Fair weather can be easily presumed upon until stormy weather threatens. Then we long for the days of sunshine and blue skies. The same may be said concerning assurance of salvation. It is one of those magnificent gifts of God that may be presumed upon as long as life sails smoothly. But let the daunting days of condemnation and accusations arise, and we quickly long for assurance.
.Yet assurance is not simply an antidote for bitter days but the steady calm of sins forgiven, right standing with God, and consciousness of God’s love and grace. Assurance is appropriate for all seasons of life, every stage of spiritual growth, and cherished as a companion in trials and tests.
Life’s twists and turns present believers with constant opportunities to develop and grow in assurance. That’s the nice way of putting it! Realistically, when life pounds away at us, when trials bruise us from every side, when our spiritual disciplines sag, when all our plans come unraveled, when Satan’s fiery darts hurl our way, when we come face to face with the gravity of our sins, when disappointment after disappointment jerks us around, it is only the assurance that we are Christ’s and Christ is ours that keeps us pressing on.
As we’ve noted previously, assurance is not a decision that we make but an experiential gift of God. As fallen though redeemed people, we sometime struggle with believing that God could actually welcome us into His family; or that after a closer inspection of the details of our lives, that He would keep us in the family! Yet the fact is that He does preserve us rather than let us go, that beginning a good work of grace in us, He keeps it up until we stand holy and blameless before Him. Obviously, the struggle with assurance is never on God’s part! That struggle is our lot from time to time, though in the struggle with assurance we may find the greatest strength for living in the joy and hope that is in Christ.
In the face of accusations and condemnation, the definite, gracious work of God in Christ assures believers of salvation. How does He assure us that we are His and He is ours? That’s what the Apostle Paul addresses as he spirals his way up the great mountain of Christian assurance in Romans 8. We will focus on the judicial language that Paul uses in verses 33-34 in the present study, and look at the relational language in the following few verses next week (D.V.).
Paul asks a series of questions in our text. “If God is for us, who is against us?” The question expects a negative answer, “No one.” How can anyone opposing us conquer the Omnipotent God? He can’t, so we need not fret or fear. Paul further explains this certainty with an exclamatory question as he moves from the greater to the lesser in the work of God. If God did not spare His Son but delivered Him over for us all—the greater—“how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”—the lesser. If God has done this great redemptive work through Christ, giving Him over to His own wrath on our behalf, then we can be assured that the lesser issues we face will not be neglected or overlooked by Him.
Now we come to the question of verse 33: “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” To “bring a charge” is literally the idea of “to speak out to.” It was used as a judicial term in the ancient world to imply a legal accusation. So what Paul has in mind is to ask who can bring substantial legal charge against us as lawbreakers deserving God’s judgment. These charges are not superficial but carry the idea of substantial legal charges, the kind that puts one under the weighty judgment of the law.
Who are these accusers? They come in variety. The first is within: the conscience. It is that introspective search that comes up with plenty of evidence of why you are not in God’s favor but under His wrath. What is the conscience? It is “personal awareness of moral accountability to…acknowledged norms,” and in this case, the norm is God’s law [S.R. Spencer, “Conscience,” Walter Elwell, ed., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 290]. The Apostle has already explained that the Gentiles who did not have the written law had the law written in their hearts, “their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom. 2:15). It is not that the conscience is an infallible defender or accuser. It is affected by the fall as well. Nevertheless, the conscience seems to work unflaggingly to point out our inadequacies before God’s law. When it doesn’t then it has been seared by sin.
John addressed this problem of the conscience when it comes to assurance. He declared that true believers do not go on in the practice or habit of sin but rather practice righteousness (1 John 3:4-10). The believer loves his brother, shown by his loving generosity toward others (1 John 3:11-18). Yet even with these characteristics developing in the Christian, the conscience has a way of snooping into the inner recesses of the mind, thoughts, affections, and will, finding every piece of junk and dirt imaginable! So John tells us, “we will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things” (1 John 3:19-20). God knows the junk and dirt as well as the seed of the gospel that He implanted in us. He is greater than our hearts! He conquers even the conscience that would accuse us of every manner of inadequacy before Him. So pastorally, John anticipates that the conscience will sometime do us no favor but accuse us, condemning us for our many faults. Yet, our salvation is by the grace of God and not by “deeds which we have done in righteousness” (Titus 3:5).
