I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Romans chapter
8. Romans chapter 8. I was prepared to preach out
of Ephesians 4 this evening. And yesterday was looking at
Romans 8 verses 26 to 40. So I prepared a message yesterday
to preach tonight out of Romans 8 verses 26 to 40. And got up this morning and looked
at Romans 8.1 and so prepared a message tonight out of Romans
8.1. This is the message I believe
that the Lord would have us consider this evening. Romans chapter
8, I'm going to look at just verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh
but after the Spirit. Let's pray together. Our Father, this evening we thank
you for the blessed privilege to be able to look into your
Word. Bless, we pray, the Word tonight
to our hearts Help us to worship. Forgive us where we fail you.
For Christ's sake. Amen. The scripture bears out that
there is going to be a final judgment. 2 Corinthians 5.10 says this, for
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that
everyone may receive the things done in his body according to
that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Not only all of us, everybody
else in this world tonight, and everybody that's ever lived,
in this world, or shall live in this world, is going to stand
before God. And there's going to be a day
of reckoning. And the books are going to be opened. And the book, those that are not found in the
book of life himself, that book that was written, the scripture
says, before the foundation of the world. Whosoever is not found, written
in that book, is going to be judged out of the books of their
works. And God Almighty is going to
be just and is going to render unto every man and every woman
what is their just due. Now with that thought in mind, The Scripture reveals a present
state that is truly found in some people. The Scripture says, there is
therefore now, right now, at this present moment, there's
no condemnation, there's no wrath, there's no judgment, to them
which are in Christ Jesus. Now, consider this. Consider speaking of all the
world that is born in Adam, and that's everybody that was ever
born naturally. conceived by a man and a woman,
everybody, everybody. This is what 1 John 5, 19 says
concerning everybody that's born in Adam, that it lieth in wickedness. That's what the Scripture says.
Man, according to Isaiah 1, 6, from the sole of the foot even
unto the head, there's no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises
and putrefying sores. That's every man. Every man at
his best state is altogether vanity. He's vain. Romans 3.10 says there is none
righteous. No, not one. There's none. And for some, the scripture reveals,
right now, there's no condemnation to them. You mean to tell me that right
now, that there's some that are before God, and they absolutely
have no guilt whatsoever. That's exactly what I'm saying.
They have no guilt to bear. They have no guilt that is charged
to them. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute iniquity. Won't charge him with it. Won't
charge him with it. You need to tell me that there's
right now, with none being good, not one, that there's some that
is not under the curse of the law. That's right. That's right. There's some that's
free from the penalty of sin. There's some that is never going
to die eternally, spiritually. That's right. There's some that are able to
boldly, with confidence, approach God's throne accepted in the Beloved. That's right. That's right. But let me ask
you this. If there's none righteous, if
they're all vain, there's none good, there's none to seek after
God, they're all together, all together wicked. Soul of the
foot, crown of the head. And the Scripture says, there
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. What is being said concerning
that state? What does it mean to be in Christ
Jesus? What does that mean? Now we say
that, we use that word, that phrase, and we believe it, but
let me ask you this, what does it mean? There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus. Here's what it means. It means
that they have the Lord Jesus Christ as their federal head. and their representative. Now,
all men, all women, all humanity is going to be judged according
to their position in one of two representatives. Turn to Romans
5.19. Just turn back to Romans 5.19. The scripture says, Romans 5,
19, for as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. Okay? By one man's disobedience. By
one man's one disobedient act. By that one man, because all
men, naturally speaking, humanly speaking, I'm going to try to
be so plain and so simple, Everybody that's born into this world of
a man and a woman comes from Adam. Adam is their federal head. Adam is their representative.
And they came forth exactly like Adam, disobedient. All men, all women, One man's
disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedience
of one shall many be made righteous." Now here's the thing. In Adam,
1 Corinthians 15, 22 says this, in Adam all die because all men,
Just like their federal head, the one that represents them,
the one that stands for them. We were born sinners. Why? Because
Adam's sin was just passed right on down to us. We're conceived in sin. They
come forth from my mother's womb, liars against God, liars. Just give a child enough time. Let them just start being able
to talk. And it won't be long, and you're going to find out
if they're a liar. Did you do that? No. No. And they're the only child there. For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive. So there's two representatives,
Adam and the Lord Jesus Christ. In Adam, all die. In Christ,
all shall be made alive. But as far as being, I know how
we got in Adam. We were born. That's how we're
born. I mean, that's how we got in
Adam. We were born. When we were conceived, we were
conceived in Adam. Adam is our federal head, our
representative. As far as being in Christ, how
did we get there? The Scripture says there's no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. How did we get
there? You know this. Just turn over
to Ephesians 1. This is how we got there. Ephesians 1, verses 3-6. Now, here's how a man, a woman,
is in Christ. This is how Christ is their representative. Now I can tell you this, this
is going to have to be an act of Almighty God, to be in Christ. How does a man or a woman get
in Christ? How does He become their representative,
their surety, their federal head? How? God's going to look at Adam,
going to look at Christ, and all in them. And they're all
going to be truly just like their federal head. Ephesians 1 verse
3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who
have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ. According as He has chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."
