No Condemnation

1. No Condemnation Pastor Lionel Aingimea AM Service 6th May 2012

2. God is powerful • God’s word is powerful. • We play with it sometimes, We ignore it at our peril. • We decide that the reality of our lives, what we encounter, the hardships, sickness, troubles are difficult • By doing things our way, & as often as we do that - we miss the opportunity for God to perform miracles in our lives

3. Romans 8:31-39 • What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died —more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

4. Romans • Theme - Jesus a righteousness from God is revealed as the answer to the wrath against us. • It’s an epistle about triumph about victory. • 2 Cor 2:14 – • Romans tells us story that God has been successful!

5. What is success? • It’s a state of being • It is! • Fish successful at being a fish • Leaf successful at being a leaf • Fisherman successful at being a fisherman • Look at Gen 24:12 • Stating something is a success is simply saying “it is.”

6. Romans 8:1-16 • Most heavily laden of all scripture about the work of the Holy Spirit. • The Holy Spirit is mentioned 23 times in this chapter (NIV) • Verses 1 – 16; mentioned 16 times • But the Holy Spirit is not even the subject matter of the passage. • The subject matter is about people who have given their lives to Christ.

7. What has God been successful at? • “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” Rom 8:1 • Therefore – Paul is saying – given everything that I have said, what has happened, that has gone before this moment • A summary of everything that has gone before Romans 8

8. Now • “Therefore there is now…” • What makes this passage more powerful is the introduction of the word: “now” • There is something present now that was not present/wasn’t there before. • There is now a state of being • Now there is a “it is” existence – a continued existence • Park the thought

9. God of Judgement • If someone steals your favourite shoe, how would you feel? • If someone assaults your sister, mother, aunt, etc, how would you feel? • What punishment would you like to be given to the assailant? • Lock them up?, make them suffer? • Do not confuse revenge with judgement.

10. Judgement refused • How would you feel is judgement was thrown out the window? • Should the guilty go unpunished? • Ex 34:7 • God is a God of judgement. – The guilty will never go unpunished. • Park that thought

11. Merciful God • Dictionary : Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency. 2. A disposition to be kind and forgiving. • Deut 4:31

12. Mercy Vs Judgement • What does mercy do to judgement? • Mercy overrides judgement. • Mercy happens at the expense of judgement. • Is this just? Is it right? • Park that thought

13. God is just • Gen 18:16-25 • Abraham pleads. • God will always do that which is just. • To throw away judgement is not just. • And God will always be God – also means God will always be true to His character. • Park that thought

14. God is Love • Gods love is writ large all over the bible. Old and New Testament alike • John 3:16; 1 John 4, etc • Israel, Judah, Nineveh, etc • How does love treat judgment and being just?

15. Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent • God knows us inside out. • Ps 44:21 • God knows in the full sense how filthy we are • Nothing is hidden from God. • Regardless if sin is 0.000001% or 1000000%

16. Bring in the parked cars • So whatb did God do to: • Judgement; mercy; just and love? • God by His love, exercised mercy THROUGH His judgement. • God by His love lifted His judgment on the cross and by His love extended His mercy towards us.

17. True love • True love is only revealed not in the absence of judgment but in the presence of it. • Go back to original parked car

18. Therefore there is now no condemnation. That what was never existed before: NO CONDEMNATION • Not everyone says no condemnation applies to them – Only those in Christ Jesus • Only in Christ is there no condemnation because our condemnation became his condemnation

19. No Condemnation in Physical Pain • When you suffer physical pain, and it lasts a long time, and seems to get worse instead of better, and it even seems that it may end in death and not healing – the accuser comes – your own thoughts, the devil, Job's friends – and says, "It's punishment. You are under God's condemnation. That's why you are suffering so much." How are you going to survive that assault? Answer: With Romans 8:1, "No, I am not under condemnation. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

20. No Condemnation in Marriage Difficulties • Suppose you feel disappointed or even deeply wronged in your marriage. Where will you find the moral power to forgive and keep on loving and wooing and hoping and not resort to returning evil for evil and condemning? Answer: Romans 8:1. You will remind yourself again and again that, even though you are a sinner, in Christ Jesus God does not condemn you, and your future is free for everlasting joy. From that reservoir of mercy and hope you will draw up buckets of mercy for your spouse. And God will work wonders of grace in your life.

21. No Condemnation in the Failures of Parenting • What are you going to do if your children break your heart? We will find ample reason for thinking it was our fault. And you will never be able to sort that out. Ever. Only God can. So how will you keep going? How will you keep loving? Answer: Romans 8:1. In the end you don't have to sort that out. Your standing with God does not hang on your figuring out how much was yours and how much was not. Your standing before God as a loved and forgiven child is this: There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. With that freedom, you will admit your failings freely and you will humble yourselves before your children and God may heal.

22. On and on • On and on we could go. No condemnation and ministry. No condemnation and peer pressure. No condemnation and sexual temptation. No condemnation and pride. No condemnation and racism. Oh how little does racial bigotry and prejudice and discrimination know of this truth! And on and on. The practical implications of this glorious truth are endless.

23. So where are you? • Has the world shaped your mind so that you don't even think about your need to escape God's condemnation? Do you just think about how religion might be practically useful? Most important, are you in Christ, by faith, or are you outside? Don't stay outside. There is always room in Christ. Come.