The King's Pardon

You come to Christ, you brought everything about you to him, both past and present and future. You brought it as a word of the living arts and it was dismissed at the door. The perfect judge will not condemn you because you are safe in him. So Paul can deliver centuries after that event in the book of Genesis.

The Spartan vets for all of us. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. That is the king's problems. That is, welcome to wisdom from the heart glad you joined us for this don't need to try to impress God by repeating dozen words and phrases every Sunday. You don't need to feel the pain of nails in your own hands and feet. The sun has already taken the pain and the punishment for you. There's nothing for you to do but open your heart and believe the king's pardon will you do that today on today's broadcast Stephen takes you to Romans one there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Let's learn what that means right. We arrived this morning.

Back in our study of the book of Romans chapter 8 verse one where we have received is a word in the mail.

A direct letter from God. The king's pardon as your attorney. I want you to know as we approach this chapter. It is a great chapter. It is a great chapter. It has been written with sterling commentary. There are many who believe that chapter 8 of Romans is the greatest chapter in all of the Bible. I don't know if we could say that maybe at the end of our study will know one man put it this way. He said if the Bible were a cluster of precious jewels. The book of Romans would be the diamond in the middle and chapter 8 would be the sparkling tip of the diamond. The chapter begins with the words, no condemnation, and ends with no separation in verse one where I want to turn our attention this morning. The king's pardon is revealed where we read. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus know immediately. The glittering gospel was very evident and apparent to us all. He says there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The religions of the world could never conceive of such a statement of such a pardon. Surely this couldn't be true. We have already been told in this letter that were all sinful.

There is no one righteous, no not one. Chapter 3 verse 10 we have been told that we are all without any excuse. Chapter 2 verse 10 we have learned that we have all sinned and because of that we fall short of the glory of God. He says in Romans 323 the wages of sin. The penalty of sin is death in chapter 6, verse 23 and we have discovered our propensity to sitting in chapter 7 is wrapped around us like a decaying corrupting corpse in the last verse of chapter 7 we are faced with the reality that sin will literally dog our heels for our entire lives. You come to the end of all of that and you would expect to read. There is therefore guaranteed condemnation for everybody. Surely mankind can get off the hook without some sort of payment.

The natural mind of man would demand.

There can be no such thing as pardon without you got to do something you gotta do something for God this week in preparation for this I studied the theology of penance, which is literally in every religion around the world. Every religion Webster defined penance as punishment for suffering under gone to atone for sin, penance, as many of you probably know, is one of the sacraments of Roman Catholicism who, along with the Orthodox Church, which you may not know also teaches that penance is the act whereby the sinner can atone for sins committed might be praying a certain number of prayers. It might be doing a certain number of good deeds and other countries I learned and in other religions. People do all sorts of things to earn a sense of pardon, surely eternal. Pardon the pardon of the king could not come without doing something at least spend a little time in jail at least go through a thorough application.

At least wait. Surely you can't get it simply by asking, so the mankind's mind has come up with all sorts of things I read one news report from San Fernando Philippines were 10 men and one woman were voluntarily crucified in a bizarre ritual of penance. They were eventually taken out of the crosses, but I read close to a thousand residents and tourists from all around the world watched under the hot sun is 11 people staggered into offense know were neighbors dressed as Roman centurions awaited with wooden crosses and hammers in foreign snail one man named Chito St. Joanne grimaced as the nails were driven into his palms and feet as he was nailed to the cross. The cross was hoisted aloft for the crowd to see this is the 14th year in a row that this man has had his hands and feet nailed to a cross one American tourists said it's amazing to see people sacrificing themselves for their sin. I would call it amazing, tragic from Thailand. I read where the blouse are about to head with the gospel of this pardon the value of penance is received by abstaining some food. One major religion that I encounter that I can't even pronounce some sure the blouse will be able to one day and tell me more about it, but they teach that the luminaries in the sky our God, they believe the gods receive their superiority that they are shining with great joy because they fulfilled the conditions of penance, without a doubt, they teach quote through penance, the very status of Godhead may be acquired.

