The Salvation of the Triune God (1)

[Romans 8:1-4]

Based on Romans 8:1-4, I would like to reflect on the "Salvation of the Triune God." God is one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:1, we see "Christ Jesus" (God the Son), in verse 2, "the Spirit" (God the Holy Spirit), and in verse 3, "God" (God the Father). Today, I would like to reflect on the salvation of God the Son, Jesus Christ, as part of the "Salvation of the Triune God."

Let us look at Romans 8:1: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." "Christ Jesus" is the Son of God [“His Son” (1:2, 3)]. The only begotten Son of God the Father, Jesus, became a man [“in the flesh” (v. 3)].

Let us look at John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us..." Here, "the Word" refers to the only begotten Son of God, Jesus (v. 1). The only begotten Son, Jesus, was born of the lineage of David (Romans 1:3). In other words, the only begotten Son of God, Jesus, came through the Virgin Mary, a descendant of David (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:69). Furthermore, the only begotten Son of God, Jesus, rose from the dead by the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:4). That is, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and now intercedes for us at the right hand of God.

The Apostle Paul begins Romans 8:1 with the word "Therefore." This conjunction connects what has been said before with what follows. There are various interpretations of what it connects to. For example, some interpret it as connecting Romans 3:21 to Romans 7:25. This conjunction connects three verses in the Bible:

(Romans 5:6) "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." When we were weak and could not do any good, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for us, the ungodly, and saved us. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (8:1).
(Romans 5:8) "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Through the disobedience of one man, Adam, sin entered the world, and we all were affected by it, making everyone a sinner (v. 12). But when we were still sinners, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died for us and saved us. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (8:1).
(Romans 5:10) "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" When we were enemies of God because of our sin, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died on the cross as a sacrifice to reconcile us with God. Now that we have been reconciled, we will be saved even more through the life of Jesus Christ (future salvation). Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (8:1).

So, when we were weak, sinners, and enemies of God, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for us, and for this reason, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

In Romans 8:1, the Apostle Paul uses the word "now," which refers to something different from what was previously stated. It signifies a change from everything before Romans 7:25. For example, it is different from what is said in Romans 7:24-25: “Oh, wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” This does not refer to the time when a person is "wretched" or in "this body of death" (7:24). Instead, it refers to the moment "when we were still weak," "when we were still sinners," and "when we were enemies" of God. At that time, Jesus Christ died for our salvation (Romans 5:6-8). "Now," we are those who are "in Christ Jesus" (8:1).

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:1, "those who are in Christ Jesus." In the original Greek, it says "those who are in Christ Jesus" (plural). "Those who are in Christ Jesus" refers to those who are united with Jesus Christ and have been saved. The Bible uses metaphors to describe union with Christ. One of these metaphors is the vine and the branches. Let’s look at John 15:5-6: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." Jesus Christ is the vine, and we are the branches. As branches, we are united with the vine, Jesus Christ, and we cannot do anything without Him. Another metaphor is that of the head and the body. Let’s look at Ephesians 1:22-23: "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." Jesus Christ is the "head of the church," and we, as those united with Jesus Christ, are His "body." There is also the metaphor of baptism. Let’s look at Romans 6:3-4: "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." The Apostle Paul used baptism to explain our union with Jesus Christ. We are baptized into Christ Jesus. That is, we are baptized into His death and resurrection. We are those who have died and been resurrected in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Here, "condemnation" is a legal term. If the judge condemns, it means there is guilt; if the judge does not condemn, it means there is no guilt (acquittal). Therefore, this means that those who are united with Christ Jesus, who died on the cross for the weak, the sinners, and the enemies, will never face condemnation.

The word "condemnation" appears seven times in the book of Romans (four times as a verb and three times as a noun). In Romans 8:1, "condemnation" is a noun. Let's look at Romans 5:16: "And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression, resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions, resulting in justification." Through the disobedience of one man, Adam, all were brought under condemnation. When Adam broke God's command and ate the forbidden fruit, he was expelled from the Garden of Eden. Through his action, sin entered the world, and all became sinners.

However, not only because of original sin but also because of our individual past, present, and future sins, Jesus Christ took them all upon Himself and died on the cross so that we might be justified (God considers us as if we were sinless). Look at Romans 5:18: "So then, as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." Through one sin of Adam, many were brought under condemnation. But through one righteous act of Jesus Christ, the last Adam, many are justified and receive eternal life.

Thus, the salvation of Jesus Christ is sure and certain. In the Korean Bible, Romans 8:1 has the word "no" at the end, but in the original language, it is placed at the beginning. Also, the Korean Bible ends with "there is no," but in the original language, it is written simply as "there is not": "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The word "no" emphasizes that "there is no condemnation," and "there is not" emphasizes the certainty of salvation. No one can condemn us who are in Christ Jesus.

Look at Romans 8:33-34: "Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?" No one and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. See Romans 8:35, 39: "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword...? Neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We cannot save ourselves, but Jesus Christ has saved us. When we were still weak, sinners, and enemies of God, Jesus Christ took all our sins upon Himself and died on the cross to save us. Therefore, now, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). We should live with the assurance of salvation, enjoy it, and press forward in faith toward the completion of our salvation. We must live the life of those who have been saved.