Mackay, Harold G: Romans 8;1 ~ Romans 8;1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Now we are going to just concentrate on the first half of the verse tonight. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Good many years ago, when, uh, I was in the process of trying to acquire a little bit of education, uh, our teacher, in what was called in those distant days, grammar, used to give us an exercise in distinguishing between what was called in Canada simple and complex statements or sentences. Now, I don't know what they call them today, don't know how they go about it, but back in those, uh, distant days, we had the exercise of taking what the teacher called a complex statement, and stripping it down until we came to the simple sentence. And then we were taught that the simple sentence contained the very heart of the message that was in the sentence, and that everything was added to that simple sentence, uh, amplified it, expanded it, and possibly helped you to, uh, understand it a little better. I was thinking of that in connection with our verse. Now, suppose we were to do that. I think we'd find the simple sentence in the first part of Romans chapter eight and verse one is this: There is no condemnation. That's the simple statement that you find here. There is no condemnation. I don't think that you could take out any other word without leaving it either meaningless or change the meaning of it. If you left out the word no, of course you'd completely alter the meaning of it. If you left out any other word, you wouldn't have a complete sentence. But here we have a statement from God that we do well to consider tonight. There is no condemnation. Now, if you and I had begun reading tonight at the first of this epistle, epistle of Paul to Romans, I think by the time we came to this statement, we'd have been ready to protest. We certainly would have been quite surprised, because we would have noticed that the first three chapters, practically all of them, at least down to the nineteenth verse of the third chapter, has taken up with proving that there is condemnation, there is judgment. And in those opening chapters of this great book, the whole human race is looked at, is divided into three segments. There is, first of all, the heathen, those people who do not have the, any written knowledge of the true God. And they are spoken of, and they're looked at, and their sins are pointed out. The fact that they are not a sinless people is made abundantly clear. I remember years ago, when I was subscribing to a certain religious magazine, uh, published in these United States, I remember that in the question and answer section, on one occasion, there appeared a question something like this: What about the innocent heathen who have never heard about Christ? Well, the person who was answering that, uh, uh, question and the other questions in that, uh, uh, part of the magazine, uh, began with raising this question: Where would you find any innocent heathen? And then, having, uh, pointed out the error of that, went ahead and dealt with the rest of the question. And that's a good question. Where would you find any innocent heathen? Where would you find any people of mature years, that is, who have reached the years of accountability, who are innocent in the correct sense of that term? They're just not to be found. And so, in this great epistle, the heathen, who have never received the written revelation of the gospel, are dealt with, and their sins are pointed out, as made abundantly clear that they are a sinful people, and they're living in sin. Not only that, but it's pointed out that while they do not have a written gospel, part of the Bible, they have a message, a message that they can learn enough about God that will lead them out of their darkness and their ignorance. And that, of course, is a great message that is proclaimed in the book of nature that can be read by all. Then after they are dealt with, there's another class of, uh, people, part of the human race, and they're spoken of. Not the actual heathens in the sense that we use that term, but people that are living good, moral, respectable lives. Not any particular profession of religion, but just, uh, good, respectable people according to human standards, and they're dealt with. And it's point out that these people too, in spite of their respectability, they too have sin, and they too have something that is the voice of God to them, and the voice of God as such is conscience. Conscience illuminated by the word of God. But then there's a third section of the human race dealt with, and that is particularly the Jewish people. But the Jewish people there are set forth as representing those who do have the revelation of God, who have a religion that at beginning was of God. And each one of these classes, the segment of the human race, is dealt with at length in these opening chapters of our epistles. And then there's a conclusion reached, the balances that were struck, and you find that the nineteenth verse of chapter three. and it says there, now we know that whatsoever things the law says, except of them under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. The margin of my Bible, at least, reads that all the world may become subject to the judgment of God. That's the meaning of it. That's actually the meaning of guilty. If a man's proven guilty in court, all the evidence is brought in, and there's no question