Self-Made Bondage (Part 2)

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2

Paul writes a letter to the church of Roman speaking to the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus… Understand today the city in which Paul writes this letter, Rome was a military fortress that was firmly established in tradition and armed forces… It was very easy for one to be timid in acknowledging their faith in God or even speaking out against Rome; however Paul reminds us today that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ… In this life we are surrounded by structure; we are taught at a very young age what we can and can’t do… Paul challenges us today to think outside the box and approach life with the freeness that we only have in Christ instead of approaching life with restrictions, limitations and a ball a chain attached to us… Condemnation is sentence, blame or conviction; today we are called to understand that the sentence of death that was upon our heads exist no longer, the blame we had for our sin is gone and we cannot be convicted for the mistakes we have made in walking with Christ because He nailed them to the cross… Let this next statement sink deep into your heart and rest at the forefront of your memory banks; Christ has paid it all! Understand the location in which Paul writes this letter; in a city built upon power, military and oppression, Paul writes this letter shining a ray of hope for those who want to give up or feel isolated… The message that Paul sends for us today in the world that we live in is that we shall not only overcome, but that nothing will stop the will of God or our Christian journey as long as we walk in Him… The military struck fear in the hearts of the citizens; however, we are encouraged and reminded that there is no military force or adversary that will stop the will and divine plan of our God… This is why Paul reminds us that we are free; you are not bound to the standards of this age and even though people may try to oppress you, they will not succeed in thwarting the will of our Lord… Standing in faith and in the knowledge of the authority that God possesses, Paul poses the question toward the conclusion of this chapter “who shall separate us from the Love of God…?” Despite where you are or what you may be going through, there is nothing that can will or can separate you from the love of God… You are free because Jesus has shed His blood for you; there is no captivity in Christ and it time for you to stop allowing the enemy to hold you captive… When you live according to this world you are a prisoner in a cell with the door wide open and the judge having already signed your release papers… You’re staying in bondage because you choose too not because you are forced too… Paul wants you to know that you can walk out of your past into your future whenever you are ready… Christ has already laid His life down for you, He’s waiting for you to accept His offering and get up from your current position… Even in the midst of trials in tribulations, even when we face uncertainty and hardships we are reminded today that “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…” We don’t have to carry the burden upon our shoulder, we don’t have to get caught up in appealing to our fellowman; if we walk in the will of God and allow Him to be the head of our lives than our slate is clean, our sins have been forgiven and everlasting life has become a reality…

There is no condemnation because Christ served your sentence before you were in formed! Christ has established and met the ransom for all of our sins; He has given us an opportunity to reach goals that would not have been thought of had it not been for His suffering… It is important to note today that we are free when we are in Christ Jesus… Some of us have been wondering why we haven’t been able to overcome, why it is that we haven’t been able to be victorious and today through the message from Paul we are challenged to examine our lives and make sure that we are walking in the will of God… Paul says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” What is the focus of your life? Are you walking after the Spirit or after the flesh…? What takes precedence in your life, how do you measure your success and where does your heart reside? These are the questions that we must answer and in doing so we will understand whether we are bond or free, captive or liberated and/or condemned or co-heirs with Christ… Paul concludes by saying, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Paul understood that He was a sinner, he recognized that he messed up and should not be where he is today; however he also serves notice that it doesn’t matter what people may say about his past, it doesn’t matter who may try to stand against you because when you accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior you are freed from chains of past mistakes and failures and called His child… The biggest blessing that we receive in Christ is that we are no longer under the penalty of sin and the sentence of death that we rightly should have received has been removed from over our heads and we have been given a second chance… This passage tells me that my poor decisions in the past are yesterday’s garbage, my struggles of today will not amount to failure tomorrow, and that my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness… I understand today that I must turn from the flesh; I must adhere to God’s calling upon my life and yearn for His spirit to empower me within His grace… The law of the spirit is life, I am not concerned with things that will decay, or attitudes that want to hold me back or down, I will keep my eye stayed on THEE… Paul encourages us today; he motivates us today, and assures us today that through Christ we have victory… This doesn’t mean that dark clouds will not appear sometimes, it doesn’t mean that trials and tribulations will cease; it just tells us that dark clouds will become clear skies and trials and tribulations will become stepping stones to develop a more intimate relationship with God… There’s no condemnation, you are free to blossom in to the beautiful flower God created you to be!

BE BLESSED!!!