Romans 8:1-4 English Standard Version

Life in the Spirit

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 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.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

What does it mean to “be in Christ”?

Colossians 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Think of it this way, if you can. Having placed our faith in Christ, we live a life of faith according to His Word so that when the Father looks at us, all He sees is His Son, our acceptable substitute.

Romans 3:25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

“If it pleases the court” how many times have we heard those words on TV court shows?

The principle is the same in the court of heaven, we have to please the judge. We cannot do that without faith.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

The only evidence allowed in court is our conviction of faith. 

Romans 6:3-4

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

1 John 2:1

Christ Our Advocate

We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Our lawyer pleads our case; “Father, I died for this one. He has already been executed.”

Convicted and executed, double jeopardy applies. The defendant will not suffer the second death.

Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

But if that is all you care about, then perhaps you haven’t lived by faith.