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“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1 (NASB)
Let us look at what the Word of God says. Romans 8:1–4 is one of the most powerful passages in the New Testament for those who are struggling with guilt, fear, repeated failure, or a sense of spiritual defeat. The central declaration is this:
> “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
> For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
> For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
> so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
> — Romans 8:1–4 (NASB)
The lyrics you have before you are simply a musical proclamation of this passage:
This song is not mere encouragement. It is a declaration of a legal, spiritual reality. It is a proclamation of what God has already accomplished in Christ. Many Christians live as though Romans 7 were their permanent address—struggling, failing, crying, “O wretched man that I am.” Romans 8 announces the new address: “No condemnation… in Christ Jesus.”
To understand this, we must first see where these words come from and what they mean.
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Romans is Paul’s most systematic presentation of the gospel. In chapters 1–3 he proves that all humanity—Jew and Gentile—is guilty before God. In chapter 4 he shows that justification has always been by faith, using Abraham as the example. Chapter 5 unfolds the results of justification: peace with God, access to grace, hope of glory.
Then in chapters 6–7 Paul addresses the problem of sin in the believer’s life. Chapter 6 emphasizes: we have died to sin with Christ and risen to newness of life. Yet chapter 7 exposes a tension: even a sincere believer who wants to do what is right finds another law at work in his members, bringing him into bondage.
We hear Paul’s cry at the end of Romans 7:
> “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”
> — Romans 7:24
He answers his own cry:
> “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
> — Romans 7:25
But the explanation of that deliverance is Romans 8. The “therefore” at the beginning of Romans 8:1 links the desperate struggle of chapter 7 with the glorious liberty of chapter 8. Paul has described the believer trying to keep the Law by the power of the flesh and failing. Now he announces the new realm in which the believer lives—the realm of the Spirit.
When Paul says, “There is therefore now no condemnation,” he is speaking as a man who knew the Law, who had tried to keep it with all his religious zeal, and who had failed. He is speaking as a man who had persecuted the church, consented to Stephen’s death, and had every reason to be crushed by guilt. But he had met the risen Christ, and the verdict of heaven over his life had changed.
He is writing to believers in Rome—some Jewish, some Gentile—living in the capital of a pagan empire, surrounded by idolatry, immorality, and persecution. Many were struggling with sin, fear, and the pressure of religious legalism. Romans 8 was written to set them free into a new kind of life: life in the Spirit.
The song lyrics summarize this shift:
We are not dealing with a theory; we are dealing with God’s answer to the most basic human problem: guilt, sin, and death.
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### 1) “Condemnation” – *Katákrima* (κατάκριμα)
The word translated “condemnation” in Romans 8:1 is katákrima. It comes from the verb *katakrinō* (κατακρίνω), “to judge against, to sentence, to condemn.” *Katákrima* is not just a feeling of guilt; it is a judicial verdict. It means:
So when Paul says, “no condemnation,” he is saying:
This deals not only with our emotions, but with our standing in the courtroom of heaven. Many Christians confess their sins but go on living as though they were still under sentence. The Scripture says the opposite: the sentence has been cancelled for those in Christ. The penalty has been borne. The courtroom has already convened and the verdict has already been given—over Christ, and in Him, over you.
### 2) “Law of the Spirit of life” and “law of sin and of death” – *Nómos* (νόμος)
The word “law” in Romans 8:2 is nómos. It can refer to:
Here Paul uses “law” in this second sense:
> “For the law (*nómos*) of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law (*nómos*) of sin and of death.”
> — Romans 8:2
He is describing two opposing spiritual principles:
1. The law of sin and of death
This is the spiritual force at work in fallen humanity. It is a principle that:
2. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
This is the new principle introduced by the Holy Spirit:
Think of it this way: the law of gravity constantly pulls you downward. But there is another “law”—aerodynamic lift—that can overcome gravity and cause an airplane to rise. Gravity does not cease to exist, but a higher law supersedes it.
In the same way, the law of sin and death has not disappeared from this fallen world. But for those in Christ Jesus, a higher law is at work—the law of the Spirit of life. The Holy Spirit is not just a comforter; He is a liberating power that sets us free from sin’s dominion.
This deepens the lyrics:
The “power” here is the law, the operative principle, of the Spirit of life, overcoming the law of sin and death.
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### Verse 1
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”
This is almost a direct quotation of Romans 8:1. Notice the key word: “now.”
Also, “for those who belong to Christ Jesus” echoes Paul’s phrase “in Christ Jesus.” To be “in Christ” means:
This is positional truth. Before we talk about victory in experience, we must see what God has declared in the courtroom of heaven. In Adam, we were condemned. In Christ, we are acquitted, justified, accepted.
Other scriptures confirm this:
Satan is called “the accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10). His primary weapon against believers is condemnation—reminding them of their past, their failures, their shortcomings. But the Word of God answers him: “No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” The blood of Jesus does not cover sins partially; it removes guilt completely for those who repent and believe.
### Chorus
“For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.”
This chorus declares the dynamic of freedom. Notice the two powers:
This is Romans 8:2 in simple form. Paul is not saying that we free ourselves by self-effort. He is saying that the Holy Spirit does in us what we could never do by our own willpower.
Cross references:
Sin is not merely a series of bad actions. It is a spiritual power—a “law.” You do not break free from a law by trying harder. You are set free when a higher law comes into operation. That higher law is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Many believers live as if Romans ended at chapter 7: they keep trying in their own strength to be holy, and they fail repeatedly. Then they condemn themselves and believe the devil’s lies. Romans 8 proclaims: there is another way. Not self-effort, but Spirit-empowered living.
