condemnation – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: condemnation

Romans 8:1 – No Condemnation

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Will

Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus,

Truth to Learn

There is no condemnation declared against born-again Christians; instead, we are declared as righteous.

Behind the Words

This word “condemnation” is an interesting word. The Greek word is katakrima, which means, “the result of a legal judgment in which there is a condemnatory ruling against someone.”

Meaning Explained

In the last verse of chapter seven the Apostle Paul was thanking God for the fact that with his mind he serves the Law of God even though with the flesh he serves the law of sin. He has spent most of the past three chapters discussing the doctrine of justification by grace through faith and then describing the fact that sin has had dominion over us and describing the battle that exists between the sin nature and the intellect.

In this verse he proclaims the great truth about these past three chapters. Even though sin has dominion over us in the flesh, because we have been declared as righteous by God, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Even though our sin nature still causes us to fall and commit sin and, as Paul said back in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death,” he also said in that same verse, “the gift of God is eternal life.” Because God declared us righteous and gave us eternal life, there is no condemnation on us.

Back in chapter four, Paul talked about the fact that righteousness was reckoned, or imputed, to us by grace. This reckoning, or crediting, is a legal term that means that righteousness is declared and placed in one’s account where righteousness did not exist before. Since we have been declared righteous, there can be no condemnatory ruling against us.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Some translations have “who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” added to the end of this verse. This phrase is omitted in the best transcripts. It is possible that the scribe who copied this letter included this from the end of verse four. But, what if Paul did actually add this here as well as in verse four? If he did, then this is a statement of fact, not a condition. He is NOT saying that there is no condemnation to those “who are in Christ Jesus” on the condition that they “do not walk according to the flesh.” He is saying that a characteristic of those who are in Christ Jesus is the fact that they do not walk according to flesh but according to spirit. One of the signs of a true Christian is that they have a manner of life that is characterized by things of the spirit and one that is not characterized by fleshly things.

Application

I have had people ask me, “What do you think about Christians who get saved and then go back to living the same way they did before they got saved?” The only logical answer to this question, according to what Paul teaches us here and in verse four is, “They never really got saved!” Jesus, during his earthly ministry, taught his disciples, “Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruits, nor can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” (Matthew 7:17, 18)

What does your fruit say about you? Are you in Christ Jesus?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 5:18, 19 – Summing it Up

Posted on February 21, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:18, 19

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Truth to Learn

We all deserve God’s wrath, but we can be saved from it by believing in the death of Jesus Christ as payment for us.

Behind the Words

This verse starts off with “Therefore” which is a translation of the Greek words ara oun. These two words form what in Greek is called an “inferential conjunction,” implying that the following is a summary of that which preceded it. Hence, these two verses are a summarization of what Paul has already said several different ways in the previous verses.

Meaning Explained

These verses are a summary statement of what Paul has been saying since verse twelve. He has stated this almost repeatedly since then, so we won’t belabor it further.

However, let’s do our own quick summary of Paul’s letter so far to put this all into context. He started out by declaring that God is evident to all men, but because some refused to recognize God for who He is, He gave them up to a depraved mind so as to not only do ungodly things but also to approve of others who do the same thing.

In chapter two he showed that God judges impartially, and to those who do well He will give eternal life, but to those who are self-seeking and unrighteous He will show His wrath. He also began his argument that circumcision of the flesh and obedience to the Law do not produce righteousness.

In chapter three he went on to show that in spite of circumcision, the Jews are no better than Gentiles because, as it has been written, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” We are all sinners deserving of God’s wrath. He continues by saying that the righteousness of God has been revealed, and it is the righteousness that only comes from faith in Jesus Christ.

In chapter four Paul cited Abraham as an example. He showed that Abraham was justified by faith when he believed God’s promise and his faith was credited to him for righteousness. Then, Paul went on to point out that Abraham was declared righteous years before he was circumcised. Obedience came after righteousness-producing faith, not the other way around.

Now in this chapter he points out that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, the Godly for the ungodly. And he said that we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because just as the sin of one man (Adam) caused us all to be sinners (and now there is none righteous, no not one), so the righteous act of one man (Jesus) results in righteousness (justification) being available to all men. By Adam’s disobedience all were made sinners and by Jesus’ obedience many (those who believe) will be made righteous.

Application

In spite of all your good intentions and good deeds, God says that you are unrighteous and deserving of His wrath. But, by believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins, He will declare you to be righteous. Do you believe?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, you can call the church phone (618) 614-3070 and leave a message telling us your name and e-mail address or you can send an e-mail to:

Romans 5:16 – One for the Many

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:16

And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.

Truth to Learn

God’s free gift of righteousness takes care of all our sins.

Behind the Words

The word “sinned” is translated from the Greek word hamartanō, which means “to miss the mark.”

As if making a play on words, in this verse Paul repeatedly uses nouns that end in ma. In each cast it indicates the result of an action. These words include:

· The word translated “gift” – dōrēma, derived from the verb dōreō, meaning “to bestow a gift.” Hence, it refers to a gift.

· “Judgment” – from krima, which is derived from krinō, meaning “to decide” or “to judge.” Whereas, it can refer to a decision of innocence or guilt, it is most often used in relation to a guilty judgment.

· The word translated “condemnation” – katakrima. The prefix kata means “down” or “against” and krima, as we just saw, means a judgment. Hence, this word means “a judgment against” or “condemnation” as we have it in this verse.

· “Justification” – from dikiōma, which is based on the verb dikaioō meaning “to declare righteous” or “to declare innocent.” Hence dikiōma refers to the result of the declaration. That is, our righteousness or justification.