I found this theology in religions located in Japan and China and India. Hinduism is rifled through with this thought and belief, every 12 years. Millions of Hindus flocked to one particular city where they believe that dipping in the Ganges River will cleanse away the sins they committed that year and hundreds of people are literally killed in the rushing of the mob to the edge of the river.

You might say what I'll do that America, although they're building a Buddhist or a Hindu temple at the rate of about one a week now in this country.

At least they're not rushing to the river yet right.

Well, they don't go to Jordan Lake yet police not from what I know, however, that sounds very similar to the Jordan River will take somebody very long before the will to some sort of mystical experience debating it is water.

I remember watching one televangelist selling water from the Jordan River, telling those who watch them if they'll just give their gift and get their money to handle send them the water and it has mystical power, he didn't realize how close his mysticism was the Hinduism when a false teacher. He was for the large part in this country, millions of people do penance on the ways they believe they can atone for their sins, primarily by attaching to their sinful living. Good thing, good deed. Mohammed Ali recently in a interview I think sums up this view very well when he said this one day were all going to die, and God is going to judge our good deeds and our bad deeds and if the bad outweighs the good you go to hell. But if the good outweighs the bad.

You go to heaven.

Unfortunately, that is the typical view of religions not only around the world, but certainly in our country. Let me give you one more illustration a magazine article told of a 67-year-old man who donated over 100 pints of blood over the years, no doubt many people of their lives to this man's incredible kindness and self-sacrifice.

When asked by a reporter why he did it.

He responded with these words. Quote when the final whistle blows and God asks me what'd you do I'll say I gave 100 pints of blood. And then he added that ought to get me in. How tragic this man is counting on the giving of 100 pints of blood to get them into heaven is going to discover one day he has depended and trusted in the wrong blood. The apostle Paul is already declared in Romans five verse eight but God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, much more than having now been justified and made right with God by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through him. He wrote to the Ephesians in chapter 1 verse seven in him we have redemption through his blood, the sacrifice of Christ alone delivers us so Paul can come to this point in chapter 8 verse one and deliver this incredible statement. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I want to take the remainder of our time and take a closer inspection of this verse by looking at five keywords or phrases. The first one simply begins with the words, there is therefore these are words of summary. In other words based upon what Paul has taught not just in the previous verse, not just in the previous chapter, but in the previous letter that he has written that man is sinful, but Christ is the Savior of sinful mankind than man cannot save himself, but can be saved by Christ alone. With all of that in mind, he begins the pardon by saying now based on that. There is therefore word of summary, there is therefore now this is the word of safety. By the way you want to know the words there is are not even provided in the original language there implied and given by the translator to make sense of the phrase for the English reader, simply read or translated, it would read. Therefore now, and I like that it has a little bit more punch therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Now the Greek word noon so word with reference to time in the present and the present time. You could actually amplify Paul's words to read. Therefore, at this very moment. Or, therefore, at this present time 20 segments incredible.

Paul is actually emphasizing the fact that you do not have to wait until you get to heaven to find out whether or not your condemn there a lot of people running around saying they hope to get into heaven but they don't know for sure the way till I see them. You'll have to wait right now. Pardon can be yours for those who place their faith in Christ alone for those who receive from him the free gift of salvation. You are safe now. Now you are safe.

Think for a moment with me your eternal life does not begin when you go to heaven began when you accepted Christ you already have eternal life. This mortal body will pass away.