Now, this is the plainest truth set forth. How does a man or
a woman get in Christ. God Almighty chose them and considered
them in the Lord Jesus Christ as their representative, as their
surety. He will be the one that will
answer for you. That's what He said. He will
live for you and die for you I will make you a joint heir
with Him. An heir of God and a joint heir
with Christ. And I'm going to give Him to
you as His bride. And He is going to make you to
be holy and without blame before Me in love. I will have mercy on whom I'll
have mercy. And I'm going to have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. So it's not of you that willeth. It's not going to be of you that
runneth. But it's going to be of God that shows mercy. There's no condemnation to them
which are in Christ. There's no condemnation to those
that Christ answers for. There's no wrath, there's no
judgment. We were born in Adam, wicked
and with blame before God. Oh, we're blamable. We have much
to be blamed toward. But He chose us in Christ Jesus
the Lord that we should be holy and without blame. before Him
in love. And why did He do that? Because
it pleased Him. Because it pleased Him. That's
what Scripture says. It pleased Him to do so. All
of us fell in Adam. In Christ, God chose us and put
us there. But secondly, not only are we
in Christ, in electing grace. But secondly, the Scripture reveals
that we're in Christ in regenerating grace. I want you to turn to
1 Corinthians 12, verse 12 and 13. 1 Corinthians 12, verse 12
and 13. Almighty God eternally chose
to show mercy to His people and considered them in this marvelous
and mysterious thing called election. He always has looked upon His
people in Christ. Christ has always stood for them. He's always stood for them. Always
been their surety. That's the Father's will. This
is the Father's will which has sent me. Of all that He's given
me, I should lose nothing. That's the Father's will. Raise
them up, last day. So when we say in Christ, first
of all we talk about election. That's in Christ, election. But
something happens in time. Something happens in time. We
were chosen from before the foundation of the world. But we were born
in this world, Brother Frank, in time. And we walked just like
everybody else walked. We were all children of wrath,
wrathful before God, even as others. We had the same mind,
same attitude toward God as everybody else. We all hated God. We all
hated Him. The carnal mind enmity against
God. But something happened in time. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 Verse
12 and 13, For as the body is one, and hath many members, and
all the members of that one body, so many are one body, so also
is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. Now here's what
Paul the Apostle is saying. God eternally chose us in Christ
that we should be holy and without blame. But also in the process
of time, something happens in time and we're actually baptized
into Christ. by the Spirit of God, baptized
into one body, brought into reality and understanding of what God
eternally purposed to do. So being in Christ, there's no
condemnation to them which be in Christ. We must have first
been chosen by God to be in Christ. to be represented by Christ.
And then in the process of time, the Spirit of God, God Himself,
who blows as the wind. You don't know where He's coming,
where He's going. He comes through the preaching of the gospel of
God's grace, the power of God unto salvation, and does something
that only God Almighty can do. He gives a man A new heart. He gives him a new mind. He births
him from above. Listen to this scripture. We've
read this so many times. John 3, 3. Barely, barely, I
say unto thee. And you know, there's some people
that say that if you're one of the elect, that you don't really
have to believe. I'm serious. If you're one of
God's elect, you don't have to believe. I mean, you can go through
this world, you know, biggest rebel that this world has ever
seen, and when you die because you were one of the elect, bam,
you're going to be in heaven. You were one of God's elect.
No, no. I'm going to tell you this right
now. If the Spirit of God doesn't regenerate you according to God's
eternal will and purpose and call you out of darkness and
give you a new heart and give you faith to believe, you're
going to perish. I can make good on that. John 3.3, Verily, verily, truly,
truly, the Lord said unto Nicodemus, I say unto thee, except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. He cannot. It's going to take Almighty God
to elect a man, a woman, unto salvation. God's going to have
to purpose it. And God the Spirit's going to
bring it to pass. And He's going to give that man,
that woman, a new heart. A new mind. And He's going to
make them willing in the day of God's power. And they're going
to be born again. And they're going to come. They're
going to come to Christ. But thirdly, we're said to be
in Christ by faith. I want you to look at Galatians
3.26. Galatians 3.26. We're not saved because of faith.
We're saved by grace, and God gives us faith to believe it.
is not our salvation. Christ is our salvation. Remember
Simeon holding the baby when he came in? Mary brought him
in to be circumcised and he was holding that little infant and
he said, Lord, now let your servant depart in peace for mine eyes
have seen thy salvation. Salvation is a person. But being
in Christ, when we say we're chosen in Christ, we're birthed
into Christ, baptized into His body by the Spirit of God, and
then thirdly, we're said to be in Christ by faith. Galatians
3, 26-29. The Scripture says, For ye are
all the children of God by faith. in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There's neither Jew
nor Greek, there's neither bond nor free, there's neither male
nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the
promise." So here's an amazing thing. Whenever the Spirit of God makes
a man willing in the day of God's power, gives him a new heart,
gives him a new mind, he's made willing to come to Christ. And he comes to Him, and he cries
out for mercy. God's already shown him mercy.
