A Simple Period

Romans 8:1 …"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus …"

There is more to this verse than I have written down; this is just the first half, but I believe it's the most important half. I would also like to propose a change to it by placing a "." right at the end of this first half. In fact I would go so far as to add not only a "." to the scripture but the word … "period."

What, you may ask, how presumptuous are you anyway? How can you add anything to the Word of God? Well, isn't that what the translators have already done with many of the scriptures, including the one in question above? In fact some Bibles are not even translations but are "interpretations" by well meaning people who could be totally in error … in other words … wrong.

Why cut this verse in half? Let's look at the whole verse as it is "now" in our Bibles; at least the two I mainly use. The K.J.V. reads … "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

The Amplified reads …"Therefore, there is now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit."

Many of the earliest manuscripts do not even have the highlighted last half of this verse in them as it is given in the K.J.V. and others. Why? What does the last half hurt being "added" by the translators?

With the last half added, it totally changes the meaning of what Jesus did with the condemnation that comes from sin. The last half of this verse, if included, then requires … an act on our part … to make it sure, rather than what God has already done for us through Jesus. It then becomes all about us, how we perform in our faith walk, instead of being about Jesus and His righteousness.

Paul in this verse does not speak of the power of the blood of Jesus that has already done away with our sin; but rather he speaks of the new position that is … entirely beyond the reach … of everything to which the judgment of God is to be applied some day. And that new position is that we are in Christ Jesus and therefore any condemnation awaiting sin's judgment … can not reach us … because the whole sin issue, not just part, stopped with Jesus on the cross.

Christ felt the effect and was under our sin's condemnation while hanging on the cross in our place when He became sin, paying the total price for our sin.

Later, after His resurrection He appears before God and stands there knowing full well there could be no more condemnation for sin, or wrath to come, or judgment for sin. It had already been settled before the foundation of the world, before the cross, before He ascended to stand before God as the risen Lord.

He was there because it was settled … and that is also the position of the believer in Christ … it's settled; there is now no condemnation … period. We need that "period." It means it's final. It is finished.

Paul in the preceding chapter spoke concerning the struggle believers feel within themselves; and the main cause and reason behind that worry and question is … the sin issue and the condemnation of that sin … which brings them to question the security of their own souls. But here in this chapter he proceeds to show the solid ground and sure foundation believers have in Christ Jesus.

Chapter 8 begins with the best words of assurance concerning the security of believers in Christ … "no condemnation." However, if the truth would be told, the apostle Paul does not say there is nothing condemnable in them, for he has just acknowledged sin is in them and sin is condemnable, and it is even self-condemned by them; but He states even so … it cannot bring them into or under condemnation, because they are "in" Christ Jesus.

He says there is "not one condemnation" against them coming from God; but even so they are still liable to many illegal condemnations from their own hearts, from the world and from the devil; but of legal, justifiable ones, there are none from God the Father, for He justifies; nor from the Son, for they have His righteousness; nor from the Holy Spirit, who bears witness to their spirits, that they are … in Christ.

There is not one condemnation that now lies against them, with respect to their actual sins; though every sin deserves condemnation. Not one from the law of God, of which sin is a transgression, condemned by the law; yet it is only condemnation to them that are under it, not to them that are in Christ, of whom He has redeemed from that very law.

The word "now" in this verse must not be considered as if it supposes … nor does this suppose … that there may be condemnation later brought to them for their future sin, though not just now at this present time.

Since Christ has already borne in Himself all the condemnation their sin rightly deserved; meaning their justification is from all sin … past, present, and future … then it would be unjust for God to lay any condemnation or judgment on those who are in Christ Jesus. God's justice will not allow that to happen. If that would happen, Jesus would have borne it all … for nothing.

If the first half of this verse is not the greatest words in the Bible, especially now with the new "period" attached, I don't know what they would be.

In my opinion, which means nothing to anyone but me … I can't think of a more meaningful set of words than these in Romans 8:1 …

"There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus …" period.



Thank you Pastor Jason for reminding me of this verse and the promise behind it when you preached one of the most powerful sermons I have had the privilege of hearing in a long time. I needed to hear about that … "period."

God's blessings back to you.