It won't last to be given an incorruptible body, but your spirit has been granted eternal life now therefore now you are safe and I can help with. But see, the comprehensive sweep of this phrase he doesn't say. Therefore, to those who are mature you can know you're not under condemnation or to those who have their spiritual docs all lined up. You can rejoice in this part, no heat, he implies everyone who is in Christ Jesus, we would act that way we would expect God to withhold the sweeping pardon and let only the really godly children of his in on this truth right, only the good ones find out the way I'm tempted to be at times right as a father, let the good kids of mine can't get in on the good stuff. You may remember the story of the businessman was called up front of an audience of businessmen and women together to hear the lecture on motivation lecture asked. He pulled one man up and he had a steel beam lying across the stage and asked the man if you be willing to balance himself to walk across that beam for $20.

The man said sure so we got on the demon. He walked across and received his $20, then the man said. Now, if I took that beam and I placed of the very top of 40 story high skyscrapers balance them between the roofs of those two buildings would you be willing to walk across that beam for $20 and the man said of course not. Another lecturer press this point he thought a high heaven. Here he doesn't have enough motivation so he said what if I had on top of one of those buildings, one of your kids and I said if you walk across this beam. I want to push your child over what would you do now would you do it in the man thought a second and then asked which kid do you have, God is entirely motivated toward the safety of everyone of his children, no matter who you are. He is not only entirely motivated, but he is eternally motivated toward your spiritual safety and he wants you all to know it. If you are in Christ, you are safe now and forever. The next word is the word no. Therefore now no, this is a word that communicates certain is a very strong negative term negative adverb fact in the Greek New Testament. This adverb appears at the very beginning of the sentence in the Greek writers would do that to emphasize their point.

Absolutely no one translator wrote it this way. No, not even one little bit of condemnation for them in Christ Jesus. No. No way. Not a chance. That's what Paul is trying to communicate his word. A wonderful word of certainty. There's absolutely no possibility of condemnation so we have word of summary, we had of the word of safety. A word of certainty and now word the demands substitution. Therefore, now know what no condemnation.

You know that word only appears in the letter to the Roman believer and only in chapter 5. In addition to chapter 8 it relates to the sentencing of a crime, especially to the penalty that the verdict demand hears Paul's point. He is in effect saying there is no penalty for crimes against God can imagine it.

Religion could never conceive of such a thing. This is an amazing declaration. There is no sentence to serve you notice the Bible does not say there are therefore no grounds of condemnation.

There are no grounds of accusation Paul does not say there is nothing in us that deserves condemnation there is. There are grounds of accusation. There are plenty of grounds of condemnation. He simply says there is no condemnation.

How could God ignore the grounds of our deserved guilt and condemnation. How can God not deliver a sentence at least for a day maybe an hour or a week a month maybe a year. How can he not demand some sentence against his holiness. So how can Paul say there is not one little bit of condemnation in the mind of God.

It is the next phrase that explains how therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. These are the words of eternal security. See being a Christian is not simply having an outward identification with Christ. But becoming an inward parts of Christ. So Jesus Christ was condemned, he satisfied the wrath of God.

He satisfied the judgment of God.

For those who come by faith in him. We are no longer within the reach of God's wrath, for we rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Let me give you an Old Testament event that illustrates this New Testament mystery. Remember the story of Noah and know is what art he built that Barca took a more 100 years after the barge was completed, God commanded Noah to cover with pitch within and without that tar -like substance that would keep the water out. It's interesting that the word for pitch is the same Hebrew word used in other places of the Old Testament, translated atonement. The ark would become a symbol of atonement, and if you would. It would face the wrath of God.

It would endure the sentence of God on earth would face his wrath, and all those on the inside of the arch would be safe out of reach those outside would face the wrath and judgment and condemnation of God they wouldn't come to that which represented atonement.

You probably remember after Noah and his family built the ark.

You probably remember that God never said I go take eight long nails and hammer them on the outside of the ark, and you go out there when the rain starts you hang on you strap yourself on you. Hold on as best as you can and if you can hold on you be saved know he never told him to do that.

