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NO CONDEMNATION
The Law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus brings a threefold blessing:-
NO CONDEMNATION
(Romans 8:1)
NO ACCUSATION
(Romans 8:33)
NO SEPARATION
(Romans 8:35)
These great negatives of the
Spirit-filled life are the goal of millions of believers who turn up at
the latest deliverance and healing conferences. Having been involved
in casting out demons for 20 years, I can understand their search for freedom.
To live in freedom we ALSO need to see our position in Christ.
Positional truths are only a lop-sided gospel if they are not balanced
by the reality of intercession and deliverance. However, some
fail to see who they are in Christ, and therefore receive only superficially
the deliverance and healing on offer. The balance of both truths
plus AN OBEDIENT HEART is our path into the victorious living of Romans
8.
Seeing our position in Christ
involves our understanding of Romans 5,6 and 7, the very heart of the gospel.
When you travel abroad (and
living in Romans 8 is like living in another country and climate) you have
to go through a system at the airport.
a) Check In
If you are going to fly in
the wonder of Romans 8:2, the first thing is the foundation
of Romans 5:1 ‘having peace
with the Father’ or the new birth. We check in by His grace at the
Cross as a repentant sinner. The status of ‘peace with God’ comes
immediately and we will never lose that status! The justification
by faith is concrete. However, times come when we lose the
reality or sense of the peace. The substance of peace is found in Philippians
4:6,7:
“be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer......... and the peace of
God, which SURPASSES all understanding will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.”
Even if we do not experience
this blessedness, we will have Romans 5:1,2. We could press the analogy
of ‘check in’ further and see faith as our ticket, and grace as the passport.
b) Passport checked
and stamped
Now you have authority to
proceed to another country! Reigning in life (Romans 5:17)
is not living lavishly like a King’s kid, but being enabled to put
your feet on serpents and scorpions. To reign in life we must receive two
things:
1. abundance
of grace.
2. gift of righteousness.
Righteousness allows us to function
as a bold believer. Grace must keep coming to us if the mountains
(problems) are to become a plain! (see Zechariah 4:7). We reign in
this life through the release of victorious eternal life.
c) Baggage inspection
No flesh baggage is allowed
to travel in His purposes! We are sin-free only as
Jesus Christ is Lord by
the Holy Spirit over all areas of our lives. Romans 6:6,10
and 11 gives us our position of being dead to sin. Sin is never
dead to us, but we can apply the funeral position of “I am crucified with
Christ”. However, being sin-free begins with the position and carries
on with the performance of our lifestyle. The position of being dead to
sin means nothing if you ogle TV watching skin!
d) Walk to the Gate
As you walk there are many
duty-free but expensive shops. A tie for fifty quid! We can and must use
the world, but with food and shelter should be content. The prosperity
gospel based on self is a negative power when viewed from the cross of
Jesus Christ. Romans 6:16-18 and verse 22 is living the
life not merely loving the light (truth). At 12 I was mad keen on cars,
learning all the specifications, but you’ve got to drive to get the experience.
e) Dead to the Law
Romans 7:4-6.
When you go through the gate with your passport of grace and your ticket
of faith you must believe the aeroplane will actually take off. You become
dead to the law of gravity! We are married to another, Jesus, who
lives in heaven, in liberty and in the Spirit. If you’re dead to
the law of gravity you can be alive to the law of aerodynamics. The law
of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death. We
are to live in the new law of the Spirit that quickens our mortal
bodies, curbs and controls the flesh, and leads us out to be sons of God.
In Romans 8 we never experience condemnation or separation from the love
of God. The flesh will contest our liberty and will attempt to make
us visit and live in Romans 7. We were (past tense) in the
flesh (7:5) but now are in the Spirit (8:9). Which law are we looking at?
The law of God (7:22) or another law (7:23)?
LAW BRINGS CONDEMNATION
In Norway there is the Law
of Jante, which is found in the warp and woof of their culture. Here
are some of its tenets.
a) don’t think you
are special.
b) don’t think you are wiser,
better or know more than us.
c) don’t think you are good
at anything, or can teach us anything.
d) don’t think anyone cares
about you.
It reminds one of the cruel
Japanese proverb “the nail that stands out is pounded down”.
Existence means “out from” and “standing”. We exist as individuals
who stand out from the crowd. Everyone is special, unique, loved and filled
with potential. The Vikings have got it sadly wrong, and this
law cripples them, producing passivity, restraint, false humility, legalism
and condemnation. The stronghold can be pulled down in Jesus’ name as we
renounce the lies, and we break off the unhealthy condemnation.
It’s not just Scandinavians
who have a problem with law - we all do! The deadly virus leads to missing
our inheritance. The law increases sin, produces wrath and
all manner of evil desire! (see Romans 4:15; 5:20; 7:7-9).
FLESH BRINGS CONDEMNATION
The big secret is we cannot
live the Christian life. God wants to ruin our flesh lives so that Jesus
Christ can take over. In eternity the Father and Son had a relationship
of glorious, loving revelation. They communicated by the rhema, living
word. Religious flesh says we transform ourselves by:
bible study and
reading,
church attendance and tithing.
witnessing.
receiving power and anointing.
praying.
A hundred times NO! NO! NO!
I’m not more spiritual by
reading 50 classics a year, giving 20% of income or praying 2 hours a day
and handing out tracts on a Saturday afternoon in the shopping mall.
I’ve tried all these things and my flesh was still strong and largely in
control. In fact, spiritual activities can enforce a sense of failure,
of not measuring up to His promises.
Eventually the pattern emerges of legalism, frustration, failure and condemnation.
What was the plan of God
for His Son in the carpenter’s shop? How did He live free from condemnation?
Firstly, Jesus didn’t figure out the Christian life on His own, or from
Mary, nor the local synagogue. He did not simply read the Old Testament
scriptures. He received bursts of advanced knowledge from the indwelling
Father. The Christian life is obeying revealed knowledge, the
hidden wisdom of God, so we know the mind of Christ. Jesus got on a collision
course with religion because He was the first human to act on what the
Father was showing Him and speaking to Him (see John 5:19; 8:28). We need
our DNA radically altered by divine life insemination, and refuse to rely
on the flesh. The flesh loves facts and information. Jesus
refused that and chose to speak from the Father gracious words of spirit
and life. In that relationship there cannot be
CONDEMNATION
ACCUSATION
or
SEPARATION
Romans 8 living is amplified
by Ephesians. When we are really living His life His way, Ephesians
is the map. For us there is one revelation : CHRIST JESUS.
For our Lord there was and is only one revelation : FATHER
GOD.
For 3 years the disciples
were shown the Father through the Son. They beheld, absorbed,
listened to and walked with Jesus as He related to Father. That is no condemnation.
THE ENEMY BRINGS CONDEMNATION
The enemy through accusation,
hereditary bondage, lies or soulish prayer can bring condemnation. If we
pray for someone out of our own will, confusion and condemnation will result.
There are perils to prayer. Did you know satan actually prays (Mark
5:7, Luke 22:31,32)? Did you know his accusations before the Almighty concerning
you and me are actually true? We must come under the protection of
the blood of the Lamb. A new dependancy on the precious blood will come
in these days to those in the body of Christ who are of the Issachar tribe
and know the times and what the church must do. (see1 Chronicles
12:32).
If you value the
blood of Jesus mentally,
extol the blood of Jesus verbally,
experience the blood spiritually
then
you will never fear separation
from the Father’s love. The blood of Jesus silences the enemy’s condemnation.
The powers of darkness are paralyzed by prayer from a clean heart and pure
hands. When Israel prayed soulishly for a King, reversing God’s
priority for prophetic leaders, not only leanness entered Israel’s soul,
but darkness entered King Saul to the point of suicide. David had some
serious sins, but was free of condemnation because of praise and worship,
those twin divine cleansing agents. Praise stills the voice of condemnation
at a distance.
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