Let's Eat, No Condemnation

Jeff Wood
This week on Palm Sunday, Pastor Matt concluded the series “Let’s Eat.” Through the message, he discussed how Christ not only bore our sin on the cross but in doing so, made us righteous before God.
One critical passage was Romans 8:1-4
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
I have learned to get excited when I see a “but now” or a “therefore” in Paul’s writings. In both instances, you need to go back read the previous verses or chapters to get the context for what is about to be said:

• All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3-21)
• Christ was raised up for of our Justification (Romans 4:25)
• Through this justification by faith, we have peace with God, and his love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:1-5)
• We were crucified with Christ and now are to RECKON (account) ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God through Christ. (Romans 6:5-11)

Paul is reiterating: “These are the facts again that God did, through Christ, for you.” In these blogs, we try to steer clear of quoting. However, I heard one this week too good not to plugin here. “God’s standard of salvation has always been righteousness; we need grace to meet the standard. Grace doesn’t remove God’s standard; it elevates you to the standard.” AMEN!!!!
Another passage Pastor Matt visited was Colossians 2:13-14. Last week in our Community Group, we had a great discussion about what Christ fulfilled at the cross vs. what the Jews expected at the time. This discussion had already lead me to Colossians 2 as well.
"...having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in Him."
Notice Paul is not saying, “your Sin put Jesus of the Cross.” But through revelation by Christ himself, Paul is preaching the cross as good news to all men. Why? Unlike prophecy, the mystery that was revealed to Paul showed that instead of the cross being a tragedy, sin was defeated, and we are more than conquerors through Christ. (Gal 6:14)
At Heritage, we talk about our identity being in Christ. Leading into Easter each year, the more I learn and am able to rest in his completed work, the more appreciative I am and able to celebrate the great victory. DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING??!!