Second, Satan is known as “the accuser of the brethren…who accuses [us] before our God day and night” (Rev. 12:10). He slings the fiery darts of accusation, pointing to a thought here, an attitude there, a deed done in anger, a word spoken in bitterness, a habit recurring, and doubts about the sufficiency of Christ. These come from outside of us but assault us through the mind. If we do not walk in the armor of God, having our loins girded with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and the shield of faith, then the adversary will pummel us with accusations (Eph. 6:10-20). Before we know it, we begin to believe his lies and droop to despair in our spiritual walk.
Third, the world accuses us of failure when we do not walk perfectly, squeezing us at every point to afflict us. More than anything, the world tries to convince us that our God will not come through. But remember the word of our Lord, “In the world you will have tribulation [i.e. you will be squeezed], but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Notice how Paul frames the question: “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” It is not a charge against religious people or professing Christians or church members. It is specifically a charge or accusation against the elect of God. Why does the Apostle take us back to that doctrine that he’s already unpacked in verses 28-30? It is obvious that he wants to remind us of what it means to be the elect of God. That declaration tells us of God’s sovereign kindness to a particular people out of all those in the world. “God’s elect” differs from Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, and any other group. It focuses on those “whom He foreknew” and consequently, “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (v. 29).
While many people spend their time debating this doctrine of election, to do so misses the point of the doctrine. Why does Paul call believers “God’s elect”? Is he trying to pick a theological fight? Does he just toss it in to fan the flames of controversy? Certainly not but rather he uses this term because it is a term of assurance. And how is it a term of assurance? Because it is a declaration of affection and endearment on God’s part toward sinners deserving wrath but instead, out of His kindness, chosen to receive His mercies! It explains how God looks at us—His chosen ones. That’s the kind of language that Jesus used of His disciples. “You did not choose Me but I chose you…” (John 15:16). “For many are called, but few are chosen” or elect. In other words, many are called in a general sense by the gospel but comparatively few God elects.
Now, what is the point of election? Remember that election takes us into the inner sanctum where God sovereignly chooses “according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace,” a people for Himself whom He would redeem through the bloody death of His Son (Eph. 1:4-6). Election, then, is the certainty that not only has God chosen you but that He will definitely call, justify, and glorify you (Rom. 8:29-30).
Paul very simply answers the accusations of conscience, Satan, and the world. “God is the one who justifies!” Or “God is the justifying one.” We might expect that Paul would respond to the accusers by explaining that Jesus Christ justifies us through His death on the cross. He does that in the next verse but first, rather than taking us to the legal transaction necessary for justification—the death of Christ—he focuses on the eternal Judge as the one that justifies. He goes to the heart of the divine action on our behalf to save us from sin and His own wrath. In the face of such strong accusations against us, God alone justifies. It is not our works that justify us. It is not our church affiliation that justifies us. It is not our service and good deeds that justify us. God alone justifies.
What does that mean in light of the accusations against us? First, for the accusations to stand, they must trump the power and grace of God in justifying. Their accusations must be greater than God’s declaration of justification. Second, for the accusations to uproot us, the accusers must possess righteousness greater than God’s and therefore have the moral right to overturn His legal declaration of righteousness. Just as the accusations formed a legal charge against the elect, the term “justifies” counters with the legal answer. The accusations assume our guilt. But the Judge has Himself put forth the legal answer to the charges, so that He is “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).
