“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:1-2

prison cellCan you imagine for a moment what it’s like to be on death row? Even worse, to know your day of execution is coming up? You’ve been found guilty of a crime and are about to pay the consequences through execution or physical death. You have no hope; no more appeals. You’ve most likely been forgotten by society. You are hopelessly alone.

I’m reminded of Barabbas, the prisoner that was set free instead of Jesus. What must it have been like for him to hear the crowd screaming ‘CRUCIFY HIM’! What must he have thought as he heard footsteps coming down the hall towards his cell after seeing the cross on the hillside from his window?

I can’t imagine the agony; the fear; the anger; the hopelessness! Every appeal had been used and failed. Every attempt at escape had been thwarted. Death literally was staring him in the face. He may have blinked back tears of anger and remorse just before he heard the guard say, “Ok. Get up. You’re out of here. You’re free. Never let us see your ugly face in Jerusalem again or next time you won’t be so lucky.”

All of life can really be summed up in two laws, the law of morality and the law of mortality. While science has made great strides in medicine, the death rate among humans is still 100%. So no matter what we accomplish in life, nothing will be good enough to keep us from death.

Morality suffers a similar fate. ‘Nobody is perfect’ is more than a cliché. It’s a fact of life. In an effort to ease the futility of trying to be perfect, some have tried to change God’s standards. Others have tried to ignore God’s rules or rationalize their behavior. But the Bible is clear that the wages of our sin is death — eternal separation from God.

King Solomon states in Ecclesiastes that he had everything he could possibly want by earthly standards yet found it was all meaningless until you turn to God.

A personal relationship with Jesus frees us from the law of death because we know that this body will someday fail, but our souls will go to be with him for eternity.

A personal relationship with Jesus frees us from the penalty of the law of sin, so we can know we are forgiven. Because of that, even though our physical bodies die, we are assured of life with him for eternity.

Live free today because of Jesus. Thank him for the freedom only he can give. Because of your relationship with him you are forever free from condemnation!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus. It’s often so easy to forget what a huge debt you paid for me on the cross. Thank you that I am no longer condemned. I lift up those around me who still suffer under the bondage of condemnation. I pray they too may find freedom in you. Amen.