be more important than the one that Paul

begins this great chapter with.

"Therefore, there is now no "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."Christ Jesus." There is never a time

when you will turn toward God and not find his arms extended, waiting for

your return. Why would we ever want to turn away?

Even though we are beginning a series of messages from Romans 8Romans 8, Paul didn’t

begin his train of thought by proclaiming the good news "Therefore, "Therefore,

there is now no condemnation for there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."those who are in Christ Jesus."

He began by proclaiming the bad news that in our natural state, every single person who lives on the face of the

earth is guilty of sin and condemned to death.

Romans 3:23Romans 3:23 NET NET for all have sinned and fall for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:Romans 6:23a 23a NETNET For the payoff of sin is For the payoff of sin is death, death, In our natural state we get what we

deserve. Imperfection brings death.

23b 23b but the gift of God is eternal life in but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.Christ Jesus our Lord.

The bad news is that everyone outside of Christ will suffer the consequences of their

sin.

They will die!They will die!The good news is that God has made a

provision for us to come "into Christ." His will is that every person will come into

Christ. But God does not force His will on us. He gives us free will.

Now we must choose who must guide our lives. Will we live by our own

standards and suffer the consequences. Or will we turn our lives over to God and receive the

promise of Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who is now no condemnation for those who

are in Christ Jesus."are in Christ Jesus."

The time to make that decision is

NOW!NOW!