And the Lord said, He that cometh to Me, I will in no while cast
him out. So God the Father, being in Christ,
chose His people in Him. The Spirit of God regenerates
them and it's evidenced by they come to the Lord and they ask
Him for mercy and He receives them unto Himself. So when we
say, in Christ, salvation is by the grace of God, not by works,
not because they came. They came because God gave them
a new heart to come. God purposed it, the Spirit of
God brought it back. Now, does a man have to believe
to be saved? Mark 16, 16, he that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved. Baptism doesn't save, I can tell
you that right now. The Lord told his disciples in
Matthew 28, 19, you go into all the world and preach the gospel
to every man. Baptizing. In the name of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the outward confession
of our faith. Men and women that are truly
converted, believe the Lord's done something, they need to
be baptized. That's the confession faith. He that believeth is baptized
shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be
damned. So, back in Romans 8, There's therefore now no judgment
to them which are in Christ, to those that were chosen by
God eternally, to those that the Spirit of God regenerates
by grace and power, and those that evidence that by faith,
by faith, they're in Christ Jesus. These are they who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit. Now that is a real revealing
last phrase right there. Those who walk. What is a man or woman's walk? That's the bent of their life,
the bent of their desire, the bent of their will. They have
a new will. Not that old will that will not
come. God's people are willing in the
day of His power. But God's given them a new heart,
a new love for Him. That's their conversation. That's
their manner of walk, manner of their life. And the best examples
that I can give concerning walking after the flesh and walking after
the Spirit is found in the Scriptures. Turn to Luke. Here's what it
is to walk after the flesh, to mind the things of the flesh.
Luke 18. Luke 18. Luke 18.10. This is what it is to walk after the flesh. Here's
what it means before I read this. It's to think that I am accepted
before God by my works, by my will, by my virtue. Now, Luke 18, 10 to 12. Here is a setting forth of what
it is to walk after the flesh. Two men went up into the temple
to pray. the one a Pharisee and the other
a Republican. And the Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank Thee that I'm not as other men
are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. I fast
twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. I walked down an aisle. I prayed
the sinner's prayer. I was baptized. I read my Bible. I pray through. I've decided
to accept Jesus as my personal Savior. Minding the things of
the flesh, walking after the flesh, is to think that this
flesh has the ability to please God. That's what it is to walk
after the flesh. The Apostle Paul, Philippians
3, said that that was his very attitude. Paul said, that was
my attitude before the Lord called me out of darkness. Philippians
3, 1-9, finally my brethren rejoice in the Lord. To write the same
things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it's
safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil
workers, beware of the concision, for we are the circumcision which
worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence
in the flesh, What he's saying is, if anybody could have some
confidence in walking after the flesh, if any other man thinketh
that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more circumcise
the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
and Hebrew of the Hebrews, touching the law of Pharisee, concerning
zeal, persecuting the church, Touching righteousness which
is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained of
me, those I counted lost. For Christ, yea, doubtless, I
count all things lost. For the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ
and be found in Him." Having Him as my representative.
Having Him as my surety. having Him as my Savior, having
Him as my Redeemer, not having mine own righteousness, which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. Paul said, not my faith, but
His faith, charged to me. That's what he's talking about.
But that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness,
which is of God by faith. We believe that it is His faith,
Pat, imputed to us. We believe that. That's what
we believe. We believe that Christ lived
for us, died for us, and robes us in His righteousness. That's by faith. Every unbeliever walks after
the flesh, thinking that he has the will and the ability to please
God. Walking after the Spirit is to know and believe that when
Christ died, being made sin, He died for me and put away my
guilt. It is to believe that when He
lived, and charged His righteousness to me. That the righteousness
in which I'm accepted before God is not mine by product, but
it's His to me by grace. That's what it is to walk after
the Spirit. It is to believe that God Almighty
spewed out that which was my due that when Christ died, He
was made sin for me in particular, and all that were chosen in Him
from before the foundation of the world. That's who He died
for. And being put in Him, they died in Him under the judgment
of God. Just like Noah was in the ark,
and the rain fell on the ark, and the ark rose up and was sustained
on top of the judgment that God had spewed out on the rest of
the world. And all in the ark lived, because
they were in the ark. When He died, we died. The wages of sin don His death.
I deserve that. But when God Almighty spewed
out His wrath on what I am, I was there. Paul said, I was crucified
with Him. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not
I, but Christ lives in me. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is all of grace. Last verse, Romans 8, verses
5 to 10. Romans 8, verses 5 to 10. For
they that are after the flesh, those that are trying to please
God by their works, They do mind the things of the
flesh. That's what they love. They love thinking that they've
done something to please God. But they that are after the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded, that
is walking after the flesh, is death. But to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. Doesn't it just settle your heart?
You that believe him to believe that salvation is of the Lord. I can't maintain this. I couldn't
produce it. I didn't purpose it. I didn't
bring it about. I didn't apply it to me. God
did. And He promised that He's going
to keep me. Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God. For it's not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he's none of His. And if Christ be in you, the
body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because
of righteousness. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which be in Christ. To them who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart for Christ's sake.