Every Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with songs of joy and hopeful proclamation. “He is risen!” we declare. And rightly so. The empty tomb is our assurance that death has been defeated and that those who are in Christ will one day rise again to enjoy eternal life.

But Easter offers even more than the promise of future resurrection. It also speaks to our deepest need right now: the need to be sure that we have been made right with God.

The cross and the empty tomb don’t just promise us future resurrection—they ground our present assurance before a holy God. They answer the question: What gives us confidence to stand before God on the day of judgment?

For much of my life, I believed that while the gift of resurrection was universal, continued right standing before God depended on my ongoing faithfulness and worthiness. Salvation was a journey, but never a secure destination.

But I was mistaken. I didn’t yet understand the full extent of what Christ accomplished on the cross. I didn’t realize that it was not my works, but the death, resurrection, ascension, and active intercession of Christ that secured my standing before God.

In Romans 8, Paul brings the first half of the book to a glorious crescendo. He has shown us our sin, our helplessness, and the saving grace of God in Christ. And now he declares the astonishing result:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

This is not a mere possibility. It is a present reality. If we are in Christ, then there is no condemnation. None from Satan. None from others. Not even from God. As Colossians 2:13–14 says:

“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness… he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Paul continues in Romans 8:33–34 with a courtroom image:

“Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

Paul emphasizes that God will not condemn us because the penalty for our sin has been paid. The resurrection proves that the payment was accepted. The ascension shows that Christ’s work is complete. And even now, Christ stands as our perfect advocate, praying for us, defending us, and ensuring that no accusation can stand.

“He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

This is the glorious truth of Easter: In Jesus, we have not merely been given a conditional pardon—we have been declared “not guilty” with finality. We’re not on spiritual parole, waiting to prove ourselves. We have been adopted into the household of God, brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13), and freed from the debt of sin forever. And we have a perfect advocate who “is able to save completely” since “he always lives to intercede for” us. (Hebrews 7:25.)

We are no longer defined by our failures. We are not enslaved to fear. We are clothed in righteousness, kept by grace, and held by the strong hands of our Savior.

What a glorious, freeing, joyful truth.

A Word to Those Who Have Carried the Weight of Worthiness

If you’ve lived or are living under a system that told you your standing with God depends on your own faithfulness—whether through constant repentance, temple worthiness, or moral achievement—I want you to hear this:

Jesus has done what you never could. He not only paid your debt but gave you his perfect record. He rose from the dead so that you could live in freedom and confidence, not fear and uncertainty. In him, there is no condemnation. Not now. Not ever.

If you’re still struggling to believe that this is true for you, go to Romans 8. Read it slowly. Soak in the truth. And remember: your confidence doesn’t rest on how perfectly you are keeping God’s commandments. It rests on how perfectly he’s holding on to you.

If you want to hear more about this topic, I highly recommend this years Good Friday and Easter Sunday sermons from Pastor Scott Hollingshead at Doxa Church. Scott spoke on Romans 8:1 and 8:34 in these sermons and so many of my ideas are inspired by his!