“You are no longer condemned.” That is the opening line of what has been called the crowing jewel of the book that is often called the pinnacle of the New Testament: Romans 8. And it opens with, “You are no longer condemned.” How does that phrase make you feel about yourself? About God? “You are no longer condemned.” We all have times when peace is fleeting, when hope is a phantom. When life’s pressures mount, when our sins and failures are put on display. When joy seems so buried it would take a lifetime just to uncover it. And in those times, our first thought is often, “How did I screw this up?” “What did I do wrong?” “I’m sorry, God.” We often don’t quite know how to let this opening line settle into our soul and quiet the accumulating accusations of failure that condemn us throughout our life. Therefore, we often don’t experience what Romans 8:1 is saying to us on the page of God’s written Word. Let’s read the whole passage together and ask God to help us see what He has for us in here this morning.
