Romans 8:1 Meaning of There Is Therefore Now No Condemnation

Romans 8:1
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

Explanation and Commentary of Romans 8:1

This is one of the bedrock truths of the Christian faith. The wages of sin is death (Ro 6:23). The wrath of God is aimed at the world for sin and rebellion (Jn 3:36), but for the one in Christ, there is no condemnation, because Jesus has imputed to us his righteousness. For any who believe, he has taken our condemnation already. We did deserve condemnation for sinfulness and rebellion, but God made a way through his Son to forgive us and redeem us from his wrath. He loves us, but his justice is perfect, requiring a perfect sacrifice.

But we must be in Christ Jesus for this to apply to us. We must first see that we are in need of a savior, that we are not living according to the righteousness of God. We must see our sin rightly and repent of it, asking Jesus to save us. Upon accepting the free gift of life in Christ, we walk according to the Holy Spirit until we die, or until Jesus returns, when our mortal flesh will be changed in an instant to be like his in every way (1 Cor 15:52).

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Romans 8:1

#1 “Therefore,”
This is a rare time when the “therefore” refers to what follows, rather than what precedes. The next verse says, “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

#2 “there is now no condemnation…”
It is true that there is condemnation for sin for those who will not shift their unrighteousness onto Christ, who has paid for it, by their belief in him. God is a holy and righteous God. It would not be logical that there could be no consequences for sin even without a personal God who takes personal offense at sin. But his justice is total, and that is why he made provision in Christ for our weakness. Christians can take heart that God truly does not see our sin when he looks at us through the lens of his perfect Son, who has given us his righteousness by his Spirit.

#3 “…for those who are in Christ Jesus,”
But we must be in Christ. That is, we must believe we needed him to die for us, and we must put our faith in him to save us. Then we can say with Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives through me” (Gal 2:20).

Bible Study on Romans 8:1

Expert Overview of Romans Ch. 5-16

Biblical Translations of Romans 8:1

NIV
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

NLT
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

ESV
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

KJV
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

NKJV
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.