whatsoever about the man's guilt, he's subject to judgment. And that is what God says in that nineteenth verse of chapter three. The evidence has all been brought in. It's all been good, as we keep at it. Now, look at the verse. God says, there is now, there is now no judgment for them that are in Christ. God has settled it now. You don't wait till the judgment day. You don't find out then. You can know it now because it's true now. And because it's true, right here and now, and because God has said it, then you can know it now. How much better? How much wiser? And oh, how much happier and more restful it makes you to know now that there's no judgment. Why go on running that terrible risk? Because if you were perfectly honest, and you sat down even with your limited ability to do so, if you sat down and began to record what you know to be wrong and what you know to be right, you'd be scrambling around to find a little longer list for what you know is good. And you'd be amazed at how quickly that list was growing where you're recording the wrong that you had done, the things that were sinful that you had done. That would be growing at an alarming rate, and you'd be doing your best to try and get the other list to catch up to, and you'd be failing. But that would even be with your limited ability to do that, with your limited knowledge of what is wrong and what is right. Think of when God does. But now, instead of all that uncertainty and all of that danger and that fear, how good it is that there is now, right at this moment, there is no judgment to them that are in Christ Jesus. If it were within my power, certainly is not. But if it were in my power to go around through this company here tonight and put a tag on everyone that is in Christ Jesus. Of course, I'd never attempt that. I couldn't do it, but just imagine that I could. Suppose in some mysterious way, God gave me the ability to look into your heart, and I saw real faith in Christ there. Suppose God gave me the ability to look beneath the surface, and I saw that you had been born again, that you were therefore in Christ Jesus, and with that mysterious power that God gives to no one. But with that mysterious power, I recognized that you're in Christ Jesus, and I put a tag on you. Then the rest of you would all give a look over the company, and you could see who was in crisis. And looking down at those people with a tag on, you'd be able to say, well, he's never going to be condemned. He's never going to be condemned. He's never going to be condemned. And you yourself, looking at that tag, would say, well, thanks a lot. I'm never going to be. What you say, that's just imagination. But the thing is this, you can be more sure than that. I can be more sure than that. If someone were to put a tag on me and say, Mr. McKay, you're in crisis. Well, all right. I appreciate that, but I'm still not sure. Because I'm not sure that you're sure. Because I'm not sure you're sure, I can't be sure myself. You see, wherever the human element enters into it, there always is going to be a margin of error. But here's the statement. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. My friends, tonight, there is one question that is preeminent in importance and should claim a preeminence in your thinking, and that is this: Am I in Christ Jesus? Now, this has nothing to do with character. It hasn't primarily anything to do with conduct. It has nothing to do with church affiliation, nor with the ordinances, or with many of those things that are important in their place. This is something that has to do with our being in Christ Jesus, the one and only Savior. And I think the simplest way for you to understand that, if your mind might still be a little perplexed about it, think of the Lord's words. He said, we have a recorded John chapter ten verse nine, I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved. I think one of the simplest acts in life is to go through a door. Why, you and I go through them, uh, so constantly, we scarcely think about it. Unless there's some of the newfangled doors, and you go to push them open, and you feel rather embarrassed because it's already been opened, and you just wonder if anybody saw you standing there with your hand out in the air. Well, you're a little bit conscious then the fact that you're going to a door. Or if you get in one of the revolving ones and find that you've made two or three revolutions, why, then you begin to think about going through a door. It's just the ordinary door. You go through, you don't think of, you don't stand there, wonder if I can go through that door. I wonder how you do it. I wonder if I believe strong enough to get through that door. You don't do it. Just come up to and walk through it. There it is. It's open. They go on in through. Now, thank God that the Lord Jesus Christ, the door of salvation, isn't one of these revolving doors. Nothing gets tangled up in it. Not these newfangled doors, just a plain, ordinary entrance to get in. And a child of understanding years coming to the door steps into Christ, and they're in Christ. An aged and infirm person right near the end of life comes to that door, steps in, they're in Christ. The poor man without a penny comes to that door, goes through. And the rich man with all his wealth comes to that door, goes through. It's just the same for anyone and for everyone. Once he goes through the door and is in Christ Jesus, then this is