Rom 8:1- No Condemnation?

Romans 8:1

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

This verse is pretty clear, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ. The word for "condemnation" means "to judge and then condemn", in other words, "judge and find guilty". The only thing that can counteract a guilty judgment is a proclamation of emancipation. 

Scripture is very clear that all men will be judged. There will be a day of accounting for every one of us. Paul tells us, as believers, that "...each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Rom 14:12). If we have to give an account of ourselves to God, we are all in trouble. Why? Because each one of us has "sinned and fallen short..." (Rom 3:23). In other words, we are not only guilty, we are condemned!

Here's the good news for believers in Christ. We have that proclamation of emancipation. We have been declared free of condemnation, free of the consequences of sin! We have been pronounced just by the one true God who will judge everyone. We have been...justified! How? By faith, through grace (Rom 3:24, Eph 2:8). God, in  His grace and mercy, gives us faith and our faith allows us to be declared free of the condemnation we deserve. Free by virtue of the price for our sins having been paid by the only sinless one, Christ.

So, what happens on judgement day? We will be judged. I believe none of us will fully understand the magnitude of God's grace until we fully understand the depth of our sin. At that moment, when we are found guilty and find ourselves staring into the abyss, our hearts will be pierced by the words of the modern hymn, "To look on Him (Jesus) and pardon me...". God will find us guilty, look upon His only Son, and set us free. 

Our salvation is complete in Him, now and forever. The next three verses in Romans 8 make it very clear that this is a result of the work of Christ in transforming us from condemned sinners into His likeness. What a beautiful grace. What a wonderful God. What a magnificent doctrine of justification He has given us.