Those who are in Christ Jesus

[Romans 8:1-11]

There may be hymns or gospel songs that you like.  And you probably have a reason why you like that hymn or gospel song.  Personally, when I see brothers and sisters in Christ whom I love around me suffering from hard work, I often exhort them by quoting the lyrics of the 2nd verse of the gospel song “We Will Keep Our Faith Alive”: “We will live as God has planned though at times we may not understand.  Many things we may not see, but our faith will help us believe.  From His word we learn the truth; through His love we all are born a new. ….”  I don't know how much comfort and strength these lyrics are.  Although it is difficult to fathom what the Lord intends, there are many times when I am personally strengthened and comforted by the fact that I am always in the Lord's will.

In the midst of this, I began to ponder a little in today's text, Romans 8:1, in the words of the apostle Paul, "those who are in Christ Jesus."  As I thought ‘What does it mean to say that I am indeed in Christ Jesus?  I looked back at the book of Romans along with commentaries here and there to understand its meaning.  It means, in one word, ‘to be united with Christ Jesus’ (6:5).  In other words, 'I am in Christ Jesus' means 'I am united with Christ Jesus'.  Then what does it mean to be united with Christ Jesus?  It means that we are “into” Jesus (v. 3), and when Jesus died on the cross, our old self also died on the cross (v. 6) and when Jesus arose from the dead, we also rose again and became a new person (vv. 1-11).  Therefore, for those who are in Christ Jesus, the death of Jesus replaces the penalty for our sins, and the resurrection of Jesus establishes our resurrection.

In today's text, Romans 8:1-11, the apostle Paul, writing a letter to the saints in Rome, says in one word, ‘You are in Christ Jesus.’  Then, who are “those who are in Christ Jesus” here?  I would like to meditate on three things today, focusing on the main text.

First, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Look at Romans 8:1 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  What does it mean here that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus?  In order to understand this word, we need to know the meaning of the word “condemnation.”  The original Greek word for the word, “κατάκριμα,” is a court term and refers to conviction (Park).  We are the people who were condemned for Adam's transgression in Genesis (Rom. 5:16, 18).  In other words, because of Adam's disobedience, his sin was imputed to all mankind (v. 12).  And because we were all born in sin and live with our sins, God, the Judge, condemned us all in the court of law.  In the end, we had no choice but to die forever (v. 21).  However, Jesus, the second or last Adam, came to this earth and obeyed God's will until the death of the cross, so that all of us who believe in Jesus can now be justified (v. 16).  In other words, the righteousness of Jesus was imputed to us who believed in Jesus, and we became righteous in God's sight (v. 19).  Therefore, you and I, who have become righteous by believing in Jesus, can never be condemned.  Why is there no condemnation for us who believe in Jesus?  Paul explains why in Romans 8:2 - “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”  The specific reason why there is no condemnation for us who believe in Jesus is that you and I have been set free from the law of sin and death.  In other words, even though before we believed in Jesus, as slaves of sin (6:17), we sinned against God by offering our members to impurity and lawlessness, and in the end we had no choice but to die, but now , after we believe in Jesus by God’s grace, we are no longer slaves of sin, but slaves of righteousness, not death, but eternal life.  In other words, God the Holy Spirit, who has been living in us since we believed in Jesus, replaced the law that produced only sin and death with a new law.  That new law is “the law of the Spirit of life” (8:2).  The core of these two laws is that the law of sin and death is based on human merit, and the law of the Holy Spirit is based on grace.  In other words, the Jews wanted to be justified by God through human merit by thoroughly keeping the law.  We can also refer to this as the law of conduct.  However, in Romans 3:27, Paul speaks of “a law of faith.” It means that we can be justified by God only through faith in Jesus Christ.  This law of faith is the law of grace.  The reason is because even faith is a gift of God's grace.  And this law of faith is “the law of the Spirit” (8:2).  The reason is because the Holy Spirit has made us accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior through hearing and understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As a result, you and I have gained eternal life.  How is this possible?  How have you and I been set free from the law of sin and death?  Look at today's text Romans 8:3-4: “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” 

It was God who freed us from the law of sin and death (v. 3).  It's never what we did.  We are “powerless” (v. 3) and can never, on our own, free ourselves from the law of sin and death.  We humans could not escape condemnation because of the law.  The reason is that our corrupt humanity (meaning “sinful nature”) is unable to practice the law (Park).  Therefore, we can never escape the punishment of sin through the law, nor can we be justified (MacArthur).  But God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to deal with our sins.  Jesus, who had no sin, was sent to this earth in the form of a sinful body and was condemned on our behalf by being nailed to the cross and died (Park).  As a result, He fulfilled all the requirements of the law for us who believe in Jesus and for us who walk by the Holy Spirit.  In other words, as a result of Jesus Christ being condemned in the flesh on behalf of sinners like us, we have been justified objectively without any merit.  In other words, we who are in Christ Jesus are justified and never condemned.

Second, those who are in Christ Jesus are those who walk according to the Spirit.

