A man’s life is a weary walk through the dark. A long way back on the trail little lights are shinin’. That’s memory… You’ll never get back to those lights. But they’ll be a comfort to you—in a way.”
–Ernest Haycox (Trouble Shooter)
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
–2 Corinthians 2:4 (NLT)
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“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
–Romans 7:24-8:2 (NKJV)
Romans, that wonderful book of theology written by Paul. In it he tells of the condition of the believer. It is well we remember that the epistles were written to the Church, therefore written to believers. Unbelievers may gain some knowledge, some moral truths, but they cannot comprehend what Paul is saying because they do not have the Spirit of God residing in them.
There are some vital words in this portion of Scripture. This should be a comforting set of verses to the Christian. “Who shall deliver me?” (7:24) to “has made me free” (8:2) Oh, if we look at ourselves we surely can find sin. We find things of which we can condemn ourselves, but–thank the Lord–we are not condemned if we trust in Christ. The key–get this–are the two words, “in Christ.” The unbeliever is not in Christ therefore he is to be condemned. “Now!” notice, because we are in Christ, there is “now no condemnation.” Before a person was born again they were “in Adam” and under condemnation, now, however, the believer is “in Christ.”
Before Christ, those were “wretched” days for sure. The term means “distressed, miserable,” and whenever the believer sins he feels that condemnation. The unbeliever does not feel condemnation unless there is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When we fail to live “in Christ” and in the power of the Spirit we feel this death sentence. Oh my, help me, Lord! We cry and then we rejoice with Paul with the next words–“I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
The Christian is now empowered by the Spirit to live for Christ. I will not go into the spiritual judiciary of these verses, suffice to write, “No condemnation from the law, or on account of inward corruption, or because Satan can substantiate a charge against me; there is none from any source or for any cause at all.” (Arthur Pink) Note, however, those two words again, “in Christ.” We must be in Christ. Matthew and Luke both write regarding the tree that does not bear fruit, “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:9, NKJV) We must bear fruit, that is an indication that we are “in Christ.” We must be like “a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3, NKJV)
No condemnation to those “in Christ.” Pink writes, “To be in Christ Jesus is to be perfectly identified with Him in the judicial reckoning and dealings of God: and it is also to be one with Him as vitally united by faith.” He further states, “Immunity from condemnation does not depend in any-wise upon our ‘walk,’ but solely on our being ‘in Christ.'” Friend take comfort–as long as we remain in Christ we are free from any condemnation that the devil may throw at us or that our mind might prompt us to remember. Stay in Christ, look at the world with His divine biblical perspective and do not get entangled with the evil system of the world.
———————————
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
–Romans 7:24-8:2 (NKJV)
Romans, that wonderful book of theology written by Paul. In it he tells of the condition of the believer. It is well we remember that the epistles were written to the Church, therefore written to believers. Unbelievers may gain some knowledge, some moral truths, but they cannot comprehend what Paul is saying because they do not have the Spirit of God residing in them.
There are some vital words in this portion of Scripture. This should be a comforting set of verses to the Christian. “Who shall deliver me?” (7:24) to “has made me free” (8:2) Oh, if we look at ourselves we surely can find sin. We find things of which we can condemn ourselves, but–thank the Lord–we are not condemned if we trust in Christ. The key–get this–are the two words, “in Christ.” The unbeliever is not in Christ therefore he is to be condemned. “Now!” notice, because we are in Christ, there is “now no condemnation.” Before a person was born again they were “in Adam” and under condemnation, now, however, the believer is “in Christ.”
Before Christ, those were “wretched” days for sure. The term means “distressed, miserable,” and whenever the believer sins he feels that condemnation. The unbeliever does not feel condemnation unless there is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When we fail to live “in Christ” and in the power of the Spirit we feel this death sentence. Oh my, help me, Lord! We cry and then we rejoice with Paul with the next words–“I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
The Christian is now empowered by the Spirit to live for Christ. I will not go into the spiritual judiciary of these verses, suffice to write, “No condemnation from the law, or on account of inward corruption, or because Satan can substantiate a charge against me; there is none from any source or for any cause at all.” (Arthur Pink) Note, however, those two words again, “in Christ.” We must be in Christ. Matthew and Luke both write regarding the tree that does not bear fruit, “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:9, NKJV) We must bear fruit, that is an indication that we are “in Christ.” We must be like “a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3, NKJV)
No condemnation to those “in Christ.” Pink writes, “To be in Christ Jesus is to be perfectly identified with Him in the judicial reckoning and dealings of God: and it is also to be one with Him as vitally united by faith.” He further states, “Immunity from condemnation does not depend in any-wise upon our ‘walk,’ but solely on our being ‘in Christ.'” Friend take comfort–as long as we remain in Christ we are free from any condemnation that the devil may throw at us or that our mind might prompt us to remember. Stay in Christ, look at the world with His divine biblical perspective and do not get entangled with the evil system of the world.