Pastor David Jang (Olivet University), “You Are No Longer a Sinner, but a Son”
In Victor Hugo’s epic Les Misérables, Jean Valjean is caught stealing silverware and is dragged by the police before Bishop Myriel. Having lived his entire life branded by the convict number “24601,” trembling under the fear of condemnation and judgment, Valjean is struck by the bishop’s words like a thunderclap:
“I gave you the silver candlesticks as well—why didn’t you take them too?”
In that moment, the chains of law that had tightened around Valjean snapped. Instead of condemning him as a criminal, the bishop treated him as one who had been forgiven, granting him the gift of a new life. This was not mere kindness. The bishop’s declaration—“I have bought your soul for God”—touches perfectly the opening movement of the gospel as Romans 8 proclaims it.
The Apostle Paul’s first sentence in Romans 8—“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”—is God’s strongest defense of our souls, and a decisive verdict.
Unshackling Yesterday, Soaring on the Wings of the Spirit
At the end of Romans 7, Paul cries out, “Wretched man that I am!” confessing the misery of humanity groaning under the law of sin. Many believers, even after receiving salvation, remain stuck in this lament as they see themselves still falling into temptation.
But the gospel does not imprison us in the dungeon of guilt. Pastor David Jang (founder of Olivet University) emphasizes the theological weight of the very first word of Romans 8: “Therefore.” It is not a mere conjunction. It is a watershed declaration that our identity has fully shifted—from sinners under the law to the righteous under grace.
“The law of the Spirit of life” has set us free from “the law of sin and death.” It is like a being who once struggled on the ground under gravity, now rising into the sky by a new law—lift. Even if the pull of sin still tries to drag us down, the power of the Holy Spirit lifts us higher, so that we do not ultimately fall.
Through his preaching, Pastor David Jang offers a profound spiritual principle to believers fighting sin: do not try to suppress sin by sheer willpower; rather, overcome the desires of the flesh by walking according to the Spirit’s desires. God sent His Son and condemned sin in the flesh, breaking the bondage of sin. This is the substance of our liberation—and the driving force of sanctification.
Beyond Strange Fear: A Blood-Bought Bond That Cries “Abba”
If freedom from sin is the settling of the past, “adoption” is the elevation of status toward the future. Paul explains this astonishing truth through the Roman adoption laws of his day. In the Roman world, adoption meant that all debts and legal obligations under the former family were canceled, and the adopted child received full inheritance rights—authority and property—under the new father.
Just as Bishop Myriel called Valjean “brother,” treating him as one who belonged to God, so God has purchased us at the price of Christ’s blood and entered our names into His household registry. We are no longer defendants before a judge; we are children in the arms of a Father.
The Spirit we have received is not the spirit of slavery that makes us fear again, but the Spirit of adoption. Pastor David Jang urges deep meditation on this truth: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Even when the world mocks and Satan accuses, the Holy Spirit within us continually confirms, “You are my son, you are my daughter.” Strengthened by that testimony, we dare to call the Creator God “Abba, Father.”
This is not merely a change of address or a new religious term. It is an identity revolution: those who were cosmic orphans are seated as heirs who will inherit all things.
Heirs Marked by the Cross, Marching Toward Glory
Yet the path of God’s children is not always smooth. Paul declares, “If children, then heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” Just as Valjean, after becoming a new man, walked a road of sacrifice for Marius and Cosette, the Christian life is also a journey of following the way of the cross.
The world measures blessing by success and prosperity. Scripture, however, says that suffering for Christ is a sign of glory—proof that we are true heirs.
To believers in hardship, Pastor David Jang delivers a message of hope: the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Our suffering is not meaningless. It is part of the labor pains of a creation stained by sin, groaning as it awaits restoration—and it is the refining season in which Christ’s likeness is fully formed within us.
We live as sojourners on this earth, yet we do not ultimately fail, because the One within us is greater than the one in the world. God works all things together for good, and no tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, or any other hardship can separate us from the love of Christ.
Romans 8 is the essence of the gospel and a hymn of victory. Just as Bishop Myriel’s silver candlesticks lit the darkness of Valjean’s soul and guided him toward a saintly path, the Word of Romans shines upon us today with the light of true freedom and glory.
As Pastor David Jang insightfully reminds us: we are no longer condemned, but free; no longer slaves in fear, but honored children who call God “Father.” Hold this overwhelming grace in your heart. Fight sin without despair. Pass through suffering while fixing your eyes on glory. In the law of the Spirit, you are already victorious.