WEEK 26 – DAY 3

June 30, 2021

ACQUITTED

Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. Romans 8:1 (AMPC)

ACQUIT’TED – Set free, or judicially discharge from an accusation; released from a debt, duty, obligation, charge, or suspicion of guilt.

The American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828.

When we see a “so” or a “therefore” in scripture, we must ask ourselves, “what is it there for?” In this case, Paul is linking chapter eight to what he just explained in the first seven chapters of Romans which is that “justification is by faith alone on the basis of God’s overwhelming grace” (John MacArthur in Macarthur Study Bible). We might read it as, “because we are justified by trust in Jesus’s death on the cross in our place, we can no longer be condemned. We have been acquitted. The judge, who is also the one who paid the price of our guilt, Jesus, has declared us “not guilty” and acquitted us of the ultimate consequence of sin, which is death, separation from God (Romans 6:23). We have been given an unfathomable gift, that One would pay the death penalty in our place! No one can condemn us since Jesus Himself has acquitted us. Romans 8:34 (Berean Study Bible): “Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God–and He is interceding for us.” The One who died in our place is not only our judge but our defense attorney, our intercessor. This acquittal only applies to those who are “in Christ Jesus” or as The Passion Translation puts it, “are joined in life-union with Jesus.” When we surrendered our lives to Jesus’s control and were infused with His Holy Spirit, God’s gavel pounded down as He pronounced us “not guilty.” Hallelujah!

Father, we thank You for this immeasurable gift of being declared “not guilty” because Jesus already paid our deserved penalty by His terrible death on the cross. We rejoice to know we are free from condemnation, can live abundant lives here on earth, and will someday live joyfully in Your presence forever!