No condemnation in Christ

The Bible reading today is going to be from Romans 5, verse 12 to 21, and then Romans 8, 1 to 4.

Romans 5:12–21

You can follow along in your bulletins if you like.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin,

and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam,

who was a type of the one who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the trespass.

For if many die through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God

and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many.

And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin.

The judgment following one trespass brought condemnation,

but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

For if, because of that one man's trespass, death reigned through the one man,

much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness

reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as one trespass led to the condemnation for all men,

so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners,

so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Now the law came in to increase the trespass,

but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

so that as sin reigned in death, grace might reign through righteousness,

leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And moving to Romans 8, verse 1.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

The law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus

from the law of sin and death.

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.

By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,

and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us,

who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Well, this morning we are embarking on a magnificent part of God's Word.

One commentator calls Romans chapter 8,

Romans 8 · chapter mention

it says it's like the tree of life in the middle of the Garden of Eden.

And as a church, we're going to spend the next five weeks

savouring and being nourished by the fruit of this tree.

This morning we've got just four verses,

Romans chapter 8, verses 1 to 4.

Romans 8:1–4

Four verses, just 74 words in Greek,

and yet the depth and breadth of Christian doctrine

in these four verses is astounding.

We find in these verses the justification of sinners,

the unity of the three persons of the Godhead,

the union with Christ,

the sinfulness and helplessness of humanity,

the incarnation of the Son of God,

Jesus' sinless life,

the atonement, sanctification,

and the liberating power of the Spirit,

all in these four verses.

We could lose ourselves for hours,

or days, or years,

just in these four verses.

Some of you start nervously edging towards the door.

No, but fortunately,

the structure of these four verses is very simple.

It's very simple.

Verse 1, what has been eliminated.

Verse 2, the reason.

Verse 3, the reason for the reason.

And verse 4, what has been facilitated.

So there are two outcomes,

verse 1 and verse 4.

The first is stated negatively,

something which was,

which has now been removed.

And the second outcome in verse 4 is stated positively,

something which was not,

which has now been introduced.

And then verses 2 and 3 give the explanation,

the basis of those outcomes.

So that's where we're headed.

We're on holy ground in these verses.

So let's take off our sandals,

tread reverently,

and ask for God's help as we get into it.

So let's pray again.

Heavenly Father,

open our eyes

that we might behold wonderful things in your word.

Amen.

Well, let's start with verse 1,

what has been eliminated.

Now, I have a friend,

and he shall remain unnamed,

but this friend has been recently caught several times committing traffic offences.

Twice he was caught using a mobile phone while driving

and once going through a red light.

And on top of the fines,

there is, of course,

the points that will be deducted from his licence.

And using a mobile phone while driving

comes with a penalty of five points.

We've done that twice.

Going through a red light comes with a penalty of three points.

And so if you do some quick maths,

you'll work out that he is about to lose his licence.

He's got enough points deducted that his licence is going to be gone,

but he hasn't yet been told that his licence is forfeit.

The consequence is there.

He knows it's coming.

It's hanging over him.

And now he's just in this period of anxious waiting

and driving as much as he can while he waits.

But that's my friend.

I wonder if you have ever been in a relationship

with someone where the person,

the other person,

and maybe it's a friend,

maybe it's a colleague at work,

maybe it's a parent or a spouse,

the other person in this relationship,

what you've done wrong

is always hanging over that relationship.

It's always hanging over you.

It's an anxious relationship

because you know that at any time

they might just drop into the conversation

another little reminder.

You know, you've failed.

You hurt me.

You let me down.

You're not good enough.

You know, sometimes I feel that way

about my relationship with God, actually.

Sometimes I will wake up at 2am

and just find my mind racing,

my mind racing with accusations.

And often they're accusations about

failures on my part to love other people as I ought.

You know, my mind will suddenly be filled

with people that I've let down,

with deeds that are incomplete,

with opportunities that I haven't sought

or I haven't taken.

