Imagine that you are a prisoner on death row. A dead man walking, as once said. . . . The Neighborhood Movie:
David Zamora's Story:
Raul Ries: From Prison to Paradise:
Saved From Spiritual Death Row (cf. Romans 8:1-2) Notes:
Imagine that you are a prisoner on death row. A dead man walking, as once said. You have been rightly convicted of heinous crimes, and you know this. The due process of the law has run its course. You are condemned and scheduled to die. . . .
[That is a very paraphrased/illustrative representation of the theme of sin as expressed in Romans chapters 1-7]
Romans 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
Romans 3.23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
. . . But, as you take that last walk to the gallows poll, a deputy stops you and informs that a stay of execution has come in from the governor. Even though you have deservedly received the death penalty, your life has been granted to you by gracious pardon.
Romans 5.8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
You have been freed from the penalty of death, and pardoned by the authority of another. Even though we are condemned by our own trespasses and sins, we are saved by grace. There is no condemnation. A graphic illustration of the crush of condemnation. The ultimate car crusher.
Car Crusher Video:
No escape from its grasp and its tremendous destroying ability. The only way of escape is if a big magnetic crane picks the car out before it’s too late.
So is the law of sin and death, so is the penalty of God’s wrath and the judgment of hell.
The only way to be saved is to be snatched out of the jaws of hell through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Romans 8.32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [Spiritual]
[Subject Shift: Condemnation, conviction, and accusation]:
Romans 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus . . .
If you are in Christ, you are no longer a dead man walking, you are no longer a junk car headed for the crusher. You have been pardoned by grace. You are free from the condemnation of the law.
Nevertheless, as a Christian, you will experience conviction of sin. That is, you will feel guilt in your conscience when you sin. This is actually a good thing, ministered by the Holy Spirit.
But, Satan will try to intervene as an accuser. Trying to tell you that you are condemned, when you have been freed by Christ.
This accusation of condemnation is a lie from the pit of hell. Ask for Jesus to rebuke that lie, and don’t believe what the devil tries to put in your head.
Condemnation is bad, conviction is good. But the accusations of Satan need to be alerted.
Here I am reminded of Daniel, his conspirators set him up for a death sentence by lobbying the King for a law against prayer to YHWH. (cf. Daniel 6)
Like God saved Daniel from the jaws of the lion, God, through Jesus Christ, has saved you from the jaws of the law of sin and death, he saved you from the accuser, and he has, by grace, pardoned you into everlasting life.
Romans 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Some debate here re: whether or not some scribes, thinking the free grace offer was too good to be true, added the last phrase: "who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
No need to fully get into that here, as Paul does reflect the same teaching in Galatians.
Gal. 5.16 "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
[ . . . ]
Free from condemnation, open to experience conviction, spared from accusation.
“All the Christian has to do is to act really by the rule of the Spirit, without self-parade or quarrelling.” - Ellicott
Now, think back to our introductory illustration of the death row prisoner [but now] from the position of an observer. That prisoner knows that they have committed crimes that are worthy of death.
But, as indicative of the heinousness of sin, and its blindness, those that do not have Christ are literally dead men walking and they don’t even know it.
Or, rather, they do know it deep down inside but they suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
Acts 17.30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
Realize, repent, and return.
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