Free from Condemnation, Secure in Christ

Sometimes, even as Christians, we can find ourselves carrying guilt that we are not good enough and still sin and possibly grieve God because we sometimes fail when it comes to walking in obedience to Him, we forget that we should already know that we are never going to live a perfect life, however we are reminded in Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

We’re not told this so we can feel better about ourselves — we’re told it because Jesus has fully dealt with the problem of sin. The law showed us clearly that we fall short. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t meet God’s standard. The law exposed that weakness — but it couldn’t save us. Only Jesus could.

Paul says,

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son… he condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3)

Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly.
He took the condemnation we deserved onto Himself. Now, if we are in Him, there’s no judgment left hanging over us. None. We’re free — not because we’ve made ourselves good enough, but because He was good enough for us. That’s something you don’t find outside of Christ.

I was recently chatting with a Muslim colleague about our faiths. We both agreed on believing in one God, but there was a big difference when it came to salvation. In Islam, there’s no guarantee of salvation. You do your best and hope God accepts you. But in Christianity, we’re shown straight out — you can’t save yourself. You need a Savior. And through Jesus, you can know you’re saved.
It’s not arrogance. It’s trust in what He’s done. This means that we have assurance of our faith for those who have accepted Christ as savior, Christ is our guarantee. Christianity is the only faith that has a savior and the only faith that recognizes we cannot earn our way into heaven by our own merit, consider the following:

Islam
No savior.
You are judged by your deeds. Allah may choose to show mercy, but salvation depends heavily on your works outweighing your sins. No guarantee.

Hinduism
No savior.
It’s a complex system of karma (actions) and reincarnation. You keep being reborn until you reach moksha (liberation), but you must “earn” your way out through good deeds, self-realization, or devotion to gods. No assurance.

Buddhism
No savior.
There is no “God” who saves. Salvation (nirvana) is escaping suffering through self-effort, meditation, and detachment. Buddha is a guide or example, not a savior.

Judaism
No individual savior (at least not in the same way).
In traditional Judaism, salvation is tied to covenant faithfulness, obedience to the Torah, repentance, and God’s mercy. Some streams look forward to a future Messiah, but not one who dies for sins.

Other world religions (Sikhism, Taoism, etc.) —
No concept of a personal savior. Salvation is through devotion, good deeds, self-discipline, or spiritual enlightenment.

Yet Jesus said:

“Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24)

That’s the difference.
We don’t live guessing whether we’ve done enough. We live knowing that Jesus has done enough and that we are secure in Him. Romans 8 doesn’t just leave it there though. It calls us to live differently, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

The “flesh” isn’t just about our bodies. As Douglas Moo puts it,

“the whole of unredeemed humanity — human beings in their fallenness — oriented away from God, toward self.”

And John Stott explains,

“To live ‘according to the flesh’ is to allow our sinful nature to dominate our mind, will, and behavior. To live ‘according to the Spirit’ is to allow the Holy Spirit to govern these same faculties.”

We’re still in bodies that will die. We still wrestle with sin.
But now we live by the Spirit.
We’re not condemned anymore.
We’re not living under fear or hopeless striving.
We’re living in the freedom Christ bought for us.

So we just need to remember, Jesus has already dealt with it, we are free and we have our security in Him. There was nothing we could do then, now or in the future to earn our own salvation, Jesus did it all, yes, we still fail, but we are redeemed! Romans 8:13 says:

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live

Because Jesus has paid the price for our salvation and we no longer are condemned, this of course does not mean we live a life with no responsibility, Paul said in Philippians 2:12-13

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Working out our salvation with fear and trembling means taking our relationship with God seriously, responding to His grace by seeking to grow in obedience, humility, and dependence on Him. It’s lived out practically by turning away from sin, pursuing righteousness, loving others, and relying daily on the Holy Spirit’s strength rather than our own efforts. It is not about trying to earn salvation, but about allowing the salvation we have received to shape how we think, how we speak, and how we live in obedience to God and living by the Spirit and not the flesh. So yes, we may fail, but we strive to live a life which is pleasing to God, we do not lose our salvation because we might still sin, but we seek forgiveness and strive on.

What a blessing it is to know that Jesus has done it all. We don’t have to strive or earn our way into heaven. We rest in Him — forgiven, redeemed, and free.

So today, remember this: