ROMANS 8: THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: Part 2

Now that we know how chapter seven of Romans ended, which reveals the most powerful dilemma that all Christians have to face, we can now move onto chapter eight which gives us God’s way to deal with that dilemma once and for all.

But before we do that we should remind ourselves exactly what hat dilemma is. It’s the dilemma of wanting to live for Christ but unable to do so because of the power of sin still has control over us. We want to do what God wants but we find ourselves doing sinful things. We hate the sinful things that we do but still we are attracted to it and fall prey to their temptation.

But chapter eight is all about good news, hope and faith that God is not only able to deliver us but has already established the way to that victory over sin.

And in doing so Romans 8 starts off with one major liberating declaration. Let’s read for ourselves what that liberating declaration is.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

I love the way the Apostle Paul put it, “… now no condemnation…”. The truth is that we all live in the here and now but before we can get to the “NOW” we first had to go through the “BEFORE”.

The life we now have in Christ does not consist of any condemnation from God. For God’s people we now live a condemnation free life. But the life we had before was filled with God’s condemnation. All of us, right down to last one of us, was a condemned sinner to hell.

But we really need understand how condemned we truly were? By developing a thorough understanding of the depths of our former condemnation we will gain a greater appreciation for the amazing declaration we now have of:

NO CONDEMNATION!

THREE LEVELS OF CONDEMNATION:

Level 1: We are condemned because we are part of Adam’s seed.

“So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteious act there is justification leading to life for everyone. For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:18,19

We are condemned because the human race (Adam’s seed) has been condemned. Adam and Eve is the beginning point of the entire human race and through Adam’s sin everyone is condemned.

Now I know what some of you are thinking! You’re thinking, “That Doesn’t Sound Fair”. You’re thinking that it isn’t fair that you should suffer because of something your relative did way back before you were ever born. Now that would be a great subject to study but not now because there isn’t enough time. But for now let me say that our condemnation isn’t just because Adam was our relative. We are also condemned:

Level 2: Because we too are sinners.

“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

To an even greater degree condemnation has come to all of us because each of us joined in on the sinning. I can’t blame my parents, my siblings or my friends. I am a sinner because I chose to sin. I chose to hate, I chose to lie, I chose to lust. These are my sins and no one else is to blame for them.

But then there’s a third level of condemnation that only some will experience. But it is a condemnation that is of an even greater intensity than either level one or level two combined. But is that level?

Level 3: Because you have rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.” John 3:17-18

Here’s the point to get from this passage. Those people who have had the privilege of hearing the wonderful and amazing gospel message and rejected are also condemned. However, in the book of Hebrews there is some indication that their condemnation might be more severe than others who have never heard the gospel.

Here’s the truth about your life before you knew Jesus as your Lord and savior:

YOU WERE CONDEMNED TO HELL!

But now that you know Jesus God the Father has a new pronouncement:

NO CONDEMNATION - NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT!

God is no longer condemning you and he is not even look for a reason to condemn you. In the eyes of the Heavenly Court with God the Father as the Righteous Judge you have been declared free!

ISN’T THAT AMAZING!

Before you came to Christ you were sinking and drowning in a sea of sin and you were helpless and hopeless to do anything about it. You had been condemned to hell and you were just waiting for the Last Day, the Day of Judgement when that sentence of condemnation would be executed. But then something amazing happened. God the Father stood up in the Heavenly courtroom and declared:

NOT CONDEMNED BUT JUSTIFIED.

The Why? and How? We will learn as we go through this chapter. But for now just marvel in amazement that God has declared you no longer condemned.

Click Here To Check Out Part 1 Of This Blog Series:

Disciple Are Made - Not Just Born Again

Disciples are made, not just born again! Now that’s an interesting statement and one that really needs to be looked at closely. At one angle the statement seems completely contrary to what we know about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “… you must be born again …”? Of course He did! And what Jesus says is absolute truth! So, then the statement “Disciples Are Made - Not Just Born Again” is false! Or is it?

Didn’t Jesus also say in Matthew 28:18-20 as part of the Great Commission to, “… Go and make disciples …”? Notice the emphasis I am placing on the word, “MAKE”. Again, of course He did! And also, once again, what Jesus says is absolutely truth!

How then do we look at the original statement, “Disciples Are Made - Not Just Born Again”? Simply by just saying that it is true and must be accepted!

The real question then deals with how to understand and harmonize both parts of the statement so that it can guide us into complete obedience to Christ and His mission.

First, let’s take a closer look at what Jesus says about being born again. The statement is found in Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus in the Gospel of John 3:1-21. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to talk with Jesus and get more information from Jesus about the things of God. Nicodemus starts off his discourse with a statement he believed to be true about Jesus. He says,

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God was with him.” (v.2)

Jesus then jumps right in there with this teaching about the need to be born again and how that experience is the entrance into being part of the kingdom of God. The born again experience is the essential step that every person must take if they are going to enter into the Kingdom of God. Without taking that step one cannot enter.

After some questioning and answering back and forth by Jesus and Nicodemus, Jesus finally explains that the way one experiences this born again experience is through believing in Him, the Son of God. This is the place where we read one of the most memorized scriptures in the Bible,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever, believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

God grace of salvation, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in Him alone is how one experiences this born again experience.

But in Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus wasn’t talking about the born again experience! He wasn’t talking about the initial step that brings them into the Kingdom of God. No. Jesus was giving His final words of instructions before He leaves this world and goes back to Heaven to wait for the time of His return. Jesus is talking about the final product that is to be produced in those who come to faith in Him.

Jesus was teaching Nicodemus how to get started but Jesus was instructing His apostles about what the final outcome would be for those who come and receive that born again experience. The verses in John 3 talk about the beginnings the verses in Matthew 28 talk about the goal.

The born again experience is the first step in the disciple making process but it is also not the final step. The goal of Jesus is to make him more and more disciples - not just more and more people being born again. While it is very true one cannot become a disciple of Jesus unless they are born again, it is also true that one cannot be a fully devoted follower of Christ by just being born again.

While John 3 brings a person to the first of salvation through faith, Matthew 28 reminds us that being a fully devoted disciple of Jesus requires us to take additional steps of obedience.

If we are striving to be fully devoted followers of Christ are going to be obedient we must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost so they can hear and believe in Jesus and thereby receive that born again experience. But we must also recognize that that there is still much more to do if we are going to be obedient to Christ command and commission in Matthew 28. We must baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and we must teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded.

It is through the sharing of the Gospel, baptizing into the faith and instruction resulting in obedience that disciples are made.

Understanding The Two Parts Of God's Mission

In today's Missional Living Devotional you are going to learn about the two parts to God's mission. Jesus himself identified these two parts as he was explaining why He had come to this world.  Basically the mission of God is a SEARCH & RESCUE mission.  Watch this video to learn more and how it applies to your life and purpose.