Romans Chapter 8

Two Types of Condemnation

Chapter 8, Verse 1

Rom. 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 

There are two types of condemnation taught in the scriptures: eternal condemnation and timely condemnation.  To be eternally condemned means to end up being cast into the lake of fire of God's eternal judgment at the end of this time world because of sin.   

Timely condemnation means a conviction of heart or mind due to ungodly actions.  Examples of timely condemnation are set forth in the following verses of scripture: 

1.  Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." 

2.  Rom 14:23 "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." 

3.  James 5:9 "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door." 

4.  1 John 3:20 "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God."         

Paul is speaking about those that are in Christ Jesus.  In the book of Ephesians he points out to us how the elect got to be in Christ Jesus and numerous blessings that come upon them because they are in Christ Jesus: 

1.  Eph. 1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." 

2.  Eph. 1:11 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." 

3.  Eph. 2:4 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." 

4.  Eph. 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." 

5.  Eph. 2: 13 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." 

6.  Eph. 2:20 "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."                  

7.  Eph. 3:11 "According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." 

A born-again elect child of God can walk in two different ways.  He can walk after the flesh or he can walk after the Spirit.  In the scriptures, "to walk," means "to live your life."  To walk after the flesh is to live your life after the desires of the flesh.  To walk after the Spirit is to live your life after the leadership of the Spirit.  We are told to "walk by faith and not by sight."  To walk by faith is to live your life by faith in the word of God and the leadership of the Spirit.  To walk by sight is to live your life by following after the fleshly desires.   

There is no eternal condemnation to any of the elect, who were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.  Paul writes and asks the question in Rom. 8:33 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."  Christ died that all the elect would be justified before the eyes of a just and holy God.  There is no charge that can be levied against them before God.  Christ has satisfied all the demands of divine justice.  There is nothing that the elect can do that will change their position of being justified before God eternally. 

Two Natures

The born-again child of God has two natures.  Outwardly, he has the nature of the flesh and inwardly, he has the nature of the Spirit.  Paul spoke of a warfare that each born-again child of God must endure: Gal. 5:16 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."  When a person walks in the Spirit, he does not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  Therefore, he is not condemned with timely condemnation.  If, however, he walks in the flesh his heart will condemn him in the courtroom of his heart and mind.  He will be convicted of his sins committed while walking in the flesh.  The timely release for him then is to repent and ask God to forgive him and cleanse his heart from sin guiltiness, which he has promised that he will do.   

Chapter 2, Verse 2

Two Laws

Rom. 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."           

Two laws are set forth in the above scripture: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and the law of sin and death.  Furthermore, Paul said that the first law had set him free from the second law.  In order to understand how the first law set him free (and also set us free) from the second law we need to understand what the second law is and how that we were in bondage to the second law.         

The law of sin and death is the name given to the commandment God gave to Adam in the Garden of Eden: Gen. 2:16 "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."  What God told Adam is that if you sin you die.  Thus, it is the law of sin and death.  When Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he brought himself under the penalty (or curse) of the law of sin and death.  Furthermore, he brought all of his posterity under the same penalty as we examined in Rom. 5:12-21.           

Through Adam's transgression, he and all his posterity were brought under the effects of the law of sin and death.  Because of that sin, we were brought under the condemnatory wrathful judgment of God.  In addition, the nature of man changed from a state of innocence to a state of total depravity, such as we examined in Rom. 3:9-20.  We were under the bondage of the law of sin and death.  This bondage included not being able to seek after God, not being able to understand the things of the Spirit of God, and not being able to worship God in Spirit and in truth. It also included not being able to fear God, not being able to do any good, not being able to fellowship with God, and not being able to cease from sin.        

Called into Life

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus delivered us from the bondage of the law of sin and death.  First, let us see what the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is.  The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus flows from the covenant of redemption: Rom. 8:29, 30, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."  In the covenant of redemption, all that God chose before the world began are called into Spiritual life.  This calling into Spiritual life is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.  This calling into Spiritual life is only to those who are chosen in Christ before the world began (Eph. 1:4).           

The calling of God in the New Birth gives us spiritual life and with this spiritual life we are able to understand the things of the Spirit of God, we are able to seek after God, we have the fear of God, we are now able to worship God in Spirit and in truth, and we are able to bear the fruit of the Spirit.  We are also able to mortify the deeds of the flesh and we are able to fellowship with God.  It is in this manner that we are made free from the law of sin and death.  We still possess the nature of the flesh, yet we are given a new nature in the spiritual birth, that has freed us from the bondage of the old nature.