Look at Romans 8:4 – “in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”  We, who have been justified because Jesus Christ suffered the condemnation of the sinful nature on behalf of sinners, are never condemned, and we no longer walk according to the sinful nature, but according to the Spirit.  What does it mean to walk not according to the sinful nature, but according to the Spirit?  In a word, the saints (believers) who have become new people (new creations) by believing in Jesus do not follow their corrupt humanity and live the sinful lifestyle of the old self.  Rather, it means that we walk according to the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ” (v. 9), that is, the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us.  Although, as old self, before we believed in Jesus, we pursued the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, living a corrupt life and practicing lawlessness, but when we became new people in Jesus, we shouldn't no longer live like that.  We should no longer live with the mind of sinful man (v. 6) and live according to the sinful nature (v. 5).  The reason is because the sinful mind is hostile to God (v. 7).  The sinful mind not only does not submit to God's law, but it cannot do so (v. 7).  This is by no means the life of those who are in Jesus Christ.  The life of those who are in Christ Jesus walk and live according to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ (v. 9).  What kind of life is this?  That life is a life that obeys the law of the Spirit of life (v. 2).  In other words, a life lived according to the Holy Spirit refers to a life lived in obedience to God’s law (v. 7).  In this way, what must we do to live in obedience to God’s law and the laws of the Holy Spirit?  We must set our minds on the things of the Spirit (v. 5).  In other words, in order to live in obedience to the laws of the Holy Spirit, we must think about the things of the Holy Spirit.  All our thoughts, emotions, and wills must long for and pursue the things of the Holy Spirit.  Then what is the things of the Holy Spirit?  It refers to the will of God.  Look at Romans 8:27 – “and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”  This word teaches us that living according to God's will is to become a new person in Jesus Christ and live according to the indwelling Holy Spirit, that is, pursuing the things of the Holy Spirit.  In other words, for our saints to live according to the Spirit is to live according to the Holy Spirit, and that is to live according to God's will.  And what are the results of living according to God's will?  Look at Romans 8:6 – “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”  Before believing in Jesus, we have thoughts of the sinful nature, plan for the works of the sinful nature, and the result of living according to the sinful nature is death.  But when we, who are in Christ Jesus, walk and live according to the Holy Spirit, that is, when we yearn for God's will and live according to His will, the result is "life and peace" (v. 6).  How is it?  Are you really enjoying the life (eternal life) and peace that God gives you?  If so, it is proof that you are following the Holy Spirit and living according to God's will.  However, if the life (eternal life) and peace that God gives are not within you, the cause can be proof that you are not living according to God's will.  However, if we are living according to God's will by following the Holy Spirit, we are surely living a life that pleases God (v. 8).  Even after believing in Jesus, if we walk according to the sinful nature and commit corruption and lawlessness according to the desires and lusts of our flesh, then we are absolutely not pleasing God.  However, if we live a life filled with the Holy Spirit, under the control of the Holy Spirit, and obeying the will of God, just as we overcome evil with good, and overcome the lusts of the flesh, we can please God.  The Scripture says that those who live a life that pleases God in this way belong to are people of Christ, that is, people who belong to Christ (believers) (v. 9).  We, who are in Christ Jesus, are people of Christ.  Therefore, we must live according to the Holy Spirit.  We must never live a sinful life under the domination of corrupt humanity by following the sinful nature.  We must long for God's will and live by pursuing it.  Therefore, we must live a life that pleases God.

Third and last, those who are in Christ Jesus have the hope of resurrection.

Look at Romans 8:11 – “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”  The apostle Paul, writing this epistle to the saints in Rome, is clearly telling us here in verse 11 that the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us.  This Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit who dwells in us believers as the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ (v. 9).  This Holy Spirit is the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.  In other words, the Holy Spirit who dwells in us is the Spirit of resurrection.  The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of resurrection, will also raise our mortal bodies, just as He raised Jesus from the dead according to the will of Heavenly Father.

You and I have no choice but to die someday.  In other words, our bodies are bound to die someday.  That is why the Scripture says that it is appointed for man to die once (Heb.9:27).  That is why Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.”  In this way, our bodies will die one day, but we have a clear and certain hope.  It is the hope of resurrection.  Just as Jesus was resurrected from the dead, so we in Christ Jesus will also be resurrected when Jesus returns to the world after the death of the body.  How is this possible?  How can the dead live again?  It is because the Holy Spirit who resurrected Jesus dwells in us who believe in Jesus.  The Scripture clearly says that the Holy Spirit of resurrection will give life to our mortal bodies (Rom. 8:11).  The Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will also bring our mortal bodies back to life.  Sinners who are already destined to die forever, who have lived in sin while pursuing the work of the sinful nature in the thoughts of the sinful nature, hear and believe in the gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross through God's undivided grace.  As a result, God the Holy Spirit, who made us who were dead in our sins and trespasses live again and became a new creation, dwells in us in Christ Jesus and makes our mortal bodies live again on the day Jesus returns, putting on a glorious spiritual body and will enable us to live with the Lord forever in the eternal kingdom of heaven.