With Dale Ratzlaff
We continue our study in Romans 8:33-34.
Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Commentary
Our passage starts with questions that are very relevant. Who brings a charge against God’s elect? First of all, who are God’s elect? “Elect” as used in the passage does not have the definite article. Therefore, it is more of a description of people who are God’s elect than a definition of who is elect. Paul will go on in the next few verses to describe them as a people whom God justifies. These are true believers.
Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? The whole of Scripture answers this question; those from the domain of darkness oppose the elect. Satan is an accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12: 9, 10). Tertullus, in Acts 24:1, 2 accused Paul at his trial:
After five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders, with an attorney named Tertullus, and they brought charges to the governor against Paul. After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him.
Paul is not suggesting that no one is able to bring a charge against God’s people; rather what he is teaching is that it does not make any difference who accuses us. Why is that? Because God is the one who declares we are justified. Too often we use these theological terms without letting the truth of them sink into our souls. Justification means to declare righteous. At the moment we are saved, when we respond to the gospel and accept the free offer grace based on the facts of Christ death, burial, and resurrection, we are then considered perfectly righteous with the very righteousness of God. So it does not matter who accuses us. God’s declaration stands.
The same goes for Paul’s next question, “Who is the one who condemns?” There are many people who are waiting to condemn Christians. In our rapidly deteriorating social environment, some politicians and many news commentators are quick to condemn Christians at every turn. However, other than Satan, the person who most frequently condemns us is ourselves. The Apostle John states this truth like this:
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 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. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. (1 Jn. 3:18-23).
Here the apostle states that God is greater than the condemnation we may often feel if we fall short of God’s ideal or of our own standard of righteousness. When our heart does condemn us, and it should if we sin, we immediately return our thoughts to the FACTS of justification by faith. Then our condemning heart is healed, and we again have “confidence before God”.
After Paul’s question, “who is the one who condemns?”, he immediately points us to the FACTS of the gospel,
Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
When Scripture pictures Christ at the Father’s right hand, it usually does so with Christ seated, symbolic of one who has finished his work.
But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD (Lk. 22:69).
…and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (Eph. 1:19-20 ).
…and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (Eph. 1:19-20).
When Christ cried out, “It is finished” as recorded in John 19:30, His work was finished, atonement for sin had been made, and He sat down at the Father’s right hand.
If Christ’s work is finished and He is seated, then does his “intercession” continue?
…who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
What is the nature of this intercession? I believe we must be careful here lest we move in the direction of the Catholic church where the “sacrifice” of the mass brings current forgiveness. We note how Paul associated Christ’s finished work with his intercession in our text.
…Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
The writer of Hebrews links Christ’s “once for all” sacrifice with His intercession.
The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (Heb. 7:23-27).
Earlier in our study of Romans Paul said,
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Rom. 8:26-27).
As I understand it, Christ’s current “intercession” is for our sake, so we can know that His “once and for all” gift of grace is always available. He will never repeat His “once and for all time” sacrifice of atonement. Now He intercedes, through the Spirit, while seated at the Father’s right hand, in the position of power and authority.
Application
We can always have assurance in the face of accusations and condemnations. Whether these charges spring from the evil one or out own heart makes little difference. We can look away from our self to our righteousness who is seated at the Father’s right hand. All the while we can know that the Holy Spirit is applying Christ’s finished work to our lives, and in turnHe is taking our prayers and interceding according to the will of God on our behalf. Truly, we are in a win, win situation.
Prayer
Father, thanks that you don’t take into account the accusations of Satan or the condemnation that is targeted towards me. Thank you that even when I condemn myself, you are there pointing me to the “once and for all” sacrifice Christ paid on my behalf.
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