You are accepted in Christ

Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This has got to be one of the most quoted verses of the apostle Paul. How encouraging it is to know that those who are in Christ Jesus do not stand condemned before God, even though they have been prisoners of sin, captured in a body of death. Why is there not condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus? Well, the next verses explain. Today, let’s be encouraged by this great and awesome fact: If you are in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation from God for you! Every time you’ve failed to love with Jesus, has been taken out of the way because the Law has been taken out of the way. There’s nothing to condemn you. We hear this again later in chapter 8. Let’s dive a little deeper. How does one get “in Christ”? We don’t have to guess on that. Paul explicitly stated it to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 1:30. “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus.” God put you into Christ. This is said in a different way in Rom. 6:3. “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” In Rom. 7:4 Paul wrote, "Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another.” God put us in Christ. He baptized us in Christ. He joined us to Christ. That’s why in 7:25 Paul wrote, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ!” We thank God for putting us in Christ. So we are free today to live a new life without condemnation. We stand blameless before God in the righteousness of Christ. This is significant because that gives us confidence to approach the throne of God to find grace and mercy whenever we need it. We know there is nothing between us and God but His love. Out of that place of love, we draw our fullness today. We are satisfied in God’s love through Christ. His steadfast love is better than life itself and all that it offers us. We have everything we need in Jesus to love God and to love others. We have the same heart to forgive those who hurt or disappoint us that God has toward us. If you aren’t condemned, then what are you? You are accepted in Christ. Rom. 15:7 gives us clear marching orders today. “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.” Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com