You know, I think of my nan,

my grandnan, 102 years old,

that I haven't seen for,

I think, over a year.

And that the list of people will continue,

the people I've let down.

And I'll accuse myself,

Martin, you're a fraud.

You've failed.

You haven't done enough.

You're not good enough.

But what if the,

what if the Minister for Transport

wrote a letter to my friend

saying that she'd reviewed his offences

and decided that in his case

they weren't going to deduct

any points from his licence?

That anxious waiting

that he's in at the moment,

that would be replaced

with overwhelming relief.

And what if your friend

or your relative

who always brings up your failures,

what if they came to you

and said,

you know,

I've been doing some reading.

Actually, I've been reading the Gospels.

And I've realised that none of us is perfect.

And, you know,

at times we're all going to hurt one another.

And we're all going to let one another down.

And what's more,

I've realised actually

that I've been hurting you

by holding this thing against you.

And I want to apologise for that.

And I know it's made your life miserable.

And I want to change.

I don't want to bring that thing up anymore.

I don't want to bring those things up anymore.

They're forgotten.

They're gone.

I'll never mention them again.

And you can hold me to that.

How would you respond?

I suspect you'd be speechless.

You'd probably be thinking to yourself,

is this for real?

You know,

it seems too good to be true.

But if that friend

meant what they said

and did what they said

and did what they said,

it would be a game changer

in that relationship.

And what if God said to you,

you know those things

that you've been lying in bed

worrying about,

which you've done wrong?

I will never

hold those against you.

I mean,

wow.

It'd be like

a spring of cool water

water

in a

parched and weary

desert.

I will never

hold those things

against you.

Romans chapter 8,

Romans 8:1

verse 1.

There is

therefore

now

no

condemnation

for those

who are in Christ Jesus.

Did you hear that?

There is

therefore

now

no

condemnation

for those

who are in Christ Jesus.

Now,

if you're here this morning

and you're not a Christian,

you're not

in Christ Jesus,

you're not

united to him,

I hope

you're hearing this

and thinking,

I want to become

a Christian

because I want that.

But if you are

a Christian,

you are linked

to Jesus,

you are united

with him,

you are in Christ Jesus,

then this promise

is for you.

There is

no

condemnation

for those

who are in Christ Jesus.

God is saying

to you

that

your

offences,

your failures,

the unrighteous

things you've thought,

said and done,

all of those

2am

accusations,

they're gone.

I will never

raise them

with you again.

I will never

hold them

against you.

I won't even

speak of them.

I won't

bring them

up

in conversation

with you

in order to

knock you down.

I won't

bring them

up

as weapons

in conversation

with other people

to

humiliate you.

I'll never

give you

the cold

shoulder

treatment

because of

what you've

done.

You will

not have

to bear

the consequences

of your

offences.

It is

done.

There is

therefore

now

no

condemnation

for those

who are

in Christ

Jesus.

Now we

hear this

and aren't

we all

a bit

like

the

disciples

when Jesus

first appeared

to them

after he

rose from

the dead

and the

Gospel of

Luke tells

us

at first

they still

did not

believe

because of

joy and

amazement.

Aren't we

like that?

I mean

isn't this

hard to

really take

hold of

because of

joy and

amazement

that God

would say

it is

done.

No

condemnation.

And yet

this is the

Word of

God to

you.

And what's

more this

is the

conclusion

that Paul

has been

building to

the grand

conclusion

Paul has

been building

to through

the whole

epistle

to the

Romans.

He spent

chapters and

chapters and

chapters carefully

making his

argument because

he wants us

to know this

is true.

So let's go

back to chapter

one.

No, we

won't do

that.

Now how

is that,

right?

I get to

step in this

morning as the

substitute

teacher and

you know,

what do I get

to teach about?

What's the

lesson for the

day?

You know,

maybe a bit

of calculus.

Would anyone

like to do

some calculus?

Or a

class on the

oxidisation of

ferrous metals?

No, I get

to speak on

the grand

conclusion of

the book of

Romans.

A couple of

weeks ago I

was preaching

at Mayfield

Presbyterian and

St Andrew's

Presbyterian in

town and you

know what Tim

Ravenhall, the

minister there,

you know what

he gave me?

Ezekiel chapters

Ezekiel 38 · chapter mention

38 and 39.

Right?

And now Tim's

a great guy but

you know.

But then Dave

Bott, right?

He says,

yeah you can

come and speak

on Romans 8

Romans 8:1–4

verses 1 to 4.

Actually I think

Dave realised his

mistake last week

because he said

to me last Sunday,

are you sure you

know you're going

to be able to do

this?

I can do it for

you if you like.

Now when I say

this is the grand

conclusion of the

book of Romans I

might be overstating

it a little bit but

only a little bit,

right?

Only slightly.

Because the word

therefore at the

start of verse 1,

it shows it's a

conclusion but what

it's picking up,

what that therefore

is picking up isn't

so much what's just

been said in chapter

7, it's rather the

conclusion of the

whole argument so

far.

In fact if anything

it especially points

back to chapter 5.

So there's a bunch

of terminology here

in chapter 8,

key words that we

find in chapter 5

and then repeat it

in chapter 8.

For example,

just to pick up

2, the word

condemnation.

There's only two

other places in

Romans where it

occurs in chapter 5

verse 16 and

chapter 5 verse 18

and the word

righteous requirement

in verse 4,

again, only occurs

four other times in

Romans and previously

it's there in 5

verse 16 and 5

verse 18.

Now without looking

at chapter 5 in

detail, you could

almost read Romans

Romans 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5 as we did

in the reading and

then jump to Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8 and feel

like the argument

just continues.

It flows naturally

from chapter 5 to

chapter 8.

So what Paul's

doing in chapter 8,

he's showing the

conclusions, he's

developing the

conclusions he's

begun to develop in

chapter 5 but he's

giving us the

conclusions of the

whole argument so

far.

So what about

chapters 6 and 7?

Well in a sense

chapters 6 and 7

have interrupted

what Paul was

doing.

And he starts

interrogating his

conclusions with

these questions

because everything

Paul has been

saying about God's

grace, everything

Paul's been saying

about the grace of

God in saving

sinners, it all just

sounds too good to

be true.

And so in chapters

6 and 7, Paul just

interrogates the

gospel of grace with

questions.

How can God's grace

be the answer to

sin?

Doesn't it rather

permit sin?

Now if the more

our sins increase,

the more God's

grace increases, then

shouldn't we just

sin all the more?

If we're not under

the law, then doesn't

that just mean we're

just free to sin?

And Paul, after all,

what are you even

saying about the

law?

Are you saying that

the law's sin?

Paul interrogates the

gospel of grace with

these questions because

it just seems too good

to be true.

But in chapter 8,

having dealt with the

objections, having

answered the

questions, Paul returns

to where he left off

in chapter 5 and he

gives us his

conclusion.

There is therefore

now no condemnation

for those who are in

Christ Jesus.

And then Paul gives us

the reason for that

conclusion.

The reason.

Now in a sense, Paul

doesn't really need to

give the reason for that

conclusion because he's

already given it in the

earlier chapters, but he

repeats the reason here

and he does it in a kind

of unique form of words,

a unique formulation

and it's rich.

So let's listen to it

together.

What's the reason that

there's no condemnation

for those who are in

Christ Jesus?

Verse 2.

For God has done

what the...

Sorry, that's verse 3.

Verse 2.

For the law of the

Spirit of life has set

you free in Christ Jesus

from the law of sin and

death.

What's the reason there's

now no condemnation for

those in Christ Jesus?

It's because the law of

the Spirit of life has set

you free in Christ Jesus

from the law of sin and

death.

That's the reason.

Now, Paul says because

one law has set you free

from another law.

Now, Paul here isn't

speaking about the law of

Moses, although usually when

he uses the word law he is.

In fact, in the very next

verse, in verse 3, when he

says law, he's talking about

the law of Moses.

But he isn't talking about

the law here, although maybe

he uses the word law because

he kind of wants it there in

the back of our mind by way

of contrast.

But he's talking about two

opposing powers.

Two opposing powers.

Two binding principles that

operate in our world.

The power of the Spirit of

life and the power of sin and

death.

Now, there's a law, there's a

binding principle that

operates in the part of North

Lampton where I live, just

across the road from the

university.

The law is this.

When there is summer rain and

sun, there will be mosquitoes.

When there's summer rain and

sun, there will be mosquitoes.

It is an unfailing rule of our

neighbourhood.

Where there's one, there must

be the other.

A couple of years ago, the

uni ran a grand challenge to

address the mosquito problem and

they awarded grants to, you

know, the answers, the

proposals that seemed the most

innovative.

But nothing humans do can ever

overcome this law.

You know, emptying out water

collected in little vessels around

the garden or, you know, the

bottom of planters or whatever,

that doesn't help.

It doesn't solve the problem.

Putting up like mosquito zappers,

that doesn't fix the problem.

Putting on insect repellent, that

doesn't fix the problem.

Citronella candles aren't enough.

Nothing we do is ever enough to

escape the law of North

Lampton.

It's a binding principle.

There's also a law, a binding

principle of the Shadwick House.

The Shadwick House.

It goes a bit like this.

When the television is on, there

will be children.

When the television is on, there

will be children.

Now, it is an unfailing rule.

In fact, it's the most effective

method of gathering children.

Tidying up tends to send them

scattered to the, scattering to the

four winds.

Placing food on the dinner table is

hit and miss.

It has variable outcomes.

But turn on the television and

suddenly they're scurrying out of,

you know, holes in the ground and

cracks in the wall.

When the television is on, there

will be children.

It is an unfailing rule.

Likewise, there's a law, there's a

binding principle of the Shadwick

family Christmas.

It goes like this.

When my brother Jake is present, there

will be Diet Coke.

When my brother Jake is present, there

will be Diet Coke.

It's another unfailing principle.

You'll never find one without the

other.

You see my brother and look nearby,

you will find some Diet Coke.

And he'll gladly share it with you.

Because after all, it's an unfailing

rule.

His supply is limitless.

It's like the widow's jar of oil,

which never runs dry.

Like, when my brother Jake is present,

there will be Diet Coke.

Each of these is an unfailing rule.

Well, likewise, there is a law of

sin and death.

There's a law of sin and death.

When there is sin, there will also be

death.

When there is sin, there will also be

death.

You know, I've used lighthearted

examples, but we're not talking about

something lighthearted now, are we?

The universal reach of sin is confirmed

by the universal reach of death.

Every wrinkle, every grey hair tells a

story.

Here is a sinner.

We may mask it for a time, we may cover

it up, but it'll catch up with us.

All die, because all have sinned.

And there is no escape, as Paul says in

Romans chapter 5, verse 17, ever since

Romans 5:17

Adam, death has reigned.

It is an unfailing principle.

Where there is sin, there will also be

death.

But God's word says here that in Christ

Jesus, the law of sin and death has been

overpowered by another law, by another

binding principle, another unfailing

principle.

Where there is the Spirit, there will be

life.

Where there is the Spirit, there will

also be life.

Like the river flowing out of the garden,

the Spirit brings life wherever He goes.

You cannot have the Spirit and not have

life.

Like the dove that returned to Noah's

ark with a freshly plucked olive leaf, the

coming of the Spirit always brings life.

We cannot, of course, draw the Spirit.

We can't paint a picture of the Spirit.

But if someone were to try to paint a

picture of the Spirit, I imagine the

canvas would be bursting with colour.

With verdant green, with flowers in bloom, with

children laughing at play, because wherever

the Spirit is, there is life.

And in Christ Jesus, this law, the law of the

Spirit of life, shatters the other law, the

law of sin and death.

He liberates us from the old law.

He breaks its hold on us.

So that the old law no longer applies.

The rain and sun come, but the mosquitoes do

not follow.

We have sinned, but death has lost its power.

How is it that in Christ Jesus, the power of this

new law can liberate us from the power of the old law?

Well, verse 3 gives us the reason behind the reason.

Verse 3.

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh,

could not do.

By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,

and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.

The first thing this verse says, and there's a lot this

verse says, the first thing it says is

that what, our liberation from the old law of sin and

death, it could not be achieved by the law of Moses.

It could not be achieved by the law of Moses.

The law of Moses could not bring freedom, rather it brought

bondage.

The law of Moses could not bring justification, rather it

brought condemnation.

The law of Moses could not bring life, rather it brought

death.

The law of Moses could not bring freedom and justification

and life because it was weakened by the flesh, Paul says.

It was weakened by the fallen, sinful condition of humanity.

The only way the law could bring freedom and justification

and life would be if we, by our perfect obedience,

made ourselves free,

justified ourselves,

made ourselves righteous.

The only way the law of Moses could bring life would be if we,

by our perfect obedience, earned life.

The law of Moses couldn't break us free from the law of sin and

death.

The law of Moses itself was captive to the law of sin and

death.

And it strengthened the chains by which that law bound us.

But what the law could not do, God has done.

God has done.

Now, how much is packed into this verse in verse 3?

But God has done it.

He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own son in the likeness

of sinful flesh and for sin.

Let's break it down.

God sent his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh.

See how carefully and reverently Paul describes the incarnation of the Son of God,

the becoming man of our Lord and Saviour.

God sent his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, Paul says.

He does not say,

in the likeness of flesh,

for that would imply that Jesus were not fully human.

And he does not say,

in sinful flesh,

for that would imply Jesus was sinful just as we are.

Rather, he says,

in the likeness of sinful flesh,

fully human,

yet himself without sin,

God became man.

But God's sending of his son wasn't complete at the incarnation.

God didn't just send his son to become a man.

He sent his son for sin.

For sin.

That is,

that his son might be an offering for sin.

A sin offering.

A sacrifice for the sins of which we are guilty.

The sins of the human race.

Indeed,

the very sacrifice,

the very offering that the law itself prescribed.

And by doing this,

God condemned sin in the flesh.

Condemned sin in the flesh.

Notice the repetition of that word there,

condemned,

in verse 3,

like condemnation,

in verse 1.

The reason there is no condemnation,

verse 1,

for those who are in Christ Jesus,

is because the condemnation has already fallen,

verse 3.

The sins which were ours,

the condemnation became his.

The reason the law of the spirit of life

liberates us from the law of sin and death

is because in Christ Jesus,

the law of sin and death has already been satisfied.

Its power is spent.

It has no more claim.

It has no more strength.

Condemnation is eliminated.

You know,

there are lots of things we as human beings,

there are lots of things we as human beings can experience,

which I myself will never experience.

Doing a triple somersault into an Olympic pool

is something I will never experience.

I'll never experience what it's like to hold a conversation in Swahili.

I'll never walk on the moon.

There are lots of things a human being can experience

which I myself will never experience.

At least not in this life.

I can't so much speak for the life to come.

I mean,

maybe in the age to come,

our resurrected bodies will be so glorious

that we'll all be capable of amazing athletic feats.

Maybe in the age to come,

Babel will be reversed

and we'll understand all tongues.

And maybe in the age to come,

our dominion over the natural world

will be perfected

and brought to such new heights

that we'll walk not just on the moon,

but on Mars and on Saturn as well.

I don't know.

But there is one thing I know

I will never experience.

Whether in this age

or in the age to come,

I will never be condemned for my sins.

I will never experience in full

the retributive justice of God.

I will never suffer the penalty of the law.

You know,

the fact that Melissa Wu

is an Olympic diver and I am not

doesn't really mean I'll never dive.

