Living Free from Condemnation

by Miguel Brown

Romans 8:1 is one of the most comforting verses in the Bible.

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

These words have brought comfort to many Christians throughout the years, including myself. Through these words, believers can take solace in knowing that the penalty of sin is no longer held to their account. Sin and shame no longer have control over our lives.

But sometimes it’s hard to live this reality. The shame of our past fills our thoughts; we feel as if there could be no forgiveness for what we have done. The temptation to feel condemned is real.

So how do we live in the freedom of these words? How can we, with Paul, say, “There is therefore now no condemnation”? The answer lies within the last two words of the verse: Christ Jesus.

Our Power Leaves Us Condemned

I want to start with a caveat. When we try to live the promise of this verse on our own, we are left condemned. In fact, we often condemn ourselves when we are left to our own thoughts. Not only that, but our enemy is much more powerful than we are; so, we are helpless to fend off demonic attacks under our strength.

When we strive to find freedom from condemnation through our efforts, we become hopelessly lost. This often happens when we fail to read this verse in its entirety.

Don’t Forget the One Who Freed You

We Christians are prone to either take verses out of context or fail to read them in their entirety. We like short, pithy statements and quotable phrases that easily fit into a social media bio. But this becomes detrimental to us. We don’t let the context speak for itself, which gives us an incomplete understanding of what God is communicating. Christians are then left confused when their in-isolation verse didn’t work as expected.

This applies to Romans 8:1 as well. Often, we read the first part of the sentence and stop. We see the promise of no condemnation but leave out the One who frees us from condemnation. I have been guilty of this myself.

In the past, I have read this verse and cherished its words but have forgotten that true freedom comes from Christ. As a result, the enemy and my flesh would bring up old wounds, and the feeling of condemnation would rise up in me. I was left questioning, “If I truly believe these words, then why do I still feel condemned?” I realized it was because I didn’t focus on the One who rids me of condemnation - Jesus. I didn’t pay attention to “for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

When we neglect to read the second half of the sentence, we are left without the power that drives the main argument. When Jesus is not the driving force, we are; and when we are that force, we remain condemned. But when Christ becomes our strength, freedom from condemnation is obtainable.

Christ Frees Us from Condemnation

The reason why we have freedom from the penalty of sin, the reason why we are no longer condemned, is because of Jesus. Christ is the only One who can give us such freedom. In Romans 7:24-25, Paul thanks Christ for delivering him from sin and death: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

It is through Christ’s power that we are saved. Likewise, it must be through Christ that we live in freedom from condemnation. He will supply the means to rid our thoughts of shame. Whenever we are tempted to look to our past, all we have to do is look to the glorious light of Christ to subdue our shame. For us to live a life free of condemnation, Christ must be our guide.

Whenever the enemy throws accusations at you, look to the Savior. When condemnation rears its ugly head, turn your eyes upon Jesus. He will give you peace.

Miguel Brown served as pastoral intern at MVBC during summer 2026 while studying at Spurgeon College in Kansas City, Missouri.