October 8 (Romans 8:1)
There is therefore now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
The eighth
chapter of Romans may be the most beautiful, encouraging, life-giving passage
you will ever read, and it begins with one sentence that captures the sum total
of the human story. It explodes from the
page with the declaration that there is now no condemnation, but for the word “now”
to be necessary, there is the implication that condemnation once existed for
us. Let that sink in a moment. You deserved condemnation by the Lord God of
the universe. I deserved
condemnation. Every human being who has
ever drawn a breath has deserved the condemnation of God. That is our heritage thanks to the sin of
Adam and Eve and compounded by our own daily acts of rebellion.
Go back to that
fantastic adverb “now.” Now, in the era
in which you live, that is no longer the case.
The condemnation is gone. It is
taken away. Is that true for everyone? Well, the opportunity for it to be true exists
for everyone, but to take advantage of the incredible offer of the removal of
God’s condemnation, we must have our life in Jesus Christ. We must have surrendered to Him. We must have confessed our sins and sinful
nature, repented, and been baptized in Him.
We must have become new creatures, allowing His nature to become our
own.
Now, if that
describes you, then read the rest of Romans 8.
When you do, the light of God’s grace will stream through the window of
your heart and illuminate your very soul.
And if you know you have not surrendered to Christ Jesus, despite what
others may think based on your good deeds, read Romans 8 to get a picture of
what the true, real, and genuine life in Him looks like. You will find yourself on your knees, crying
out to Him for such a life, and He will rejoice to give it to you.
O Lord, Your
grace overwhelms me. Nothing is as
beautiful. Nothing means more to
me. I love and praise You with all that
I am! May my life reflect to others the
light of Your glory and grace. In the
name of Jesus Christ, Who has given His life for me and to me, amen.
Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins
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