October 4, 2026, Morning Service
Not Guilty
Pastor Greg Isom
In the seventh chapter of the book of Romans, Paul reveals to us that the law is spiritual. While he was a Pharisee he thought of the law as physical, intended to control man’s outward actions and being justified by them but when he came to the realization that the law was spiritual, then he realized that the law actually condemned him to death because, though he had physically kept the law, spiritually he had violated it. He openly confessed his struggles to us.
Romans 7:14-15 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. (15) For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
Paul is very transparent with us here as he admits to us that he struggles with making himself do the right things and keep himself from doing the wrong things. What a relief that is for me to know that Paul has the same struggles I do! He reveals to us that he is often fighting against his own spirit, his own mind. With his mind and his heart he truly wanted to serve God, but it is just as Jesus told Peter when he asked him to pray in the garden; “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:41) I believe we can all identify with this struggle; to know what is right to do but choosing to do otherwise. My spirt is willing and desires to serve, but the doing is where I struggle with my flesh being weak. Paul closes chapter 7 with a deep, honest look into his spiritual mirror and comes to the same conclusion that I do when I look at mine.
Romans 7:23-25 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (25) I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
When we look honestly into our spiritual mirror we become painfully aware of the conflict that goes on within each of us that we want to be faithful and fruitful followers of Jesus, but we are unable to walk that path on our own. This inward struggle is real and brings us back to the realization that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. Paul confesses the truth in saying “what a wretched man that I am,” seeing for certain that he stands guilty before the Lord. He is a sinner and deserves to be separated from God, as are each one of us. But notice he quickly also proclaims there is hope in this dark truth; he announces that he has a Deliverer! “Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God, though Jesus Christ our Lord!” God has made a way where there was no way! In the times that we find ourselves overwhelmed by the struggle of sin in our life, do as Paul does here remember that the work is complete. Our salvation has been paid for in full by our Deliverer, Savior and Lord Jesus and by completing His work He declares us “Not Guilty!” Paul now shows us a truth that can change everything for us.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Condemnation is expressing very strong disapproval of or judging someone as guilty. It is a term that expresses both the sentence and the execution of the sentence (no other way out). Paul has made a very clear case that each of us are guilty of sin and deserve to be justly condemned/judged by God. BUT GOD has chosen a different path for us. God is telling us here that IF we are seeking to follow Jesus (walk according to the Spirit) and are not walking according to the flesh, He does not condemn us. He has chosen to grant us grace. So when we struggle mightily inside ourselves as we discussed in chapter 7, God does not condemn us for that struggle or the sin that often follows as long as we keep our eyes/heart fixed on Him and continue to follow (more on this at the end).
Have you ever made new year resolutions to follow God closer, pray more, read more, or become more involved here at church and then not followed through? We have great intentions and make promises to God, but we fail to keep those promises because our flesh is weak. When we realize what we have done, we put ourselves in a place of our own condemnation because of our failure to follow through with our resolutions. How many of you judge yourselves (hold yourself to a greater standard) far more than you do others?
We beat ourselves up and basically condemn ourselves for our failures or weaknesses. We begin to dwell in that condemnation letting it define who we are. It is then that our enemy takes advantage of the opportunity and adds fuel to that fire by reminding us again just how wretched of a person we really are. We quickly become our own worst enemy hating who we are and all that we do, living in a constant state of self-condemnation. Our enemy then places the thought in our troubled mind that because of our sin, God also has given up on us, condemned us and walked away shaking His head at our weakness. Paul show us here that this is NOT TRUE! God does NOT condemn us for failing, sinning, or our struggles to be a faithful follower! He has NOT removed us from the Book of Life for breaking a promise to Him. He has NOT disowned us as His child and removed us from His family and our inheritance. He makes a way where there is no way.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Do you see how incredible this is!? I don’t have to be perfect because I am forgiven. My salvation does NOT depend on me and my actions, it was paid for in full by the blood of Jesus! We are justified by faith, not by our works which Paul told us in 5:1 should grant us “peace with God through Jesus.” To walk in a constant state of condemnation is not walking in peace with God at all, it is miserable. Praise God we are free from that condemnation sin brings to us. Paul explains it to us:
Romans 8:2-4 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (3) For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, (4) that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
What makes the difference for us? The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives changes everything. Paul mentions the Holy Spirit 20 times in this chapter revealing to us that all this is made possible only by God giving us His Spirit to lead and guide us. In becoming a follower of Jesus by our confession of our faith, our repentance, and our obedience in entering the water of baptism this opens the door for us to receive the Holy Spirit into our lives (Acts 2:38). It is only through the Spirit’s indwelling that we have eternal life and the privilege to not to be held in condemnation before God for our sins. The law was not weak itself, but the weakness was that we could not walk that path of perfection; we needed help. God sent His Son to account for our sin, paying the price for it upon the cross. Jesus condemned sin through His death. Remember condemnation means both the sentence and the execution of that sentence and Jesus did just that. The price of sin had to be paid; “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23). God could not simply wipe our sins under the rug, His just character demanded a payment in full. That is exactly what Jesus did by fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law freeing us from sin’s bondage. We now walk in the Spirit and display His righteousness being changed to walk in the newness of life.
Where does that leave us today? God does NOT condemn us for our failures, sins and many shortcomings. Those sins have all been paid for by Jesus and He has implemented a process for us to be forgiven and cleansed.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Our part is to recognize the sin in our life and to own up to it asking for forgiveness. God promises to forgive us and to cleanse us afresh to continue following. By our sincere confession and repentance of the sin in our lives we are showing that there is no condemnation because we are striving to “walk by the Spirit, not according to the flesh.” He has given us His Spirit to empower us to stay on course. Will we have failures and struggles? Absolutely, our desire to serve Him is great, but our flesh is weak. The key is not dwell on our failures and our own self condemnation, but allow our failures to create a gratitude within us and a love for God who loves us and has made a way for us to escape our sins. This love for God then causes us to grow in our love for Him and seek to remove our sinful ways from our life. We allow the Spirit within us to change us from the inside out fully surrendering ourselves to God to walk according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh. Though we are clearly guilty as charged, through our faith in Jesus we are declared “Not Guilty!”