Romans 8:34

Then he excludes an opposite view. For someone could fear that a person might be accused by Jesus Christ as a violator of Christ's commandment in the same way as the Lord says of Moses: "it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set …

Yea rather, that is risen - Our faith should not stop at his death, but be exercised farther on his resurrection, kingdom, second coming. Who maketh intercession for us - Presenting there his obedience, his sufferings, his prayers, and our prayers sanctified through him.

Who is he that condemneth,....

Who is even at the right hand of God - To which he has exalted our human nature, which he took in conjunction with his Divinity; and there he maketh intercession for us - manages all the concerns of his own kingdom in general, and of every member of his Church in particular.

HERE are two very wonderful challenges thrown out by the Apostle Paul. First, he boldly defies anyone to charge the chosen of God with sin—"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" and then, even if any charges should be brought against them, he defies all our foes to secure an adverse verdict—"Who is he that condemns?" This would be a very bold challenge even for a man who had been righteous from his youth up!

THE most dreadful alarm that can disturb a reasonable man is the fear of being condemned by the Judge of All. To be condemned of God, how dreadful! To be condemned of Him at the Last Great Day, how terrible! Well might Belshaz-zar's loins be loosed when the handwriting on the wall condemned him as weighed in the balances and found wanting! And well may the conscience of the convicted one be comparable to a little Hell when, at its lesser judgement seat, the Law pronounces sentence upon him on account of his past life.

THE PROTEST OF an innocent man against the charge of an accuser may well be strong and vehement. But here we have a more uncommon and a sublimer theme. It is the challenge of a justified sinner protesting with holy and inspired fervour that his character is clear and his conscience clean, even in the sight of heaven. Yet it is not the natural innocence of his heart, but the perfect mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, which gives him this amazing confidence. May the Spirit of God enable me to expound to you this most blessed portion of God’s Word. We have before us in the text the four marvellous pillars upon which the Christian rests his hope. Any one of them were all-sufficient. Though the sins of the whole world should press on any one of these sacred columns, it would never break nor bend. Yet for our strong consolation, that we may never tremble or fear, God hath been pleased to give us these four eternal rocks, these four immovable foundations upon which our faith may rest and stand secure. But why is this? why needeth the Christian to have such firm, such massive foundations? For this simple reason: he is himself so doubtful, so ready to distrust, so difficult to be persuaded of his own security. Therefore hath God, as it were, enlarged his arguments. One blow might, we should have imagined, have been enough to have smitten to death our unbelief for ever; the cross ought to have been enough for the crucifixion of our infidelity, yet God, foreseeing the strength of our unbelief, hath been pleased to smite it four times that it might be razed to rise no more. Moreover, he well knew that our faith would be sternly attacked. The world, our own sin, and the devil, he foresaw would be continually molesting us; therefore hath he entrenched us within these four walls, he hath engarrisoned us in four strong lines of circumvallation. We cannot be destroyed.

THE PROTEST OF an innocent man against the charge of an accuser may well be strong and vehement. But here we have a more uncommon and a sublimer theme. It is the challenge of a justified sinner protesting with holy and inspired fervour that his character is clear and his conscience clean, even in the sight of heaven. Yet it is not the natural innocence of his heart, but the perfect mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, which gives him this amazing confidence.

THE most dreadful alarm that can disturb a reasonable man is the fear of being condemned by the Judge of All. To be condemned of God, how dreadful! To be condemned of Him at the Last Great Day, how terrible! Well might Belshaz-zar's loins be loosed when the handwriting on the wall condemned him as weighed in the balances and found wanting! And well may the conscience of the convicted one be comparable to a little Hell when, at its lesser judgement seat, the Law pronounces sentence upon him on account of his past life. I know of no greater distress than that caused by the suspicion of condemnation in the Believer's mind. We are not afraid of tribulation, but we dread condemnation. We are not ashamed when wrongly condemned of men, but the bare idea of being condemned of God makes us, like Moses, "exceeding fear and quake." The bare possibility of being found guilty at the great judgement seat of God is so alarming to us that we cannot rest until we see it removed. When Paul offered a loving and grateful prayer for Oneisphorus he could ask no more for him than, "the Lord grant that he may find mercy in that day." Yet though condemnation is the most fatal of all ills, the Apostle Paul, in the holy ardor of his faith dares ask, "Who is he that condemns?" He challenges earth and Hell and Heaven! In the justifiable venturesomeness of his confidence in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, he looks up to the excellent Glory and to the Throne of the thrice holy God, and even in His Presence, before whom the heavens are not pure, and who charged His angels with folly, he dares to say, "Who is he that condemns?" By what method was Paul, who had a tender and awakened conscience, so completely delivered from all fear of condemnation? It certainly was not by any of the enormity of sin.

