{"id":13438,"date":"2025-07-19T09:04:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T13:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/?post_type=oyb&#038;p=13438"},"modified":"2025-07-19T09:04:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T13:04:11","slug":"condemnation-or-justification","status":"publish","type":"oyb","link":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/oyb\/condemnation-or-justification","title":{"rendered":"CONDEMNATION OR JUSTIFICATION?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cTherefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men\u201d (Romans 5:18 ESV).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In this verse, Paul draws a powerful contrast between the effects of Adam\u2019s sin and Christ\u2019s righteousness. Adam acted as our federal head\u2014our representative before God\u2014so when he sinned, the guilt and consequences of his disobedience spread to all who are born in Adam. That \u201cone trespass\u201d brought condemnation to the entire human race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Paul doesn\u2019t stop there. He also declares that just as Adam\u2019s act had consequences for all, so does Christ\u2019s. Christ, the new and better Adam, acted as the representative head of a new people. His \u201cone act of righteousness\u201d\u2014His obedient death on the cross\u2014now results in \u201cjustification and life\u201d for all who believe in Him. The consequences of Christ\u2019s obedience are as certain and far-reaching as Adam\u2019s disobedience, but with one major difference: we must be born again by faith to be included in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We were born into Adam\u2019s line, condemned, guilty, and destined for death. But through faith in Christ, we are reborn into His line, justified, forgiven, and destined for eternal life. Why would we choose to remain under condemnation when justification is freely offered through Jesus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let us consider the sheer grace of God, that though we were under the curse of sin, God made a way of salvation through faith in Christ\u2019s righteousness. We don\u2019t earn this gift; we receive it by faith. And once we\u2019re united to Christ, we are no longer under Adam\u2019s curse, but under Christ\u2019s covering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for sending Jesus. Though we were born under condemnation, You have made a way for us to be justified and receive eternal life. We put our faith in Christ, our representative and Redeemer. Help us live in light of this truth, no longer under guilt, but walking in the freedom of justification. In Jesus\u2019 name, amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cTherefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men\u201d (Romans 5:18 ESV). In this verse, Paul draws a powerful contrast between the effects of Adam\u2019s sin and Christ\u2019s righteousness. Adam acted as our federal head\u2014our representative before God\u2014so when he sinned,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"scripture-book":[1312],"scripture-chapter":[1338],"oyb_day":[1727],"location":[],"class_list":["post-13438","oyb","type-oyb","status-publish","hentry","scripture-book-romans","scripture-chapter-1338","oyb_day-july-19"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb\/13438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oyb"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13438"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-book?post=13438"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-chapter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-chapter?post=13438"},{"taxonomy":"oyb_day","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb_day?post=13438"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=13438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}