Listen to how Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains this divine act of justification:
To justify means more than to pardon; it means more than to forgive…it means that God makes a declaration, a judicial declaration, to the effect that He has not only forgiven us, but that He now regards us as just and righteous and holy, as if we had never sinned at all. And that is what the Apostle is emphasizing at this point. God justifies in a legal manner; He always acts in terms of Law; He must be just…. He has said that He would punish sin, and He has punished sin. But He punished sin in His Son; and because He has punished Him He does not punish me. I am acquitted. But acquittal is negative. Before I can stand in the presence of God I must have a positive righteousness because God is righteous and holy. So God not only imputes my sin to His Son, He takes His righteousness and imputes it to me. And having put the righteousness of Christ upon me He regards me as just, He pronounces that I am just [The Final Perseverance of the Saints, Romans 8:17-39, 408].
What do you do with the accusations of conscience, Satan, and the world? You return to the strong declaration of God as the one who alone justifies you.
The internal and external accusations against the believer have an aim: condemnation. It’s not just to make a Christian feel badly about his sin. We don’t need accusations for that! Rather it is to call for his rejection by God. The accusers attempt to confront the justice of God in failing to sentence us to eternal damnation. The answer to what appears to be just condemnation is the four-fold work of Jesus Christ that the Apostle unfolds.
“Who is the one who condemns?” The question is structured in such a way as to expect a negative answer. In other words, ‘who is the one who condemns?’ is met with silence in the face of our Savior and Redeemer. Condemnation implies that judgment has been cast. The one doing it attempts to take his seat in the eternal court of justice. He tries to seat himself in the position that belongs to God alone. In doing so, he offers a final verdict. He looks at our performance, he takes a look at the sins that he sees that we’ve committed (how many more the accuser has not seen!), and then demands condemnation.
But is that the accuser’s prerogative to condemn us? We might suggest that if the evidence is against us that the accuser is just in his condemnation. He may not have the authority to arbitrate the condemnation but he can certainly call for it. Like Satan, “the accuser of the brethren,” he can call for God to own up to His position as Judge and let the divine hammer of justice fall upon us.
Satan did just this against the high priest during the post-exilic period, a man named Joshua. Satan took his position at the high priest’s right hand to accuse him before God’s court of justice. Zechariah comments on the priest’s condition, “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel” (Zech. 3:3). In other words, in himself, Joshua had no righteousness worthy of commending himself before the judicial bench of a Holy God. He heard the accusations and the call for condemnation, and knew that he had nothing in himself to explain away the accusations or to commend himself to the righteous Judge.
Do you know that position before the law of God? Do you admit that you have no righteousness to commend you to God?
But the story goes on! The Lord rebuked Satan and then by grace described Joshua as “a brand plucked from the fire.” He called for the angels to remove Joshua’s filthy garments, imagery for removing his sin. The Lord declared, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you.” But he still needed righteousness to stand before God, so God called for the angels to clothe him in festal robes and to put a clean turban on his head; again, imagery describing the righteousness given by grace to Joshua (Zech 3:2-5).
That’s what God does for us! The accusers, unfortunately, often hit the mark in their accusations. We are guilty of sin, multiplied sins! We deserve condemnation. But our God intervenes by taking away our iniquity and clothing us in festal robes or righteousness. Though our behavior leaves no doubt in light of God’s law that we deserve condemnation, God acts in grace toward us. He satisfies eternal justice against us through His Son, and more so, He imputes the righteousness of His own Son to clothe us in His sight.
So, who is the one who condemns when God has acted so righteously on our behalf?
It is important, thought the Apostle, that if we would understand and apply the grace of assurance that we grasp something of its foundation. Yes, it certainly goes back to the electing grace of God; that God chose us for Himself before the foundation of the world. And it goes back to the act of grace by which God justifies those who were guilty before Him, and now looks at them as righteous in His sight. Yet, not even God who is full of mercy and grace justifies without doing so in a legally righteous manner. His law demands justice for every offense. Holy and righteous as He is, He intends that every breach of His law receive the appropriate punishment. He declared to Moses, I “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:7).
