But, don't you know that if you're really and truly
really saved, then you'll walk after the spirit. This is a warning to make sure that you really, really believed, because you won't slip if you did. (This message was brought to you by the makers of tongue-in-cheek brands.)
Edited to add: In seriousness, why do people tend to overlook the word "now" in this passage? Vincent says: "Connecting with Rom_7:25. Being freed through Jesus Christ, there is therefore no condemnation
now."
We are not under the law. Neither are we above the law.
Why would we automatically assume that "condemn" means sent to the lake of fire forever and ever? Let's see what the BDAG has to say about this word. Pay especially close attention to the beginning where the sense of the word is given. I'll highlight it for you:
κατάκριμα, ατος, τό (In this and the cognates that follow
the use of the term ‘condemnation’ does not denote merely a pronouncement of guilt [s. κρίνω 5], but the adjudication of punishment.)
judicial pronouncement upon a guilty person, condemnation, punishment, penalty (s. three next entries;
freq. of fines: Dionys. Hal. 6, 61
κατακριμάτων ἀφέσεις;
POxy 298, 4 [I a.d.];
CPR I, 1, 15ff; 188, 14f;
Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 28, 12;
Dssm., NB 92f [
BS 264f])
οὐδὲν κ. τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ there is no death-sentence for those who are in Christ Jesus Ro 8:1. The context (
esp. 7:24) qualifies the nature of the judicial sentence.
εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς κ. (
sc. ἐγένετο) (led)
to condemnation or
doom for all humanity 5:18. In wordplay w.
κρίμα vs.
16.—FDanker in
Gingrich Festschr. 105 (Ro).—
DELG s.v. κρίνω.
M-M.
EDNT.
TW.
http://www.baptistboard.com/#_ftn15 freq. freq. = frequent(ly)
POxy POxy = Oxyrhynchus Papyri—List 4
CPR CPR = Corpus Papyrorum Raineri—List 4
Mitt-Wilck. Mitt-Wilck. = LMitteis/UWilcken, Grundzüge und Chrestomathie der Papyruskunde—Lists 4, 6
Dssm. Dssm. = ADeissmann, various works—List 6
BS BS , s. Dssm., BS—List 6
esp. esp. = especially
sc. sc. = scilicet (one may understand, supply)
Gingrich Festschr. Gingrich Festschr. = Festschrift to Honor F. Wilbur Gingrich—List 6
DELG DELG = PChantraine, Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque—List 6
s.v. s.v. = sub voce (under the word, look up the word)
M-M M-M = JMoulton/GMilligan, Vocabulary of Greek Testament—Lists 4, 6
EDNT EDNT = Exegetical Dictionary of the NT—List 6
TW TW = Theologisches Wörterbuch zum NT; tr. GBromiley, Theological Dictionary of the NT—List 6
http://www.baptistboard.com/#_ftnref15Arndt, William ; Danker, Frederick W. ; Bauer, Walter:
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2000, S. 518