GOD’S PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS

Part 16

Rom. 8:31-39

Morning Meditation 1/21/17

Verse 31-39 says, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We will continue our study of this great passage. Verse 31 asks the question, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Obviously no one. No one can successfully oppose God. He is committed to stand in the way of anyone or anything that would threaten to prevent Him from accomplishing His purpose in the salvation of man.

Then Paul asks in verse 33, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” If God is for us and He has given His Son to die for us, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” The words “shall lay anything” translates “egkainizo” and means, “to renew.” This is a future active indicative verb. He could be using the future tense in the sense that would mean from the present time on. It could be that this future tense looks to the time of judgment. I take it to mean at anytime in the future. That would also include the future judgment. Robertson in his Word Pictures of the Greek New Testament says this means, “to come forward as accuser (forensic term) in case in court, to impeach.” The words “God’s elect” suggest two things. First, to bring a charge against a believer is to charge someone who belongs to God. Second, the word “elect” identifies the believer as one who has entered into the eternal purpose of God. The word means, “picked out and chosen.” This is pure grace because none of us deserve this election. There was nothing good in us that merited God’s action toward us. God did it to manifest His mercy and grace upon the undeserving. The words “to renew” in the definition suggests to renew the condemnation that once rested upon us but from which we have been cleared (Rom. 8:1).

Now concerning condemnation there are three sources that I will mention.

1. Satan will accuse us. I didn’t say MIGHT accuse us. He accuses us before God. Revelation 12:10 says, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” The word “accuser” translates “kategoreo” and means, “to accuse before a judge: to make an accusation.” The words “of the brethren” tell us who Satan accuses. The verb is a present active participle which means that it is going on continually. Most district attorneys won’t take a case unless they feel the evidence is enough to convict the guilty. Satan accuses us even though he knows he can’t win. But he never gives up.

Satan not only accuses us to God but he also accuses God to us. When we do wrong and ask for God’s forgiveness, does He forgive? What does He do with what He has forgiven? He forgets what He has forgiven (Heb. 10:17). If the sin you confess and get forgiveness for ever comes back up again, who brings it up? God certainly does not. He has forgotten it. Satan is constantly telling us that forgiveness is not as simple as confession (1 John 1:9). This is a denial of grace. It casts doubt upon the promises of God. Listen, Satan is predictable. He did this in the Garden of Eden with Eve and he was successful. He is successful too much of the time today. We as born again believers know what God says in His Word about forgiveness. We will do something wrong and ask God’s forgiveness. A day later we discover that we are confessing this same sin again. Now why would we do that? God doesn’t know that you are talking about!!! He has forgotten it! We need to make our minds up who we are going to believe. Satan who accuses God of not forgiving and forgetting, or, God who promises to forgive on Just grounds (1 John 1:9, note the words “faithful and Just)? Satan accuses God to us.

2. Then our own conscience gets messed up at times. We feel guilty. Conscience if properly trained is a very good helper. This is one of things that makes us different from the animal world around us. A lion can kill and never be bothered about it. Man has a conscience. It is only a good guide if it is trained in what God says is right and wrong. One of the last day prophecies is that mankind will have a “seared conscience” 1 Timothy 4:2 says, “Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” The word “seared” translates “kauteriazo” and is a medical term We get our word cauterize from this Greek word. It means, “in a medical sense, to cauterize.” It makes a wound tough and kills the pain. Sin tolerated in the life will do this to the conscience.

There is also false guilt. It is when the conscience is bothered over something that has been forgiven. This was a common problem in Bible times. So John wrote about it. 1 John 3:20 says, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things..” John is speaking about a believer who has a heart condemning him. John says, “Don’t listen to your heart in this case. Listen to God who is greater than your heart. Amen. When we have to make a decision between what God says and how we FEEL about a situation, we should always follow what God says.

3. Then religion will accuse us. Religion is always based on good works. Religion always rejects pure grace. To religion salvation is either all of works or a mixture of the two. So when we suggest that God forgives completely and will not hold this against us, they deny it. This will bother you, if you have respect for the person who is saying this, i.e., a mother or father who is not saved but religious. Or, some other person for whom you have respect. It will bother you if your concept of grace does not agree with Scripture. Paul told Timothy to be strong in grace.

Paul answers the question that he asks in the words, “It is God that jusitifieth.” Who can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect when it is God who justifies? God is the Judge. The word “justifieth” translates “dikaioo” and means, “to render righteous.” It is a present active participle. This means He is continually rendering us righteous. How does He do this? First, we as believers are clothed in the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 5:21). He imputes the righteousness of Christ to us. And since Jesus righteousness is perfect and He doesn’t sin, His righteousness stays the same when we sin. Second, our faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Justification assumes the guilt of the justified. We have what is called justifiable homicide. This is where a person kills another in self defense. He won’t be charged. He’ll walk, as we put it, even though he killed another person. God is not saying in justification that He condones our sin. He is not saying we are not guilty. He is saying, “This person’s sins have been taken care of. The debt has been paid by another.” The next time Satan comes to accuse you, agree with him. Tell him that you are guilty as charged. But you have trusted Jesus and He has forgive your sins. He will leave at least for a time and hope you will forget to oppose him on those grounds in the future.

There is one other thing. The believer has diplomatic immunity. Paul says, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” This is not a license to sin. God will chasten His elect if they refuse to get things right. But God will not accept charges against His people. We have diplomatic immunity from charges brought against us by Satan or the religious world.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White