There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2
Romans 8 is one of those chapters sadly misinterpreted by many. It is the final words, summary, and conclusions, of Paul on what he just wrote about salvation in chapters 1-7: “There is therefore”. “Therefore”, because or based on what Paul just said in the first seven chapters, he is concluding and summarizing that there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.
Lest anyone miss the correct interpretation, that of a comparison between the lost and the saved, Paul states this context in verse 9.
Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Being dead to the law in Christ, the law cannot condemn us; the law has no power to condemn dead men.
We were also sealed with the Holy Spirit as our guarantee, the earnest, of our salvation.
Ephesians 1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
2 Corinthians 5:5-8 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Being dead to the law, the law having no power to condemn us, all things are lawful for us; however, this is not a license to sin. All the saved will have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ that not only our lives but every thought we ever had.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
All things lawful, but not allowed by Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
So here we have two restrictions on what we are to do. All must be expedient to our purpose of glorifying God and ministering the gospel of salvation to the lost; all must be edifying: enlightening, or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement.
We are saved or lost forever; there is no getting out of either.
Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
Once saved, always saved is our liberty in Christ; we are at liberty from the fear of death and condemnation.
James 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
1 Peter 2:15-16 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
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