"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

 What does this verse from Romans 8:1 actually mean? Is it saying anyone who says they know Jesus, believes Jesus existed, confesses out load He was real, a good man, or perhaps even a great prophet and healer.. are therefore acquitted by God from condemnation because of their belief? Not exactly. The Bible tells us even demons know WHO Jesus is and yet they are still condemned (James 2:19) but why, if demons know the truth? And trust me, they not only know Him, they confess who he is! AND STILL, their condemnation is set. See how this is true:

Matthew 8:28-29 "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, Son of God?"  Matthew 8:28-29

Mark 1:23-26 "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?"

Luke 4:33 "I know who You are-the Holy One of God."

Simply "knowing" Jesus, knowing about Jesus, saying you do, or even acknowledging Him as the demons did isn't enough. There is a huge difference in saying you believe in Jesus as opposed to actually following Jesus. Anyone can say they believe in Jesus and never know Him.

Demons know exactly who Jesus is but they don't follow His teachings. There are many who embrace the same belief - they know Jesus, even calling Him Lord but everything stops there. There is no relationship. No intimacy. No obedience. No changes seen in their behavior. In reality, they really don't believe IN Him. If they did, they would believe in His Words and do it. They call Him their Lord, but they don't actually follow Him. Jesus even poses this question, "Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, when you won't do the things that I ask?" (Luke 6:46) Words are cheap and the old cliche, "actions speak louder than words" goes without saying. People who do not obey are not His. Sound harsh? 1 John 2:4 "Whoever says 'I know Him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

The defining message of the New Testament is that Jesus took the punishment for humanities sins on the cross. Therefore, believing followers are rescued from THE CONDEMNATION OF SIN, free from sin and death (Romans 8:2) WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT.

In simple terms, condemnation means being found guilty and sentenced for your sin. Paul is saying from the verse above that for those who truly belong to Christ, God is no longer holding their sins against them as a judge pronouncing a final sentence. Jesus has already paid the penalty for sin through His death and resurrection. This does not mean Christians never sin, make mistakes, or need correction. The Bible teaches that God still disciplines and corrects His children. The difference is that correction comes from a loving Father, while condemnation comes from a judge passing sentence. A believer may feel conviction when they sin—the Holy Spirit showing them what needs to change—but they do not live under the fear of eternal judgment. The word "therefore" is important. In the previous chapters of Romans, Paul describes humanity's struggle with sin and even his own frustration: "The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." After describing that battle, he points to Jesus as the solution. Then he declares: "Therefore"—because of what Christ has done—there is now no condemnation for those in Him.

One way to think about it is this: Condemnation says: "You are guilty, hopeless, and rejected. "Conviction says: "You did wrong, but come back to God and be restored." For someone who is in Christ, following His path, God sees them through the righteousness of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5: 21). Their standing before God is based on what Christ accomplished, not on their own perfection. A beautiful companion verse is John: "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." The heart of Romans 8:1 is this: If you belong to Jesus, your failures do not have the final word. God's grace does. You may stumble, but you are not condemned. You may be corrected, but you are not rejected. Now, let's look at those who confess Jesus is Jesus with their mouth, perhaps they have answered an altar call confessing to others they were saved (as opposed to actually following Jesus) and recklessly and in ignorance continue any lifestyle they wish rom then on out?

Believing vs Following:

Can someone knowingly continue in sin because they think salvation guarantees immunity from consequences? Paul addressed that very idea in Romans: "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." Paul's answer is emphatic. Grace is not permission to sin! Rather, grace is the power and motivation to leave sin behind. A useful distinction is this: a true believer may struggle with sin and a true believer will not be comfortable in sin. Ever! King David fell into serious sin, but he was miserable until he repented. Peter denied Christ, but he wept bitterly and returned. In both cases, there was conviction and repentance. The New Testament repeatedly warns against those who turn God's grace into a license for sinful living. Jude speaks of people who "turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness" (using grace as an excuse for sin). Believing requires following. "Take up your cross and follow me" Jesus said (Matthew 6:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). Jesus actually states that anyone who does not take up their cross is not worthy of Him. Most Christians would agree on this point: No biblical doctrine of salvation gives a person permission to live in deliberate, ongoing, unrepentant sin. If someone says, "I can sin all I want because I'm saved," they are thinking in a way that the apostles repeatedly condemned. This is often the mindset "once saved always saved." This is a grave error.   These two things are truths held by the followers of Jesus: salvation is God's gift and cannot be earned by our works. And most importantly I am stressing that genuine faith produces a changed life, repentance, and perseverance. Christ did not die to give us freedom to sin; He died to give us freedom from sin. In other words, genuine faith of true FOLLOWER'S is expected to produce repentance, obedience, and spiritual fruit—not perfection, but evidence that Christ is truly Lord of a person's life.

A person can believe, or say they do, but without following Jesus is the same thing the Bible describes as "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). There's more to explain this, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead." A person can say they believe to their hearts content but if there are no works (works here does not mean labor or anything you yourself contribute like being good, when you tithe, going to church, giving to charities). WORKS are the fruits that manifest themselves proving you follow Jesus. Simply, works will follow the true believer proving real change. True saving faith is dynamic and naturally produces fruit and love for others. Even good deeds mentioned above do not earn salvation. The evidence of a genuine faith shows up as CHANGE. Here are some examples of that change:

1. Sin is no longer pleasurable. In fact it will seem disgusting to you now.

2. You will have a true desire to obey and follow Christ's teaching.

3. You develop a prayer life to stay in contact with God.

4. You reject the way you used to conduct and live your sinful life and you turn from it.

5. You begin to understand true forgiveness and wish no harm to those who have injured you in the past.

6. You'll be drawn by a desire to read and understand God's Word and love it.

Eventually these things manifest as "fruit." You will produce fruits of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and the big one-self-control. In other words, you become like Jesus' character.

God's grace is freely given, and genuine faith responds by producing fruit. A verse that comes to mind is from Psalm 119:105: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." It doesn't illuminate the entire journey at once, but it gives enough light for the next step.  Genuine faith is expected to produce repentance, obedience, and spiritual fruit—not perfection, but evidence that Christ is truly Lord of a person's life. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-