No Condemnation in Christ Jesus

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Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
— Romans 8:1

“No condemnation.” What life-giving words to us. Right up front it tells us that we were under condemnation at one point, but now, there is no condemnation for us. Not one single ounce of it remains for us. There is no caveat to this news. But the question remains, how did we get here? How are we now under no condemnation? 

The key lies in the words, “in Christ Jesus”. As with many questions we have, much more this one, the answer is Christ. Probably most importantly this one. For without Christ we stand condemned. 

Before Christ we all served the law of sin. Our desire was for sin and we hated God with all our being (Romans 8:7). We were ruled by our flesh and our desire was for our own pleasure. The message of the Cross that is found in Scripture was foolishness to us as Paul says in another place (1 Corinthians 1:18). 

Condemnation


What is this condemnation we were under? Since condemnation seems to be what Paul is focusing in on and how we are free from it, what is it? Let us look to the context. 

Looking back to the beginning, let us look to Romans 1.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). Here we see a little of what this condemnation is. It is God’s righteous indignation against those that are unholy and unrighteous. We see more of how this condemnation is carried out in verses 24 and 25. 

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
— Romans 1:24-25

The condemnation of God is shown to be the giving over of sinners to their lusts, to do whatever they desire in their sinfulness. They foolishly gave up the truth found only in God, for a lie. God’s sovereign and merciful hand is taken away from restraining the evil of man. 

So God gives man over to do exactly what his evil heart desires. This is the condemnation dealt out by God. Man is given over to his desires:

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful. 
— Romans 1:26-31

In that condemnation we were slaves of sin. 

There is no freedom in sin, no matter how much you lie to yourself about it, it is slavery and carrying you down to death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 1:32, 6:23). But in all of this, you are a willing slave, because you hate God. That is your condition, and all of our conditions before Christ. 

Now see the hope here. The mercy here. The grace. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1). 

In Christ Jesus


We’ve seen what kind of condemnation we are under, now let’s turn our attention to the phrase “in Christ Jesus”. 

What does this mean? How do we escape this condemnation and get into Christ Jesus? 

First, what does “in Christ” mean? It is the best way to say you are redeemed by Christ’s perfect and efficacious sacrifice on the Cross, and raised to new life by His once for all resurrection from the dead. We can now say, “I am in Christ”. In His death and resurrection we are brought into a perfect relationship with the Father. Look to this section:


But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
— Romans 3:21-26

This righteousness of God is manifested to us in Christ, the only righteous one. All that the Law and the Prophets spoke of is fulfilled in this one Man, Jesus Christ. He was and is all that they hoped for. In this short article I can’t even go into just how wonderful this is.

In Christ means that we have all the promises of God, right here, right now. In Christ means we have the imputed righteousness of Christ right now, right here. By grace, through the instrument of the gift of faith, we have the gift of justification, the washing of our sins, the redemption from our slavery. Once we were slaves, now we are free to live for God. We have propitiation, God’s wrath against us is turned away by Christ’s sacrifice for a particular people on the Cross—for those that, by grace, believe by faith.

This work of Christ was first to demonstrate the righteousness of God (that sin cannot go unpunished) and to show that He is just, and also the justifier (3:26). And second, to bring us into a right relationship with God, so that we would be adopted into His family forever. 

All of this and more is why we are no longer under condemnation. We are no longer under the wrath of God because we are in Christ Jesus. 

Are you in Christ Jesus?


The question for some is now this: How do I get into Christ? The answer is found in the passage we quoted earlier.

...being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
— Romans 3:24-25

We are justified (declared right before God) by grace through what Christ has done. And just as the Israelites looked to the serpent in the wilderness to be saved (Numbers 21:9, John 3:14), we must look in faith to our only Savior, Jesus, who hung on a cross for our redemption. 

“By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). We are saved not by our faith...but by the work of Christ and the grace of God. It is “through faith” that we are saved, but it is not the cause of our salvation. Our faith is merely the instrument which God uses to bring us into Christ. 

I do not know those that are His sheep. I am called to bring the Gospel to the world, to call on all that I come in contact with to repent. It is God who is the one who draws and saves those that are His (John 6:44, John 10:26-27). 

But the timeless imperative stands: 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
— Matthew 11:28-30

Come to the Savior. True freedom and eternal life are found only in Him. In Christ there is no longer any condemnation.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
— Romans 8:1

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