In fact, they went inside the arc in Genesis chapter 7 verse 17 says God shot the door behind them security for them was the hand of God. They were within that which represented atonement sacrifice for their sin and then the wrath of God fell those within were saved and those outside the ark were lost what it meant for Noah and his family to be inside the ark it means for us to be inside Christ.

Christ our secure atoning art salvation has against him. The wrath of God been poured and we in him are safe forever. What a pardon. What about the unbeliever, the one outside.

Paul wrote in second Thessalonians 1.

Seven the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction.

Why because they were not in the one who paid for that destruction to take place against his own body and they will be removed. It says from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, the Lord Jesus warned of this himself in Mark 1615 he said to them, going all the world and preach the gospel to all creation and eyes are going, keep this in mind, keep this thought in your mind.

He who has believed evidencing that belief and baptism shall be say, but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned so the world is divided into two classes, no matter what religion no matter what system no matter what theology those outside of Christ, depending on themselves and those inside of Christ, depending upon him. Those on the outside trying to pay for their sins themselves by a number of different mean and those whose sins have already been paid for in Christ, my friend.

If you're outside the ark today. We've already been told that judgment will come against you in one day. If you are outside of Christ.

It will be eternally too late.

And so I offer you what Paul offered me Romans chapter 8 verse one. This is the Kings pardon. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who were in Christ Jesus. Let me quickly wrap up our study by offering a couple of wonderful benefits that comes from the Kings pardon for those who perceived it or hundreds of them.

It was hard to whittle it down but I whittle it down to two number one the Kings pardon silences the guilt of your conscience concerning the past, silences the guilt of your conscience about the past. Isaiah refers to Satan as an accuser and we give them plenty to work with. It only he accuses the brethren. The Lord intercedes for us. We saw on Job how the accuser when in the presence of God accusing someone on earth. We have every reason to believe he does that today I can imagine him accusing whispering in the year of Peter. Peter remember the courtyard to David remember that day with Bathsheba to Paul himself. Remember, the murder of Stephen. You were part of it. What does he whisper to you. What does he accuse you of. Remember that thought. Remember that adultery. Remember that lie. Remember that abortion remember that plan. Remember that word. God says in his word and want to listen very carefully. I even I am the one who wipes out your transgressions for my own sake and I will remember your sins no more. Isaiah says, those who are in Christ are transgressions have been wiped away. God says I will remember your sins no more. God chooses, as it were to forget. So ladies and gentlemen, when that old liar comes up and whispers in your ear.

I recommend you take him to Mount Calvary and you point to the cross, and you remind him that God has forgot.

Amen.

You remind them of why you don't have to drag a big rock along the path is one man I saw a picture of lying on his back, chained to his ankle wrapped around a big boulder inching his way on his back to another city to pay for sin, you need to repeat a dozen prayers a jog. God's memory, you have to feel the pain of nails in your own hands and feet to impress God the son is already taken the pain and the punishment for you and there is nothing for you to do, but open the mail as it were, and with your heart believe the Kings pardon and receive it. It's free, it is staggering to be so and minds of men could never conceive of it. But God delivers number two, the pardon of the king subdues the anxiety of your heart toward the present and future. Paul wrote to Timothy, these words listen when were faithless, he will remain faithful for he cannot disown himself urine him to disown you would be to disown his son. God cannot disown himself.

You are safe in him now forever. John wrote these words. This is how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything.

First John 319 at 20 I love the fact that he adds that at the end he knows everything that ensures that we will stand before him and one day José, although I didn't know that about you while I didn't see that in order to know you said that I didn't know you. You heard that I did a plan that or did that know he knows everything about you and he knows everything about your sin. And when you come to Christ, you brought everything about you to him, both past and present and future. You brought it as a word of the living art and it was dismissed at the door. The perfect judge will not condemn you because you are safe in him.

So Paul can deliver centuries after that event in the book of Genesis. This pardon, that's for all of us. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.

That is the Kings promise that is the Kings pardon. Thanks for joining us today here on wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi.

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