God says, "You're Good to Go"!

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). What an amazing promise! NO condemnation! Why is there no condemnation?

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death" (Romans 8:2). There is no condemnation because Jesus has released us from the tyranny of the law. The law of sin and death has been replaced with the law of the Spirit of life. Jesus has perfectly fulfilled the law. This applies to us in to very practical ways: #1--Jesus fulfills obedience to the law resulting in righteousness (life) and #2--Jesus fulfills disobedience to the law resulting in death. The righteousness that Jesus has created through his obedience is more than what we could ever do in our own "self-righteousing" efforts. "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). The only righteousness that counts is Jesus' righteousness. The stuff we produce just isn't good enough. Isaiah says that our rightousness is like old dirty rags (Isaiah 64:6).

"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3). Following the rules can never make any of us truly righteous. The law can't get it done. Therefore we are all set up for condemnation. However, the only condemnation that God will ever provide has already been provided towards Jesus Christ. God condemned sin once and for all in the death of Jesus.

"So that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to te flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:4). Here is the positive result: Christ-followers fulfill the law--not in the flesh but in the Spirit.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). In the middle of Romans 8 during this great and weighty teaching on how Christ fulflls the law on our behalf we have yet another awesome promise: All things work together for good to those who love God and are called to His purpose. EVERYTHING works out good for Christ-followers! Through Christ, God takes away our garbage and replaces it with treasure. Christ's death fulfills the wages of our sin (death) and also fullfills the wages of obedience (righteousness).

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified and these whom He justified, He also glorified" (Romans 8:29-30). Here it is spelled out for us: Christians have been predestined to look like Jesus. God predestined--God called--God justified--God glorified! What's left for us to achieve? Absolutely nothing!

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God,who also intercedes for us" (Romans 8:31-24). Who can condemn us? It certainly cannot be God--He says that we are good!!! Who can accuse us? It certainly cannot be Jesus--He is too busy praying for us!!!