Those with a low view of God, His law, and sin, while maintaining an exaggerated view of humanity, do not expect any judicial action on God’s part. In their mind, God must show mercy toward them, if they need it; it is their right as a human being to receive favor from the Creator and not disfavor. No justice need be satisfied. All that God has to do is to just say the word, and ‘presto,’ everything is fine, no condemnation, no hell, just eternal bliss awaits them.
However, that attitude is foreign to the Word of God. It is the exact antithesis to the gospel. What is the answer to condemnation? It is found in Jesus Christ and the four-fold aspects of His redemptive work for us. “Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
First, “Christ Jesus is He who died.” The passive voice implies, as the context demands, God the Father required and brought about Jesus’ death, even though human hands nailed Him to the cross (Acts 2:23). In other words, the death of Jesus Christ was no mistake that God tried to make the best of. It was intentional. More than that, His death was judicial. The question is asked, “Who is the one who condemns?” That’s judicial language. Now the response is judicial as well. “Christ Jesus is He who died,” i.e. that died judicially. What did His death accomplish? It was not simply a death without reference to others. Jesus Christ was the only human being (God Incarnate) that did not deserve death. “The wages of sin is death.” He had no sin, so He had no legal requirement to die. As the Lamb of God without spot or blemish, Jesus Christ willingly laid down His life for us. His death was substitutionary—in our place. He was “delivered over because of our transgressions” (Rom. 4:25) “that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).
Second, Paul continues to rebut calls for condemnation by pointing to the resurrection: “yes, rather who was raised.” What does the resurrection declare? It proves that God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our place; it verifies that His death satisfied the legal demands against us so that we are now accepted by God. Resurrection shows that the law can no longer make legal demands of eternal death on those for whom Christ died. There is no longer condemnation because God raised Jesus from the dead!
The third answer to condemnation is found in “the heavenly session” of Christ: “who is at the right hand of God.” The right hand refers to the place of authority, rule, and supremacy. “This speaks of the sovereignty and dominion of Christ” [Ligon Duncan, “God has justified us, so who can condemn us?” Rom 8:33-34, p. 5]. As Psalm 110 explains, Jesus Christ sits at the Father’s right hand until He makes His enemies a footstool for His feet (110:1). In other words, He cannot be conquered but rather is the Supreme Lord. Nor can His redemptive accomplishments in His death and resurrection be overturned since He now reigns as Sovereign King. Who can condemn you when the Sovereign over the universe has declared you righteous by His own wounds?
Finally, Paul explains that this crucified, risen, and reigning King never abandons those whom He delivered from the wrath of God by His own bloody death. He is the one “who also intercedes for us.” Intercession points to the high priestly work of our Lord, a work that continues until all the elect are gathered into His presence. What is this work of intercession? Is He pleading with the Father to not cast us away? No, He has already secured us by His substitutionary death at the cross; the Father has fully accepted us even as He accepts His Son (Rom. 15:7). Does He have to persuade the Father to bless us in spite of our many failures? No indeed, for we have been adopted into God’s family, we are called sons and daughters of the living God, we are named by His name, and we have been given status as joint-heirs with Christ (8:14-17). I agree with Ligon Duncan’s statement, “Here’s the picture. Christ rules providence for the good of His people” [Ibid.]. Here stands further explanation to Romans 8:28. We face the issues of life: some brought on by our sin, others due to the fallen world in which we live. Yet in each, Christ intercedes, sovereignly ruling over the details of our lives so that He works good, even in the most trying, difficult of times.
So, in light of Jesus Christ’s death, resurrection, exaltation, and intercession, who is there to condemn you? Satan tries, as does the world and even your own conscience at times, but Christ overrules them all. If you are in Christ Jesus, your status is eternally certain. Whether accusations in the conscience or condemnation by those who see your faults, your eternal certainty rests in the God who justifies and His Son who secured you and continues to intercede for you.
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