This morning's message is entitled,
No Remission, No Condemnation. The gospel is not a message of
mere possibilities. It does not set forth maybes
and maybe nots, but must-bes or must-not-bes. It does not
declare possibilities, but certainties. For this reason, the word know
is ideally suited for declaring many gospel truths, for it powerfully
sets forth the impossibility of certain things. There are
two scriptures which use this little word in a most powerful
way. One utterly removes any hope of salvation apart from
the shedding of Christ's blood, and the other scripture utterly
removes any reason for fear among those who have trusted in the
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the first scripture is found
in Hebrews chapter 9 verse 22. We read there, without shedding
of blood is no remission. We are, every one of us, under
a terrific debt to God. Because God is our creator and
sustainer, it is only reasonable that we are under an obligation
of obedience to his will. Just as children in the home
are under the authority of their parents who provide all their
needs, so are all humans under the authority of God their provider.
However, since our father Adam rebelled in the Garden of Eden,
there is not one of our race who has fulfilled his obligation
to God's authority. Therefore, each of us has accumulated
a huge debt concerning righteousness. It is impossible for us to ever
pay this debt, and that for two reasons. First, it is impossible
for us to work any righteousness at all. We may do works that
look good in the eyes of men, deeds of outward morality and
kindness are sufficient. to justify us in the estimation
of men. However, it's not men before
whom we must appear righteous, but God. And God does not look
on the outward appearance, but on the heart. Our outward performances
are not sufficient to justify us in His sight, for He has already
judged our very righteousness as filthy rags. Now, if our righteousness,
the very best of our actions and motives, are esteemed filthy
rags in God's eyes, What hope have we of ever paying this huge
debt? Our attempt at paying this debt
by acts of our righteousness is similar to trying to buy a
real house with Monopoly money. Second, even if we were capable
of working righteousness, it is impossible for us to pay this
debt by our own efforts, for it is impossible that we could
ever earn a surplus of righteousness at any given time in order to
make up for past deficiencies. When we buy something on credit,
thus incurring a debt, we do so in expectation that we will
be able to earn more than is necessary for our day-to-day
needs, thus having a surplus with which to pay back our debt.
But our obligation to God requires perfection at every moment. Our
day-to-day need in the matter of righteousness is perfection.
Since it is by definition impossible to do more than perfection, it
is impossible for us to earn a surplus of righteousness at
any given point with which we could pay the indebtedness we
have incurred by past sins. Even if I could be perfect from
this moment on, I would never be free of the enormous debt
already charged to my account. Thus, the only hope left to us
for the removal of this debt is the forgiveness or remission
of our sin. When there is no way to pay a
creditor, the debtor's only hope is that the creditor will simply
forgive it. This is exactly what happens in the gospel. God simply
forgives the debt. Even more, God credits a righteousness
to the account of the sinner. But this remission of sin is
on specified terms. God is just and cannot allow
that the debt go utterly unpaid. The only coin in which this debt
may be paid is blood. The wages of sin is death, and
the currency of death is blood. According to this scripture,
there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood.
Where lies your hope of the remission of sins? I've done the best I
can, maybe you say. Well, I'm certain you have. But
that should serve as a living testimony to you that your efforts
cannot put away your sin. No doubt you admit that you sin.
If that's the best you can do, then what hope can there be in
doing the best you can? The best you and I can do is
fail. Ah, the truth of Scripture is proven. Without shedding of
blood is no remission. Maybe someone says, I go to church
every Sunday. No remission. Another says, I
was sprinkled as an infant, raised in the church, went to Christian
school. made profession of faith at a suitable age and am now
raising my children in faithful adherence to covenant demands.
No remission. Another might say, well I professed
faith and I was immersed in water. No remission. You can be certain
that any hope that begins with the word I is a faulty hope. Even if you could say, I shed
my blood, it would not be sufficient, for not just any blood will do.
In order to remove sin, the blood which is shed must not be tainted
by sin in the person who sheds it. That immediately disqualifies
all of us sons of Adam from any part in the matter. So here we
are, sinners under an enormous debt of sin which cannot be removed
apart from the shedding of blood, and the shedding of our own blood
will not do. What hope do we have? Well, the
next text of scripture with the word NO will reveal our hope. Romans chapter 8 verse 1 says
this, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus what comfort there we go from no remission
to no condemnation by some means there are some who initially
had no remission who now have no condemnation and their present
condition of no condemnation is as certain as their former
condition of no remission As assuredly as there is no remission
without blood, there is no condemnation in Christ. Why is that? First,
in Christ and His gospel we are freed from the law that condemns
us. In Romans chapter 8, it says,
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made
me free from the law of sin and death. Now the Law of the Spirit
of Life in Christ is the Gospel of Christ Jesus. It is the only
law associated with life, and the law which the Spirit declares
as He takes the things of Christ and shows them to us. The law
of sin and death is the law of God as revealed at Mount Sinai.