Maybe I will.

The fact that Neil Armstrong was an astronaut

and I'm not,

that doesn't necessarily mean

I won't walk on the moon.

Maybe I will.

Maybe I will.

But the fact that the Son of God

was condemned in my place,

that means I will never,

never,

not now,

not then,

not ever,

be condemned.

Condemnation is eliminated.

Do you believe it?

And not only has condemnation been eliminated,

but righteousness has been facilitated.

Now,

facilitated might not be the best word here,

but I succumb to the preacher's temptation

to have rhyming words.

Not only has condemnation been eliminated,

but righteousness has been facilitated.

Look at verse 4.

Verse 4.

God condemned sin in the flesh,

in the person of his Son.

Verse 4.

In order that the righteous requirement

of the law might be fulfilled in us,

who walk not according to the flesh,

but according to the Spirit.

Now,

this is the second outcome of the reason

and the second outcome of the reason

for the reason,

but it needs to be unpacked a bit,

because there are some different ways

we can take verse 4.

And in fact,

I've possibly multiple times

changed my view on verse 4,

so I want to give you a few options.

I'll tell you what I think.

What is the righteous requirement

of the law

that is fulfilled in us?

Well,

the law,

again,

once again,

must be referring to the law of Moses.

And that word righteous requirement,

that needs a little bit of reflection.

The Greek word basically

just means a righteous thing,

right?

In the Septuagint,

the Greek translation of the Old Testament,

it's often used of the statutes,

in the plural,

of the statutes found in the law of Moses.

The statutes is used the same word,

and that's again and again in the Old Testament.

Occasionally,

it's used in the singular,

when one individual statute or judgment

is being focused on.

In Romans,

in chapter 1,

verse 32,

feel free to look at it with me if you like,

but I'll read it out.

In chapter 1,

verse 32,

at the end of Paul,

sort of outlining how God has handed us over

to ever-increasing sin

because of our refusal to acknowledge Him

and worship Him.

Romans 1,

Romans 1:32

verse 32,

says,

though they knew God's decree

or God's righteous requirement

that those who practice such things deserve to die,

they not only do them,

but give approval to those who practice them.

Same word,

God's decree,

His righteous requirement,

His judgment.

So,

possibly,

and there in Romans,

Romans 1:32

chapter 1,

verse 32,

what is it?

It's God's declaration

that those who sin will die.

So,

possibly,

that's what it's saying here in Romans 8,

Romans 8:4

verse 4,

that by condemning sin in the flesh,

in Jesus Christ,

God has satisfied that requirement of the law on our behalf,

that sin leads to death,

the law of sin and death,

basically.

And certainly,

that's true.

I mean,

that's the point I made just a little bit earlier in this talk.

Yeah,

it's certainly the case.

And that used to be sort of how I took this verse,

but I probably lean now towards one or the other,

you know,

taking it a different way.

There are other ways that that word,

the righteous requirement,

is used in Romans.

Another way it's used is in Romans 5,

Romans 5:18

verse 18,

Romans 5,

Romans 5:18

verse 18,

where we read,

Therefore,

as one trespass led to condemnation for all men,

so one act of righteousness leads to justification for all,

and life for all men.

And there,

the word that matches the one we're talking about,

dikaioma,

it is in Greek,

is the word translated as act of righteousness.

One act of righteousness.

So there in Romans 5,

Romans 5:18

verse 18,

that word is used of Jesus' obedience,

his righteousness.

Adam's sin led to condemnation for all.

Jesus' righteousness,

his obedience,

leads to justification for all.

Our sin was given to Jesus,

his righteousness given to us.

So it could be talking about that,

and I think that's probably more likely than the first explanation I offered,

that what this is saying,

stating now positively,

is that the righteous requirement of the law,

the law's demand for righteousness,

is satisfied because of Jesus' righteousness on our behalf,

by his obedience.

Even though I think like either of those really does fit the context well,

I'm still not convinced that's the primary sense of Romans 8,

Romans 8:4

verse 4.

