The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Romans 8:1 refers to our daily walk as believers rather than our initial salvation. The term "condemnation" in Rom.8:1 refers to self-condemnation, not eternal damnation. When we are not walking in our identity under grace, we find ourselves falling into Law, which brings this condemnation. In Romans 7, Paul expresses misery due to legalism rather than grace, and the term "therefore" in our key verse connects to all those emotions in Romans 7, which depicts a believer overwhelmed by self-condemnation, mirroring the defeat and depression of many Christians today.  Believers should not continue in a mindset of ignorance to Paul's doctrine, as sin is inevitable. To live in accordance with the Spirit, we must align our thoughts with our new identity in Christ, and this comes by studying and applying our grace doctrine in Paul's epistles. When we become transformed by the renewing of our mind, we start to walk by the Spirit (of the Word), and we grow in conform...

QUESTION:  How can we keep the law to please God? ANSWER: We can't! People have tried for millennia and failed. Contrariwise, Paul tells us that the law was giving to increase sin and expose our wretchedness, Rom.7:10-13; 7:24. The commandments of God, which are holy, are actually death unto me because all they can do is condemn me, Rom. 6:23. However, in 1Tim.1:9, Paul declares that there are righteous men. So, how did they become righteous if God's commandments condemn them? Well, it's because righteousness (no condemnation, Rom.8:1) comes through the faith of Jesus Christ, not our adherence to the law, Rom.3:22. Once we are righteous, we grow in godliness by obedience to the knowledge of the written Word, Rom.6:16; 2Co.10:5. By obedience we start to walk by the Spirit, mortifying the flesh, Rom.8:13, and we come to produce the fruit of the Spirit, which, as Paul says, “… against such there is no law”, Gal.5:23. Thus, we keep the law by obedience to the Word, through a...

The two administrations are vastly different. In Adam's, sin, condemnation, and death reigns. In Christ's, justification, grace, and life reigns. When we are transferred into Christ’s administration, our spiritual position with God is utterly changed. We might still be in the flesh, but our spiritual standing with God is one of grace, peace, and atonement, because of Christ’s cross work, and His righteousness imputed to us. This new standing with God is grounded upon our spiritual identity in Christ and is not dependent on our current state in the flesh. Consequently, even though we still live in the flesh, it explains why Paul can confidently write that we are declared to be dead to sin, meaning that the effects and penalty of sin, is not sentenced to us. In addition, Paul can declare that we are dead to the law because of the death of Christ, allowing us to be joined, by His resurrection, to a new ‘contract’ of justification, grace, and life, Rom 7:4-6. HALLELUJAH!! 🙌 ___...