Romans 8:1 English Standard Version

Life in the Spirit

8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.^[a]

Footnotes a. Some manuscripts add who walk not according to the flesh (but according to the Spirit)

Break this verse down into its component parts.

Begin with “no condemnation”. Who is it that condemns?

1 Corinthians 4:4 English Standard Version (ESV) For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

It is the Lord who judges all of us and if we are Christ’s we have already been judged, executed, and been placed securely in Christ. Since this devotional is about accusations about faith and this comment is rooted in salvation, we will address these issues later.

Where accusations of faith begin is with those manuscripts that add note a.

There are 18 separate translations which include similar words as noted in footnote a. If we continue with Romans 8 we might understand why this footnote is used.

Only once is walk used in the rest of the chapter. The inclusion of walking in verse 1 footnote is to emphasize the importance of walk being used in verse 4.

Romans 8:4 English Standard Version (ESV) 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.

It is important to connect no condemnation with righteousness by walking in the Spirit. Without that connection it is easy to overlook the connection between no condemnation and walking by faith.

Romans 1:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Galatians 2:20 English Standard Version (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Walking in the Spirit is a life of faith.

Matthew 4:9 English Standard Version (ESV) And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

This is blatant manipulation. Those who would control us are more subtle than this. Remember that the serpent in the garden was the most subtle of all God’s creations. While I am not saying all that would control us are Satan, the end result is the same, being drawn away from God.

Why does anyone want to use us? On the grand scale we can easily see that money is a common denominator. Common denominators allow us to see how users are trying to influence our lives.

Lean one way and it is easy to be pushed in that direction. Advertising is blatant in their approach towards selling their product because they know how many people are leaning towards their product. An alcoholic does not need advertising. Those who deny the pull towards addiction will not see the harm in those ads. They will see beauty and no danger. It is subtle.

Speaking of beauty, how many magazines have ugly people on the cover? Characters in computer role playing games are customized by the user to fit the desire of the user to appear as they fantasize themselves? That is vanity run amok. Anything that allows us to see ourselves as something we are not, is denying God’s plan for us.

In the first two temptations Satan questions Jesus’ identity. “If you are the Son of God…” None of our earthly temptations are so blatant. If they were, we would see that. There are other ways to question our identity in Christ without being blatant about it.

The first is to question our faith.

The second is to question our salvation.