Romans 8:33,34–A Sure Salvation Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. In this great chapter of Scripture the apostle Paul, emboldened by the glorious truths he has been establishing up to this point, throws out challenges to the opponents of the gospel. Two such challenges are contained in these verses. In conjunction with them Paul brings out of his armoury vital aspects of the saving work of Christ. With these he repels all the opposition. Believers today may do the same! What do we learn? Paul’s first challenge is this. He says, Is there anyone who accuses God’s people, implicating them in sin? We know of course that there are many. Our conscience accuses us, as does the world and the devil. These could easily prove their charges in the courts of men. But these accusers must reckon with God. He justifies His people. In the court of heaven they are vindicated, for there all the evidence is taken into account. Though often guilty in their own eyes they are not guilty in the sight of God. His second challenge is this. He says, Is there anyone who will convict God’s people, imputing sin to them? Paul is saying to those who would condemn believers, You have ignored the most important evidence of all – you must reckon with Christ! The justification and final salvation of God’s elect rests upon a very solid foundation: the Person and work of the Mediator. In His humiliation and exaltation there are four mighty actions which provide four great pillars upon which our salvation rests secure. These provide ample answers to every accuser. What has this glorious Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, done for His own? Firstly there is His death. “It is Christ that died.” We all know that Jesus died, but we must ever remember what sort of death it was. Jesus Christ is God and man. When He came into this world He was without personal sin but He bore His people’s sins. He suffered and died for sin and discharged their debts. Because He is God Jesus thereby fully satisfied all the demands of the divine justice with regard to God’s elect. Paul reveals the gracious purpose of Christ’s mission, which was that God “might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom.3:26). Secondly there is His resurrection. “Yea rather, that is risen again.” Though there was no-one to witness the actual event of the resurrection yet there were many who saw the risen Christ. There is a consistent feature to these appearances: they were all made to believers. Though some like Thomas had their initial doubts, Luke says of the Saviour that “he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3). He was declaring to His own His triumph over sin. He was showing them that through death He had destroyed “him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb.2:14). He declares this victory now through the testimony He has left in His word. Thirdly there is His ascension. “Who is even at the right hand of God.” After forty days our Saviour was taken up from the Mount of Olives and exalted to the place of greatest honour and power. There He has received blessings for His people – the Holy Spirit in all His saving operations. He had said to His disciples, “if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” (John 17:7). There is grace to believe and gifts to serve. Finally there is His session. “Who also maketh intercession for us.” At God’s right hand there is One in our nature who enters His pleas on our behalf. He is there in His own infinite merit and His sacrifice is a sweetsmelling savour to God. He is our Advocate, securing for us our acceptance by God and our access to God, and answering every accusation against us. Because of His intercession “he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him” (Heb.7:25). The sum of the Saviour’s ministry for sinners is this: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom.8:1). This Saviour is also coming again! That will be a wonderful day for every believer. It will be their final justification, when every enemy will at last fall silent and the Lord’s people shall appear in robes of pure white with victory palms in their hands. Do you know this sure salvation?