ROMANS UNWRAPPED 152

2)   "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?   It is God that justifieth."     Romans 8v33

The best way of reading this is in the form of two questions, which it actually is in the original.   So read  "who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect, God who justifies?"   And if not God, who?   Who is greater than God, who is higher than God, who can rescind God's word?........  NO-ONE!   

The world looks on and wants to point the finger at Christians; they watch and look for the slightest mistake; they want to blame Christians for all the ills in the world; they want to say that Christianity is the cause of all wars and social breakdown, when in fact the very opposite is the truth.   Christians are not perfect by any means but it is futile to criticise them, because the Almighty has justified them.   Not only so but according to Revelation chapter 12, day and night, day and night, the devil and Satan , the adversary of all God's people enters the presence of God (yes God holds court twice every day)  and charges God's people accusing them of all kinds of evil while claiming to be saved.   His charges are equally futile and there is coming a day when the accuser of the brethren will be cast down and cast out; meanwhile he continues his work of false accusation.   Every day and every night he accuses and every day and every night God rebuffs him, because no charge can be brought against them.   Another form of criticism or accusation which can hamper a Christian's life is that of self criticism.   One of Paul's aims here is to encourage Christians to believe what God has said about them, because it is actually an insult to God to think otherwise than what He has said.

First of all we are God's elect; we have already seen what that means, in the language of Ephesians 1v3  "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world" which perfectly sums up the teaching of Romans 8v29-30.   In other portions we are described as a "royal priesthood;"  " an holy nation;"  "a peculiar people" (meaning particularly precious to God).   We must take this on board and believe it in practical terms because God's election of us was not based on the goodness that we had, but on His own gracious forgiveness of us and so failures on our part are not going to change God's attitude to us since we are His elect by grace.   So we should not condemn ourselves, we should not allow others to condemn us even if the motivation of that criticism is satanic.    God has justified his people and who is there to gainsay His word?   Listen to the amazing assertions of justification of His people:

• Hebrews 10v17        "Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."   the phrase "no more" is emphatic and could be rendered  "no more at all forever."   So as far as all time and all eternity is concerned God has not only forgotten our sins but He has declared He will remember them no more!"   Satan appears to be wasting his time day and night.

          I hear the accuser roar of ills that I have done,

          I know them well and thousands more,

          Jehovah findeth none.

• Isaiah 1v18             "Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool."   It matters not the extent of our sins God will deal with them all .
• Micah 7v18            "Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?   He retaineth not His anger for ever because He delights in mercy.   He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities and cast all their sins into the depth of the sea."
• Psalm 103v11-12   "For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.   As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us."

The Divine decree has been made and will not be altered.   The God of glory has declared believers in Christ to be acquitted from all guilt and freed from all charges.   Not man, not angel, not demon, can gainsay the declaration of the supreme being in the supreme court.    Their destiny is sealed; they are the elect of God; chosen by God in Christ from before the foundation of the world, secured by an act of pre-destination, called, justified and guaranteed a glorious future they are safe from any adverse charge that anyone can ever bring against them.   God acquits, and clears them from all charges possible against them; so all counter claims are futile and no-one can lay anything to the charge of God's elect.  

God is the supreme legislative power in the universe and if He discharges, there is no higher court of appeal, since no-one is higher than God.   He is the judge of all the earth and no-one will be able to raise a valid challenge to God's elect.   All this is repetitive by design because we need to get it into our souls what it is that God has said about us.  

"He is near that justifies me; who will contend with me?   Let us stand together; who is mine adversary? "    Isaiah 50v8-9

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn.   THIS IS THE HERITAGE OF THE SERVANTS OF THE LORD AND THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS OF ME SAITH THE LORD."        Isaiah 54v17

Because of all this we are free; free from self criticism; free from human criticism; free from demonic criticism.    We are beyond reproach in heaven, on earth and in hell.   The task is now for us to live up to that glorious calling.