HERE are two very wonderful challenges thrown out by the Apostle Paul. First, he boldly defies anyone to charge the chosen of God with sin—"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" and then, even if any charges should be brought against them, he defies all our foes to secure an adverse verdict—"Who is he that condemns?" This would be a very bold challenge even for a man who had been righteous from his youth up! If there had been a man in the history of the world, who, from his infancy, had known God and who had grown up serving Him, devoting himself entirely to the cause of the Lord Christ, and if he had kept the Commandments without fail, as far as man could judge, it would be a very hazardous thing, even for him to say, "Who is he that condemns?" For human righteousness is only human—being human, it is finite and, being finite, it falls short somewhere or other. The best of men are but men at the best! To be a man is to be a fallen creature and, being fallen creatures, we cannot, of ourselves, perfectly please the thrice-holy Jehovah. In many things we all offend. The man who uttered this challenge, "Who is he that condemns?" and uttered it under the Inspiration of God, did not, however, occupy the position of a sinless man. His early years had been spent in opposition to his Savior.

[Other Sermons by Mr. Spurgeon, upon this passage are as follows—#256, Volume 5—THE BELIEVER'S CHALLENGE; #1223, Volume 21—JESUS, THE SUBSTITUTE FOR HIS PEOPLE and #2240, Volume 38— A CHALLENGE AND A SHIELD.] ALL through this very wonderful chapter the Apostle seems to be piling up, in heaps upon heaps, the many marvels of Divine Grace. I might quote from the old classic fable of the giants who piled the mountains, one upon the other— Pelion upon Ossa—and I might say that even so has Paul done here. He has piled mountain upon mountain of wondrous Grace in his description of the way to Heaven! And now he seems to have climbed to the top of them all and to have transformed them into a kind of Tabor or Pisgah. And as he stands there, he exults in the Lord! He waves the palm branch of triumph. He boasts with holy boasting. And he challenges all his enemies to attack him—"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us." I. Here, first of all, is A SOLEMN QUESTION—a very solemn question if it were put to all here present—"Who is he who condemns?"—for I am afraid that some of my hearers, if they asked that question, might have a speedy answer— "It is your own conscience that condemns you; it is the Word of God that condemns you; it is Christ Himself who condemns you.

[Other Sermons by Mr. Spurgeon, upon this passage are as follows—#256, Volume 5—THE BELIEVER'S CHALLENGE; #1223, Volume 21—JESUS, THE SUBSTITUTE FOR HIS PEOPLE and #2240, Volume 38— A CHALLENGE AND A SHIELD.] ALL through this very wonderful chapter the Apostle seems to be piling up, in heaps upon heaps, the many marvels of Divine Grace. I might quote from the old classic fable of the giants who piled the mountains, one upon the other— Pelion upon Ossa—and I might say that even so has Paul done here.

Who is he that condemneth? - Who shall pass sentence of condemnation, and consign to perdition? The function of passing sentence of condemnation on people shall pertain to Christ, the judge of quick and dead, and the apostle proceeds to say that it was certain that he would not condemn the elect of God. They were therefore secure. It is Christ that died - Or as it may be rendered, “Shall Christ who has died, condemn them?” The argument here is, that as Christ died to save them, and not to destroy them, he will not condemn them. His death for them is a security that he will not condemn them. As he died to save them, and as they have actually embraced his salvation, there is the highest security that he will not condemn them. This is the first argument for their security from the death of Christ. Yea rather, that is risen again - This is a second consideration for their security from his work. “He rose for their justification” (Note, Rom 4:25); and as this was the object which he had in view, it follows that he will not condemn them. Who is even at the right hand of God - Invested with power, and dignity, and authority in heaven. This is a third consideration to show that Christ will not condemn us, and that Christians are secure. He is clothed with power; he is exalted to honor; he is placed at the head of all things. And this solemn enthronement and investiture with power over the universe, is with express reference to the salvation of his church and people; Mat 28:18-19; Joh 17:2; Eph 1:20-23. The Christian is, therefore, under the protection of Christ, and is secure from being condemned by him. Who also maketh intercession for us - Note, Rom 8:26. Who pleads our cause; who aids and assists us; who presents our interests before the mercy-seat in the heavens. For this purpose he ascended to heaven; Heb 7:25. […]

It is the elect who enjoy the guarantee of this inseparable love.