When Romans 8,

Romans 8:4

verse 4 says that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us,

what is it talking about?

Well,

fulfilled there is in the passive,

so it is what God does.

It's something,

it's the work of God in us.

Our righteous requirement is singular,

but it's not talking about any one single statute of the law.

I think it's talking about the law as a whole.

The law's overarching,

comprehensive requirement for righteousness.

God's law demands righteousness.

It's talking about the heart of the law,

it's talking about its nature and purpose,

to promote righteousness.

And Romans 8, verse 4,

Romans 8:4

isn't just saying that's fulfilled for us by Jesus,

although it certainly is,

but also that the purpose of God's condemnation of sin

in the death of Christ

was so that the righteous requirement of the Lord

might be fulfilled in us,

in us.

Now,

that language of fulfilling the law comes up again in Romans,

in only one other place in Romans.

If you go to Romans chapter 13,

Romans 13 · chapter mention

you'll find it there.

Have a look at this with me,

Romans chapter 13.

Romans 13 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 13, verse 8.

Romans 13:8

Romans 13, verse 8.

Romans 13:8

Oh,

no one anything

except to love each other,

for the one who loves another

has fulfilled the law.

The commandments,

you shall not commit adultery,

you shall not murder,

you shall not steal,

you shall not covet,

and any other commandment

are summed up in this word,

you shall love your neighbour as yourself.

Love does no wrong to a neighbour,

therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

We see the same idea in Galatians chapter 5, verse 14.

Galatians 5:14

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word,

you shall love your neighbour as yourself.

And both of those passages,

of course,

echo the teaching of Jesus Christ himself

about the law.

Now,

if I'm right to link those passages

with Romans 8, verse 4,

Romans 8:4

then Romans 8, verse 4

Romans 8:4

isn't just saying that

Jesus takes the penalty of the law for us,

and it isn't just saying that

Jesus' righteousness

satisfies the demand of the law

on our behalf,

although those are true,

it's also making the incredible claim

that those who are in Christ Jesus

fulfil the law.

Now, the New Testament

never says believers are under the law

of Moses.

The New Testament

never says believers are of the law of Moses.

The New Testament

never says believers belong to the law of Moses.

The New Testament

never says believers have to do the law of Moses

or obey the law of Moses.

But it does say

that when we live a life of love,

we fulfil the law.

And God condemned sin in the flesh

by sending His perfect sinless Son

as an offering for sin,

not only so that condemnation

might be eliminated,

but so that righteousness

might be facilitated.

that love

may be

enacted

in the lives of His people.

Which is also,

I must confess,

too wonderful for me

to fully comprehend.

Now, when I toss and turn

at 2am

accusing myself

of all my failings,

there is

a lot of truth

in my accusations.

I am a sinner.

I do deserve condemnation.

My love

is insufficient.

My deeds

are incomplete.

complete.

But when I find myself

in that headspace,

I'm not only forgetting

Romans 8 verse 1,

Romans 8:1

I'm also forgetting

Romans 8 verse 4.

Romans 8:4

I'm not only forgetting

that condemnation

is eliminated,

I'm also forgetting

that righteousness

is facilitated.

You know,

it's an extraordinary thing,

isn't it?

It's an extraordinary thing.

You see,

the obligation,

this is what Romans 13 says,

the obligation to love

is never satisfied.

It's never completed.

You can never tick off

the command

to love your neighbour.

It draws us ever on.

And yet,

even still,

God can look

on our incomplete

and faltering efforts

to love one another,

and rather than condemn

our failings,

he can recognise

the beauty

of his own handiwork,

producing righteousness.

He can say,

by my Son

and through my Spirit,

the righteous requirement

of the law

is fulfilled

in you.

Condemnation

is eliminated.

Righteousness

is facilitated.

in Christ Jesus,

the law

of the Spirit

of life

has set you

free

from the law

of sin and death.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

Amen.