I've been "camping" on Romans 8 for a while now. In fact I'm reading through it each day and I think I will continue to do so for a while. It is one of the great mountain tops of the bible. A place where you can see everything more clearly. The chapter begins with an amazing verse,
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
After 7 chapters of magnificent theology Paul opens this chapter with liberating words, words that should make every reader pause with awe and amazement. In these few words Paul tells us that in Christ the burden of sin is gone, the weight of the law is lifted, the burden of performance is gone, the load of trying to be good enough is taken care of. The load of all that we carried in our lives, sin and all our attempts to please God by our own efforts, was taken care of by Christ on the cross, and now we are free!
Some have given their load of sin to Christ and found liberty, they have found freedom from the law and performance. Some are free, but those around them, who refuse to let go of their burdens, resent the freedom these have found in Christ. So they condemn them for their freedom. The burden carriers are trying to be good enough to please God on their own and are angry that others aren't trying to do the same. They don't realize that they can't please him as long as they carry their own burdens! But in Christ all that is gone...in Christ I'm free, I've found liberty from the load of religion that I carried, the load of good works to please God, the load of sin and guilt. Now I'm free, the burden is gone....now in Christ Jesus I'm free....I have liberty, and I will never carry that burden again!
4 comments:
The key phrase is "those who are in Christ". What exactly that means is open to interpretation don’t you think? Where does obedience come into play with finding forgiveness and freedom in Christ? Is it possible to be in Christ and still be in your sins, being willfully disobedient? Do you really have forgiveness and justification before God if your repentance was only verbal and you are still sinning the same sins? I am not even sure that would be called repentance if it isn’t followed up with action. Doesn’t repentance mean to “turn from” one’s sins?
Anon,
those in Christ includes anyone who has trusted Christ as savior, who have trusted him for forgiveness.
I know there may be discussion on this, but the above is what I mean when I say "those in Christ."
Is it possible....? Yes, but if you have trusted Christ as savior are you forgiven? YES.
Do you really have..? YES, if you have trusted Christ as savior.
Even if you are sinning the same sins? YES, because those same sins and your lack of repentance is forgiven as well.
If you follow the direction you are going you are living in works, and forgiveness is up to your repentance. That's not what the bible teaches. It is clear that when you trust him as savior ALL your sins are forgiven, even the ones you haven't repented of.
Yes, you have the definition right on repentnce, but it's not repentance that brings forgiveness, you already have that if you are a Christian (in Christ), repentance is the proper response for a believer who wants to follow God, but it doesn't bring forgiveness, it's simply the right response to sin and God's work in your life.
This last section will throw you unless you realize that repentance and forgiveness are not connected. Repentance is the right thing to do in regards to sin, but repentance does not bring forgiveness, you already have that. I have repeated that because it's so important...
If you want to discuss this further I would be glad to do so. Let's talk about it....
I like what you are saying, but then i find passages like these in John 14 which seem to point towards obedience being part of actually loving Jesus.
15"If you love me, you will obey what I command.
21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Anon,
I would never disagree with the verses you have noted. Obedience is important. It's the proper response to a heart that wants to please God. What you just wrote does not conflict what I said earlier. It's a difficult topic to work through, but important to do.
Great thinking on this, thanks.
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