In the eighth chapter of the Book of Romans Paul shows us how to behave in order to attain eternal life. He explains to us how to be saved from our sins, how to become able to dwell in the consuming Fire who is our holy God.

First, Paul reminds us we have been set free from condemnation. We always must keep this in mind or we will succumb to despair during the fierce strife we are compelled to engage in throughout our warfare. God always is present to forgive us and help us provided we are continuing in His Spirit.

Notice, in verse four of the eighth chapter, how de jure (legal) and de facto (actual) salvation work together to save us from our sins. Our freedom from condemnation (de jure status) holds true provided we follow the Spirit of God into actual (de facto) righteous behavior.

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not in the appetites of the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

According to the above verse, the righteousness of the Law (of Moses) is not fulfilled in us who make an initial profession of Christ as Savior and then walk in the flesh but in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.

The current Christian preaching often portrays our de jure status as a permanent, unconditional amnesty.

It certainly is not a permanent, unconditional amnesty according to numerous passages of Scripture.

If our imputed freedom from condemnation were a permanent, unconditional amnesty, holding true while we walked in the flesh in our self-will, the Kingdom of God would be a flimsy structure indeed.

In actual fact, the de jure freedom from condemnation is a legal device that the Judge of Heaven is employing in order to produce a new creation. When the new, actually righteous creation is not being created, the de jure freedom from condemnation is not achieving its intended purpose and will be withdrawn. We will be cut out of the Vine (John 15:2).

The Father stands waiting for the prodigal son to come home; but to come home a sadder, wiser young man, not a wild rebellious youth who will turn the family home into a den of uncleanness and confusion. Salvation has as its goal the creation of a holy city, not a hell to which God has assigned a de jure status of freedom from condemnation.

The condition on which we receive righteousness is in force when we do not walk in the passions of the flesh but after the Spirit.

God does not impute (ascribe) righteousness to believers who are walking in the ideas and lusts of the human personality. This is a clear statement of more than one passage of the New Testament. Yet, if we are hearing and reading correctly, the current Christian teaching is unashamedly to the contrary. "Salvation is unconditional," the leaders of the churches announce. They advance their philosophical proofs, allegories, similes, metaphors, and traditions to support their statements. But the written Word of God authoritatively, steadfastly, and eternally denies their claim.

To be continued.