How rich and marvelous are the blessings God has given us in Christ! Even now we have forgiveness of sins, acceptance, union with Christ; we are children of God, justified from all things; we have the Holy Ghost as a seal and earnest; and here we are told, that to us who are in Christ Jesus there is now NO CONDEMNATION. In the previous chapters the apostle has been looking at man in every possible condition, as fallen in Adam, as without law, as under law, as having sin in him. In every view, man is a sinner―a justly condemned creature. In the fifth chapter man is shown to be under the power of death, because of sin, as connected with the first Adam. We read, “As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” And again, “As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.” Thus we are plainly taught our fallen condition as connected with the first man. Thank God, we have righteousness and life in another. In the sixth chapter the whole nature of man is, contemplated as unclean; so bad in God’s account as only fit for judgment, and putting out of His sight by death and burial. This is met by the death and burial of Christ. Our old man is crucified in Christ, our Substitute; His resurrection from the dead shows us our perfect freedom. The cross of Christ shows us that we have virtually and judicially died in another, the “old man” judged, and set aside―buried; so that to “reckon ourselves to have died indeed unto sin, and alive unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ;” in other words, to have died already, the old man buried out of sight, and having the present possession of eternal life. The gift of God is eternal life. In the seventh chapter man is looked at as under law―guilty and exposed to condemnation as a transgressor of God’s commands. This, too, is met by the cross of Christ. If the misery of the conscience of a quickened soul cries out under a sense of its guilt, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” the answer is found in looking entirely outside self, away from all experience and feelings of every kind to Christ; then the soul finds that God has met its need in all its terrible guilt and misery in the death of Christ, and His resurrection giving us the assurance of sin judged, condemned, and put away, fills the soul with praise. Hence the answer is, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” It is Christ in His atoning work, and He alone, that gives the troubled soul peace. Experience never gives peace; faith in the salvation which God has provided through our Lord Jesus Christ always does.
Thus it is that there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. We may condemn much in ourselves, and others may condemn us, and God, as our Father, may have questions with us as to our walk; but as to our person, He declares that we who are in Christ are justified. Even now He does not condemn us; and He elsewhere declares that we shall not come into condemnation. (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).) How happy this should make us; how full of joy and peace we should be, if our minds were thus simply stayed upon God, who gives us in His word such ground of everlasting consolation and good hope; but all, all through grace.
But what are we to understand by being in Christ Jesus? Is it not accepting Christ, who was dead, and is alive again, as God’s only ground of salvation? Is it not taking refuge in Him whose blood cleanseth from all sin? Was not Noah quite safe in the ark, while condemnation fell on all those who were outside? Were not the Israelites safe under shelter of the blood sprinkled on the lintel and door posts of their houses, while death and judgment entered every house where the blood was not? Was not the manslayer, guilty as he was, and exposed to the judgment that pursued him, perfectly free, and delivered from condemnation, the moment he entered the gate of the city of refuge? And so now the distinction is equally clear, that those who rely upon the precious blood of Christ are safe, not condemned, secure from coming wrath; for they have accepted God’s salvation, God’s only way of deliverance. Hence it is written, that “being NOW JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM” (Rom. 5:99Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9).)
The law, good and holy as it was, was the ministration of death. It demanded obedience, perfect obedience, but could not give life. Christ could, and did, give life, and this is God’s gift― “The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” There was nothing in us as fallen in Adam, and under sin, to meet the requirements of law; therefore we are told, “What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, CONDEMNED SIN IN THE FLESH.” This tells us that the judgment of God fell on another—God’s own Son—instead of us; therefore divine justice is satisfied, and this is why, as we have seen before, that “there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” Being now delivered from the law, the spiritual man, having life and liberty, aims to follow Christ, and in so doing we go far beyond what the law contemplated; but in that path the righteousness of the law is fulfilled IN us, in our hearts, because we love God, and love our neighbor. Knowing Christ as our righteousness, and rejoicing in Him, our hearts go out in love to God and those around us; and this is love; this is Christ-like; this is walking in the Spirit. Thus “the righteousness of the law is fulfilled IN us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”