This is spiritual warfare at a deep level. The battlefield is your mind and your inner man. Satan says: “You are still a slave. You will never be free. Your past defines you.” The Holy Spirit says: “You are free in Christ. The power of sin is broken. You are no longer under its dominion.”
### Verse 2
“The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature.”
This corresponds to Romans 8:3:
> “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did…”
The “law of Moses” here is the Torah—the commandments, ordinances, and sacrifices given through Moses. The Law is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12). But it could not save. Why?
“Flesh” (*sarx*) in Paul’s writings often means our fallen, Adamic nature—the nature that is self-centered, rebellious, unable to submit to God. The Law is like a perfect mirror. It shows us the dirt on our face, but it has no power to cleanse us. It can diagnose the disease but cannot cure it.
Other scriptures agree:
Legalism is the attempt to obtain righteousness by observing rules, regulations, and religious duties. It always fails because it depends on the flesh. The harder you try in your own strength, the more you discover your weakness. That is Romans 7.
So the lyrics rightly say: “The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature.” The problem is not the Law. The problem is our nature.
### Chorus (Second Time)
“But God put into effect a different plan to save us.”
This is the heart of the gospel. Romans 8:3–4 says:
> “…God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
> so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Notice the contrast:
“He condemned sin in the flesh.” The judgment that rightly belonged to us fell on Jesus. God took our sin and laid it upon His Son. God passed sentence—not on you, but on sin in the body of Jesus.
This is substitution. This is the cross.
Isaiah had seen it centuries before:
Now look at the result:
> “…so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us…”
God did not abolish the righteousness of the Law. He fulfilled it—in us, not by our effort, but by uniting us with Christ and filling us with His Spirit. As we walk “according to the Spirit,” the very righteous standard of the Law is expressed in our lives.
The “different plan” to save us is not another law, another set of rules. It is a Person—the Son of God—and another Person—the Holy Spirit—working in us what we could never produce for ourselves.
### Outro
“No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.”
The song ends where Scripture begins: with the proclamation of the verdict.
You must see that this is not wishful thinking. It is a finished fact based on the blood of Jesus and the righteousness of God’s throne. God cannot contradict His own verdict. If He has declared you righteous in Christ, then any voice that declares you condemned—if you are walking in the light and confessing your sins—is a lying voice.
This is why Revelation 12:11 says:
> “And they overcame him [the accuser] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony…”
We overcome condemnation when:
1. We rely on the blood of the Lamb (what Jesus has done).
2. We agree with God’s Word in our testimony (what we say).
3. We do not cling to our own life (we surrender self).
The song is a “word of testimony,” a spoken declaration of what God says about those in Christ.
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This truth is not merely to be admired; it is to be applied. Let me give you several clear steps.
### 1) First, we must accept God’s verdict, not our feelings
Many believers measure their standing with God by how they feel after they have failed. That is a snare. Your standing is not based on your emotions; it is based on the finished work of Christ and your faith in Him.
When condemnation comes, answer it with Romans 8:1:
Say aloud: “There is now no condemnation for me, because I am in Christ Jesus.” You are not lying; you are agreeing with God.
### 2) Second, we must shift from self-effort to Spirit-dependence
The Law exposes the futility of self-effort. The Spirit introduces a new way of living.
Practically, this means:
The law of the Spirit of life is activated when you yield. The more you yield, the more you experience freedom.
### 3) Third, we must renounce legalism and embrace grace
Legalism often masquerades as holiness, but it is rooted in pride: “I can do it.” Grace humbles us: “Only God can do it in me, and He has done it through Christ.”
Renouncing legalism includes:
This does not produce laziness. True grace trains us to deny ungodliness (Titus 2:11–12). But the motivation is different: we obey because we are accepted, not in order to be accepted.
### 4) Fourth, we must wage warfare with proclamation
Condemnation is a weapon of the enemy. You must answer it with God’s Word on your lips.
Build personal proclamations from Romans 8:1–4. Speak them regularly, especially when under attack. Faith comes by hearing, and that includes hearing your own voice speak God’s Word.
For example:
This is not “positive thinking.” It is biblical confession—saying the same thing as God says.
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### Proclamation
Say this aloud, carefully and deliberately:
> **I proclaim that there is therefore now no condemnation for me, because I am in Christ Jesus.
> The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and of death.
> What the Law could not do, because my flesh was weak, God has done.
> He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin.
> In the body of Jesus, God has condemned sin once and for all.
> Therefore, the righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled in me,
> as I choose not to walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
> I reject every voice of accusation and every spirit of condemnation,
> and I agree with the verdict of heaven:
> I am justified, accepted, and made righteous in Christ Jesus.**
### Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You that You took my sin, my guilt, and my condemnation on Yourself at the cross. I thank You that the sentence that should have fallen on me fell on You. Father, I choose to accept Your verdict: no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
Holy Spirit, I acknowledge that in my flesh I am weak and unable to please God. I renounce self-effort and legalism. I ask You now to take full control of my life—my mind, my emotions, my will. Activate in me the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Set me free in experience from the law of sin and death.
I bring every accusation of the enemy to the cross. I silence every condemning voice by the blood of Jesus and by the Word of God. Teach me to walk each day according to the Spirit, that the righteous requirement of the Law may be fulfilled in me to the glory of God.
I receive, by faith, complete forgiveness, complete cleansing, and complete acceptance in Christ. And I declare: there is no condemnation for me, because I am in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
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