It is not a sinful law, but our nature is so corrupt that when
we come into contact with the law, sinful passions awaken,
and death is the only possible outcome. According to this scripture,
all those in Christ have been delivered from this law of sin
and death. It no longer has jurisdiction
over them. Is it any wonder, then, that
those whose religion is occupied with the law can never find peace
or comfort? The only thing the law can do
with sinners is condemn them. So the more I have to do with
the law, the more I shall feel condemned. But here is the glory
of it. In Christ I have nothing whatsoever
to do with the law, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with
me. As Paul puts it in another place, we who are in Christ Jesus
have died to the law. Now that may seem a bold statement
to many, even blasphemous to some. But consider the alternative. In Galatians chapter 3 verse
10 we read, For as many as are of the works of the law are under
a curse. For it is written, Cursed is
everyone that continueth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them. So we are left with only
two possibilities. We are either free from the law
or we are under the curse of the law. There is no middle ground. There's that word no again. There's
no middle ground. Now there's another thing to
consider. According to this scripture, why is it we are not under the
law? It is because we are in Christ,
meaning that we are in the same spiritual condition as the Lord
Jesus Christ. The only way that a believer
can be under the law is for Christ also to be under the law. Is
Christ at present under the law? Does He live under the jurisdiction
of the law? Is His acceptance with the Father
dependent upon His continued obedience to the commands mediated
by Moses? Does Christ observe a Sabbath
day? There was a time when this was true. For we read in Galatians
4.4, But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His
Son, made of a woman, made under the law. During Christ's life
on earth, He was under the law, being identified with us in all
matters, that He might work for us an acceptable righteousness.
At the appointed hour, God made Christ to be sin for all His
elect, thus rendering Christ not only under the law, but guilty
under the law. Now what did the law do to Him?
the law did the only thing the law can do with someone found
in sin the law exacted its full penalty Christ was made sin and
therefore Christ was made a curse and bore in his body the full
force of divine wrath as Isaiah wrote when God shall make his
soul an offering for sin and so Christ died the moment he
died he was freed from the law for the law has no jurisdiction
over a dead man And when Christ died, all who were in Him died
with Him, and were, like Him, freed from the law. The lawmongers
of our age are free to persist in their pursuit of righteousness
and blessing by the law. But those led by the Spirit are
not under the law. For the Spirit leads them to
Christ, by whose freedom they are also made free. As John 8,
verse 36 says, If the Son shall make you free, you are free indeed. Second, those who are in Christ
have no condemnation because for them condemnation has already
been accomplished. This is the shedding of blood
by which their sins are remitted. In verse 3 of Romans chapter
8 it says, For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. The law depends
on the flesh. That is, the law depends on what
the flesh can do or endure. Therefore the law cannot justify
a sinful man or fully carry out its sentence against a mortal
man, for no mortal can bear it. That is why hell is eternal.
The law can never finish its work. But what the law could
not do, both in justification and condemnation, God did fully
by one act, the condemning of His Son in the flesh by the offering
of His Son as a sacrifice for sin. For all those who are in
Christ, there is no condemnation, because for them condemnation
has already been accomplished. For those outside Christ, There
will always be condemnation, for condemnation can never be
fully accomplished by the law. There is no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus, for in Him they are considered completely
righteous, thus they are unworthy of condemnation. In verse 4 of
Romans 8 it says that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us. Notice that it does not say that
the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled by us. That
is utterly impossible. But the righteousness of the
law was fulfilled by Christ, and that fulfillment is credited
to the account of all who are in Him. Therefore, they are considered
unworthy of condemnation, and are therefore not condemned.
So, by Christ's freedom from the law, and His satisfying of
its demands both in righteousness and payment for sin, there is
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Is this
not glorious? There are many who continually
struggle with doubts concerning their salvation. Their sins lay
heavy upon their conscience, depriving them of the joy of
God's salvation. Are you among them? Then listen
to this. Can your conscience verify that
without shedding of blood there is no remission? Oh yes, you
say. My conscience regularly accuses
me of sin and testifies that no work of my hand can remove
it. Your conscience is correct. Now
if you can fully believe that truth, then with equal assurance
believe, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus. It is equally true. Admittedly,
it's not equally easy to believe. But it would be quite silly to
firmly believe God's word of condemnation, but not equally
believe His word of salvation. The conscience can be silenced
by the very blood that it demands. If conscience convicts, silence
it by a believing application of the blood that remits sin,
and go forth in full confidence that for you there is no condemnation.