2 Corinthians 5:21
About this verseGod placed our sin on Christ, who had never sinned, so that in him we could be counted right before God.
For those who belong to Christ Jesus, there is no longer any sentence of condemnation.
So then, those who are in Christ Jesus now face no sentence of condemnation.
Say the verse aloud, filling in each blank. Tap a blank for a hint.
Every word carries weight. *Therefore* points back to the argument just made; *now* makes it present rather than deferred to judgment day; *no* admits no exceptions; and *in Christ Jesus* names the only condition attached.
It follows immediately after Paul’s anguished account of doing what he does not want to do. That placement matters: the verdict is announced to someone who has just described losing the fight. Condemnation is ruled out on the basis of where you stand, not how the week went.
It means those united to Christ face no condemnation from God — the guilty verdict has been removed, permanently and in the present, because of what Christ has done.
Romans 7 describes the frustrating experience of failing to do the good one wants. Placing ‘no sentence of condemnation’ immediately after shows the verdict does not depend on that struggle being over.