true of him, there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Friend, if you ever had any doubt as to whether a person can know their sin, certainly, this one simple verse from God's word should once and for all remove all of that doubt and uncertainty. There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. But that isn't all. There's still another little word we've got to put back on. There is therefore now no judgment to them that are in Christ Jesus. Because, you see, God has a reason, a perfectly valid and righteous reason for saying this. There is now no judgment for them that are in Christ Jesus. That's true. But this is even a little better. There is therefore now no judgment. And I think every one of us is interested. Well, if I was once under the judgment of God, and I know it, and I deserved it, how can God say to me that right now there is no judgment for me? Therefore, there is therefore. And of course, when you find a therefore, you always know that the reason lies prior to that. And so you go back. And back in this wonderful gospel treatise, after showing that we were all subject to judgment of God, God brings on the scene his beloved son. There is the gift of God's love. We find the Lord Jesus Christ. And God commanded his love toward us, in that while we're yet sinners, Christ died for us. Yeah? And that God unfolds this wonderful truth, that when we were standing under the judgment of God, another stepped into our place, and the judgment that we deserve fell on him. And all that judgment was exhausted. Now, because Christ died for the ungodly, there is therefore now no judgment to them that are in Christ either. I don't think you can read this verse. I don't believe that you ought to preach about it without referring to the ark of Noah's day. I never read this verse, but what one of my first thoughts is, well, there's the ark. God's perfect illustration of this. God had warned them that the judgment was going to fall. God didn't change that. God sent that judgment, but before he sent that judgment, he sent something else. He sent a way of salvation. And you know the story, so we don't need to go into details of it. You know the story of how through Noah, the one way of salvation, escape, and deliverance was provided. And then, in fulfillment of God's warning, the judgment passed. But there were eight persons who were not overcome by that judgment. They went through it, but when it was all over, waters had subsided, human race had been swept from the face of the earth, there were eight persons that were still alive. Why? They were in the eye. Friends tonight, God has a narco state. It's his beloved son, and it's only as you are in him that you're going to be safe from judgment. So remember the text, there is therefore, because Christ has died, because he's born to judgment, because he's delivered for our offenses, raised again for our justification, there is therefore now no judgment them that are in Christ Jesus. If you were in Christ, if you can look back to a time in your life when you came to Christ, and as a lost and guilty and hell-deserving sinner, you trusted Christ as your savior, then you can leave this building tonight knowing there's no judgment for me. I deserve it. If I got what I righteously have merited, I would certainly be condemned, but there's no judgment now for me. And you can imagine what that means. To know in the midst of adverse circumstances, amidst all the difficulties of life, however dark things may seem, to know that there's no judgment. To know when you lie down to sleep, not knowing whether you wake in the morning, to know, well, thank God there'll never be any condemnation for me. If I don't awaken, there'll be no judgment. If I die at any time, in any place, under any circumstance, there'll be no condemnation for. But friends, if you're not in Christ, you can be tonight. The door is still open. How much longer it's going to remain open, no one knows. But thank God the door is open. You can enter in, and then you too can have this blessed knowledge. There is therefore now no judgment for them that are in Christ. Shall we bow in prayer? While we do, friends, make this message personal and make it profitable. You can do that by letting Christ come into your heart. And when Christ comes into your heart, you are in him, in that place of safety, that place of security, where there is no condemnation. Just tell God in absolute sincerity that you are going to accept Christ as your savior at this very moment. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this wonderful salvation that was provided at such a cost. We appreciate it now. We know we shall appreciate it more in the day to come. When we see the judgment of God upon those who are exposed to it, who are unprotected, then shall we fully know how much we owe to our Lord Jesus Christ for making it possible that we should be saved. Then, our God, we will be truly grateful to thee for continuing to deal with us, bringing the gospel to us, and uh, convicting us and leading us to put our trust in Christ. O Father, we pray the number of the redeemed may be added to by any who are in this service tonight unsaved, whether they be young or old, whether they've ever made a profession or never have. We pray that none of them may leave this service tonight without knowing that they're in Christ Jesus and out from under the judgment of God. We ask it in the Savior's worthy name.