The Sweetest Words - Nick Napier

 


Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. –Romans 8:1[1]–

Romans 8:1 is one of the most hopeful verses for sinners like me. There are other verses, of course, that offer this same hope (e.g. Ps 103:12; 1 John 1:9; Col 2:13—and many more), but those words, “No condemnation,” ring loudly in my ears today.

It’s not that sins being removed and forgiven don’t ring loudly too; but “no condemnation,” as I read those words this morning, rang sweetly and loudly and resonated—probably because I need them so.

Many things condemn me. My memory. My heart. My tongue. My actions. God’s Law. The accuser. These all stack up and weigh in upon me.

“I am the sinner.”

“No condemnation.”

“I am the chief of all sinners.“

“No condemnation.”

“My sins have gone over my head.”

“No condemnation.”[2]

Of course, there is no condemnation only for those “in Christ Jesus”—that is, united to Him, found in Him, by faith alone. And there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because He was condemned, and not spared for enemies who would be made children.” He, “did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all.”[3] So, the question then becomes, do I trust my heart’s inclination or do I trust in the promises of the gospel that all who come to Christ will not be condemned?

Those who come to Christ in faith, He will not cast out, and He will not condemn. I trust the promises of God. So, “Come, all you liars; come all you Pharisees; come, all you fornicators, adulterers, swearers and blasphemers, come to Christ and He will take away all your filth. He will cleanse you from all your pollution, and your sins shall be done away. Come, come, my guilty brethren; I beseech you for Christ’s sake, and for your immortal soul’s sake, to come unto Christ.”[4] Come and hear the sweetest words, as sweet as they were when Jesus spoke them in John 8:11, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.“[5]

__________________________________________________________

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. http://www.Lockman.org

[2] These are paraphrases of Luke 18:13; 1 Tim 1:15; Ps 38:4—not quotations.

[3] Romans 8:32

[4] Whitefield, George. Christ the Only Preservative Against a Reprobate Spirit: A Sermon Preached at Blackheath. G. Whitefield, 1740.

[5] Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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