Meaning Explained

This is a tough verse, so follow closely. It’s the second time Paul is contrasting the effects of the deeds of Adam and Jesus. Previously, he said that death (the consequence of sin) flowed from Adam but that the gift of grace flowed from Jesus.

A literal word-by-word translation of the first phrase in this verse is, “And the gift not like through the one having sinned.” Fortunately a couple of words have been added by the translators in order to make the verse more clear. What Paul is saying is that the free gift is not like the one sin of Adam.

Paul now shows why the one sin is not like the free gift. Here’s what the remainder of this verse says,

for (on the one hand) the judgment is out of one (deed) resulting in condemnation, but (on the other hand) the free gift is out of many transgressions resulting in justification.

Though the grammatical construction is a bit awkward in English, Paul is saying: “on the one hand the judgment that came from one deed resulted in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift that handles many transgressions results in justification.”

If we were to sum up this verse it would be to say that death (the consequence of sin) flowed from one transgression (one sin), but the gift of grace is effective over many transgressions resulting in our justification.

Application

Once again, we should be driven to our knees in prayer giving thanks for the gift of the sinless life of Jesus and the gift of grace whereby we will one day stand in the presence of God as righteous saints, not as condemned sinners!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:8 – Misrepresented Truth

Posted on October 25, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:8

And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

Truth to Learn

All sin will be judged, no matter what our excuse may be.

Behind the Words

The phrase “Let us do” is translated from the verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” If you have followed our teaching on the use of the word “let,” you might assume that this verb is written in the imperative mood (a command), but it isn’t. It is expressed in the subjunctive mood, which indicates possibility or probability. So the quote might be translated as “We should do evil that good may come.”

“Slanderously reported” is from the Greek verb blasphēmeō, meaning “to speak evil of” or “to intentionally damage someone else’s reputation.” When used against God, this verb is often translated “blaspheme.”

The word translated “affirm” is the Greek verb phēmi. It is based on the obsolete verb phaō, meaning “to shine.” Phēmi means “to bring to light by speech” or “to make known one’s thoughts.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verses Paul has taught that God is not glorified when someone commits sin; God is glorified when He judges sin. It is His act of judgment, in keeping with who He is, that brings Him glory. But the Jesuits of the first century, among others, had perverted Paul’s teaching on this subject claiming that Paul and the other Apostles were teaching that we all ought to sin greatly so that God would be greatly glorified. After all, as Paul surely had stated before and will later proclaim in this epistle:

But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. (Romans 5:20)

Paul taught that God, in the salvation of people, would be glorified in proportion to the depth and pollution of the guilt which was forgiven. This is true, but how easy it is to misrepresent this as teaching that people ought to sin in order to promote God’s glory! You see, instead of stating it as an inference, which they drew from the doctrine, those who attacked Paul’s teaching declared that Paul taught we ought to sin to bring glory to God. He counters that argument right here by openly exposing the falsehood of what others say about his doctrine. At the same time, he openly declares that those who attack him will receive condemnation. He is also convinced that the condemnation that these false accusers will receive is appropriate because they perverted the truth of God for their own purposes.

Application

We are all sinners, so when our lives are compared to the perfect life that Christ lived we will all be found guilty as sinners and it will be shown that our righteousness is like filthy rags. For the past few verses Paul’s teaching has been “God will judge every sin of every man.” Those sins will either be judged at the cross and declared as fully paid for (everyone who believes and accepts this sacrificial gift) or the sins will be judged and the sinners declared guilty at the Great White Throne, where the payment for sins will be eternity in the lake of fire.

Where will your sins be judged?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

2 Peter 2:3 – Snake Oil Preachers

Posted on May 6, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 2:3

In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

Truth to Learn

Not every message delivered from the pulpit comes from God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “greed” is the Greek word pleonexia, which means, “fraudulent practice driven by greed.”

The verb “will exploit you” comes from the Greek word emporeuomai, which means “to travel about as a merchant or trader.” The way it’s used here it means “to make merchandise of people.”

The next expression is, “stories they have made up.” This comes from the Greek words plastois logois. We have seen the word logos before, meaning “a word or a message.” The other word here is plastos, from which we get our English word “plastic.” This Greek word means “molded” or “purposely shaped.” Today we refer to this kind of language as “spin.”

Meaning Explained

We have been talking about false prophets of the past and false teachers of the present. Peter now tells us what is driving their actions and how they operate. His imagery is that of a snake oil salesman traveling about, taking advantage of uneducated people by way of well chosen but intentionally misleading words so as to make the message sound the way people want it to sound for the purpose of taking their money. These false teachers that Peter is talking about are presenting messages that will inspire and comfort people so that they will give to the ministry and meet the selfish desires of the false teachers.

Their deception is as old as sin itself, driven by the same selfishness that drove Satan to deceive Eve with molded words that may have sounded good but that lead to destruction. Peter tells us (literal translation of the second half of today’s verse):

their long standing judgment is definitely not idle and their destruction is definitely not dozing-off

In other words, the same judgment that has been given concerning this type of deception from of old will be applied to these false teachers of today without fail. They may think that they are getting away with something, but their destruction is sure.

These false teachers are occupying many of our church pulpits today, delivering homilies and sermons that bless the hearts of the hearers, while leading them straight to Hell. Their messages are soothing and even inspiring, but they are not the messages that God wants delivered. The messages are intended to please the people rather than to proclaim the message of sacrifice, commitment, and submission. These are the messages that church members are willing to pay for. How sad!

Application

The next time you hear your pastor preach a message that is straight from The Word, one that pricks your heart, causing you to once again submit yourself to the God of all creation, tell him thank you for taking the road less traveled and being God’s instrument of righteousness.

But, perhaps you go to church on Sunday to be soothed and comforted. If so, you may be buying snake oil!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –