Day l00
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."
In Romans Chapter 7, Paul described the spiritual warfare he experienced. He would do wrong when he really wanted to do right. In verse 24, he asked who could deliver him from his wretched condition. Then, in the next verse, he declared that victory comes through Jesus Christ. This preface must be read to understand Romans 8:1.
The "therefore" in Romans 8:1 is there, because of Romans 7:25. There is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, because Christ gives us the victory in the war against sin. Romans 8:2 says the law of the Spirit of life, under which we now operate, has freed us from the law of sin and death. We are never unable to resist sin. Sin is what produces death. Paul encouraged the Roman Christians to see themselves as those who walk after the spirit and not the flesh. We have complete victory over sin, but we must still exercise our wills- our choices to walk in what is ours.
There is no condemnation to us who are in Christ. There is no need to beat ourselves over the head for sins and failures, as though we are helpless. If we fall, we must face the fact that we do so, because we choose to walk after the flesh - not because we could not help it. So, we should just repent and get back to walking in the spirit. That does not mean we should take sin lightly. We should be truly sorry and have honest repentance. However, it does not profit us to permit condemnation, since that would be participating with Satan, instead of God.
God does not wink at sin, but he does not want us to magnify failure. When we are sincere, He is ready to forgive, cleanse and lift us. Our Father wants to restore us and take us higher in Him, where we fail less and less, and please Him more and more. Our enemy, Satan, on the other hand, wants to condemn us and discourage us, so we will feel unworthy to serve God. He would like to discourage us until we fall lower and lower and please God less and less.
Let us open our eyes, then, and see the forces on both sides. Let us choose God's side. As long as our Lord reaches out to us, let us disappoint the devil and respond pleasingly to Our Father, who loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die in our stead.
I wilt turn away from the road to condemnation and follow the road to restoration. With God's help, I will live higher above sin every day.