THE TWO PEOPLE THE LAW CANNOT CONDEMN

Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

October 2, 2015

In Romans 8:1 Paul said there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The condemnation in this verse is the eternal condemnation of the law.  The law of God is his judge, jury and executioner. The law curses all those who break its commandments and the curse is death. Even if a man broke just one commandment he is guilty of breaking all of them (James 2:10) and he is cursed just like the worst sinner who ever lived. But, if a man does not break the law, the law cannot curse him. It curses only those who break its commandments. But, there is only one man who has ever kept the law perfectly and it was Jesus Christ. Even though he was tempted by every sin we have been tempted by, he kept every precept and commandment of the law and the law cannot condemn a man that does not break its commandments. See Romans 5:19.

This is important to us, for Christ’s perfect obedience to the law is put to our account. This is what Paul means in Romans 8:4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. It says the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us. Not by us, but in us. What does this mean? The righteousness of the law was fulfilled by Christ in behalf of those in Christ. That is; he kept every righteous precept of the law and his perfect obedience to the law (Romans 5:19) is put to our account as if we kept the law perfectly. All the righteous demands of the law were fulfilled by Christ. His perfect obedience to the righteous demands of the law is put to the account of all those who are in Christ, thereby making them legally justified and righteous in the sight of God.

The other person the law cannot condemn is a dead man. Once the law slays a man, he is set free from future condemnation. The law has no power over dead men. In Romans 7:1-5 Paul says we are freed from the law by death, that is Christ’s death. He allowed the law to charge him and judge him and condemn and execute him for all the laws we broke and we broke them all. This is what Galatians 3:3 means: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

The law of sin and death cursed and condemned Christ for every law WE broke and every sin WE committed. And when it cursed and condemned him, it cursed and condemned us, for we died with him. His death is counted as our death for we were baptized into his death by the Spirit. (Romans 6:1-7) So, as far as the law is concerned we are dead to the law; we became dead to the law when Christ died and the law has no power over a dead man. Once it curses him to death, its power over him ceases. It cannot curse him again.

The law of sin and death cannot condemn us legally or judicially for two reasons:

(1) The law cannot condemn a man legally who does not break its commandments.

(2) The law cannot condemn a man judicially, if the man has already been condemned and executed by the law. This is why the law cannot condemn any one eternally in Christ Jesus, for all those in Christ Jesus are dead to the law and Christ’s perfect obedience to the law is put to their account. This is two of many reasons we have eternal security.