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. — Romans 8:1
This verse is often heard from the pulpit or in evangelistic messages. Yet do we truly understand what it means to be condemned? Why were we condemned in the first place?
The Word of God declares that those who are in Christ Jesus are no longer condemned. The Greek word used here is katakrima, meaning “a damnatory sentence” or “judgment of condemnation.” This is a legal term rather than a religious one. A word we would hear in a courtroom when a judge pronounces a guilty verdict upon the offender.
Paul was explaining to the believers in Rome that all humanity has been sentenced to death, which is our condemnation before God. The Lord Jesus also spoke of this to Nicodemus, saying, “He who does not believe is condemned already, but he who believes in Him is not condemned” (John 3:18). Yet when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that sentence of condemnation is lifted, because Jesus paid the full penalty for our sins through His death on the cross.
But why are we condemned in the first place? Even from birth, before we have committed or understood sin, we are already under judgment. This is because of our father Adam’s transgression against God. His disobedience brought sin and death to all humanity. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). As his descendants, we inherited his fallen nature and the debt of sin that none of us could repay, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
There is no one among us who can save ourselves, because sin is already rooted in our nature. Even a small child without being taught can act selfishly or lie without hesitation, revealing that the nature of sin that is within us. That sin has made every one of us condemned and guilty. “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God… There is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10–12). There is no goodness that dwells in us apart from God.
Jesus compared our nature to trees and its fruit. He said that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit (Matthew 7:17–18). In other words, olives cannot produce grapes, and those who are not in God cannot bear the fruit of His Spirit. Likewise, those who belong to God will not continue in unrighteousness, for we are children of God and His nature will be reflected in us. As Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). And “God is love” (1 John 4:8). The first fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22), Didn’t Jesus also say that those who belong to Him are known by their fruits? The way we give love to other reveals the presence of God within us. Love abounds in our hearts not only because we love God but because God Himself dwells in us, and His Spirit bears fruit that manifests in every part of our lives.
The love that comes from God is not idle, it acts and gives. “For God so loved the world that He gave…(John 3:16). Then love of God gives what is good and perfect. It will never intends anything that leads to harm or separation from Him. As it is written, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). In the same way, our love toward others must reflect the love of God. A love that gives freely, but never harms. A love that seeks the good of others and not their hurt
Jesus declared to the people the nature of the goodness of the Father, using an earthly example to show that God’s goodness surpasses ours. He says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11). Even though we live in our sinful nature, we still know how to give good gifts to our children or to others yet how much greater is the goodness that comes from our Heavenly Father! He withholds nothing from His children. Despite our transgressions and our turning away from Him, He made a way for us to be reconciled to Himself. God demonstrated His great love toward us and to satan who influenced humanity to rebel against Him. None expected that God Himself would die on the cross in such a notorious way and be counted among criminals, all for our sake so we can be with Him eternally in His Kingdom, while satan and his minions will be thrown into the lake of fire forever. As Paul says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Such love truly surpasses all understanding. Have you felt the greatness of that love and the goodness of God while Jesus was crucified naked on the cross? The goodness of God cannot be outgiven. God Himself is the very definition and the source of all goodness.
Then a man came to Jesus and called Him “good,” the Lord replied, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God” (Mark 10:18). Jesus revealed the truth about our condition. The man wanted to justify his own goodness so he could inherit eternal life, but he went away sorrowful because he loved his earthly riches more than God (Matthew 19:16–22). He failed to keep the first and greatest commandment of all is to love the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, and strength. We are all like this man. We often choose ourselves and the pleasures of this world over God. Adam chose to follow Eve instead of obeying God and we continue to follow that same path. We are all sinful and powerless to change our nature on our own. This helps us understand what Paul means when he says we must not “walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4).
Walking according to the flesh, as Paul teaches, is not only about the outward manifestations of sin that lead to death, but also about relying on our own efforts to justify ourselves before God. It is when we try to obtain righteousness by our works by keeping the Law of God in our own strength, thinking that by doing good we can earn our way into the Kingdom of God. Many people believe that their good works will serve as their ticket to heaven, but what does the Word of God say? “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). We all failed to keep the very first and greatest commandment. To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37). This commandment is often overlooked, even among believers. Yet the failure of one commandment is the breaking of the whole Law. As Paul wrote to the churches in Galatians, those who seek to be justified by the Law have fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4). Because no one can be justified by the law, but only by the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, we obtain justification.
Jesus washed away all our sins, not so that we may continue living in sin and still expect to be with Him. Does that honor the first commandment? Living in sin is transgressing the very command to love God, for sin separates us from Him (Isaiah 59:2). How can we claim to love God while our actions say otherwise? We cannot say, “I love You Jesus,” yet continue to live in rebellion as if saying, “I love You, but I love to cheat on You.”
This is why Paul urges us to “walk according to the Spirit”. Jesus sent His Spirit to dwell within us and to give us power to bear His fruit, because He knew that after He paid for our sins, without the power of the Holy Spirit, we all will go back to the life we used to have. We see this with the disciples after Jesus death, they went back to fishing. But after they received the Holy Spirit they were all transformed. They all boldly testified about the Lord Jesus unto death and their lives began to manifest the very nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit was sent to give life within us. As it is written, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63). And to lead us into all truth, “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit gives life to us but the letter [law] kills us for it condemned us (2 Corinthians 3:6). The Holy Spirit enables us not to walk according to the flesh but to live according to the will of God, producing His fruit that glorifies the Father in us and proves that we are truly His children. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). The presence of the Holy Spirit within us manifests and flows through us, revealing the character of Christ in our lives. As it is written, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). But for those who do, “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). And the evidence of that life is the fruit He produces in us, “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). Moreover The Holy Spirit freed us from the power of sins. “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17). He transforms us daily, “from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
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