In this message, Stephen Davey opens Romans 8—a chapter many regard as the greatest in all of Scripture—with the triumphant declaration of verse 1: "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Beginning with the story of a former hockey player whose criminal record was wiped clean by the Queen's Pardon, Davey unfolds what he calls the King's Pardon, contrasting the gospel's free forgiveness with the endless acts of penance—self-crucifixion, pilgrimages, and good works—by which the world's religions strive in vain to atone for sin. Walking through five key words in this single verse, he shows that the pardon comes as a word of summary, safety, certainty, substitution, and security, and that freedom from condemnation is something the believer can claim right now, not merely in heaven. Using the picture of Noah's family sealed safely inside the pitch-covered ark while judgment fell outside, Davey illustrates what it means to be "in Christ," sheltered forever from the wrath of God. He closes with two great benefits of this pardon—it silences the accusing guilt of the past and subdues the anxiety of the heart toward the present and future—inviting any who remain outside the ark to receive Christ before it is eternally too late.
The King's Pardon
Add to Favorites