1. Chapter One
Chapter One "Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."—Romans 8:34
T he purpose of these words: they were originally Christ's. Christ as the highest example of faith. Encouragements to our faith from this.
These words are a triumphant challenge spoken by the apostle on behalf of all the chosen; as he begins in Romans 8:33, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies." Then follows these words, "Who shall condemn?" specifically, God's chosen. "It is Christ that died." This challenge was first proclaimed by Jesus Christ himself, our only champion, in Isaiah 50:8 (a chapter made for and about Christ), "He is near that justifies me; who will contend with me?" These were Christ's words,
spoken about God's justification of him: and these are every believer's words here, intended about God's justification of them. Christ is portrayed there uttering them while standing at the high priest's tribunal, when they spat on him, and struck him; when he was condemned by Pilate, then he exercised this faith on God his Father, "He is near that justifies me." And as in his condemnation he stood in our place, so in his hope of his justification he speaks in our place also, representing us in both. And based on this, the apostle here declares, in similar words, for all the chosen, "It is God that justifies; who shall accuse?" Christ was condemned, yes, "has died; who therefore shall condemn?" Look, here is the fellowship we have with Christ in his death and condemnation, yes in his very faith; if he trusted in God, so may we, and we shall certainly be delivered. Let's first observe from this, as a premise to all that follows.
Observation: Christ lived by faith, just as we do.
In John 1:16, we are said to "receive of his fullness grace for grace," that is, grace corresponding to and like his; and so (among others) faith.
First, in some sense he had a faith for justification similar to ours, though not a justification through faith, as we have. He did not, indeed, go outside of himself, to rely on another for righteousness, for he had enough of his own (he being "the Lord our righteousness"); yet he believed in God to justify him, and turned to God for justification. "He is near" (says he) "that justifies me." If he had stood merely in his own person, and only on his own foundation, there would have been no need for such a statement; yet consider him as he stood in our place, there was; for what need of such a justification, if he had not been in some way near a condemnation? He therefore must be supposed to stand here (in Isaiah) at God's tribunal, as well as at Pilate's, with all our sins upon him. And so the same prophet tells
us, in Isaiah 53:6, "God made the iniquities of us to meet on him." He was now made sin, and a curse, and stood not in danger of Pilate's condemnation only, but of God's too, unless he satisfied him for all those sins. And when the wrath of God for sin came in upon him, his faith was put to the test, to trust and wait on him for his justification, to remove all those sins, along with his wrath from him, and to acknowledge himself satisfied and him acquitted.
Therefore, in Psalm 22 (which was made for Christ when hanging on the cross, and speaks of how his heart was occupied at that time), he is portrayed as expressing such a faith as we are discussing, when he called
God his God, "My God! My God!" then, when as far as he could tell, he had forsaken him, "Why have you forsaken me?" Yes, he supported his faith with the faith of the forefathers, whom God had delivered upon their trust in him. "Our fathers," says he, "trusted in you; they trusted, and you did deliver them." Yes, in Psalm 22:5, we find him laying himself at God's feet, lower than any man ever did. "I am a worm," says he, (which every man steps on, and considers it a matter of nothing to kill), "and no man," as it follows; and all this, because he bore our sins. Now his deliverance and justification from all these, to be given him at his resurrection, was the matter, the business he thus trusted in God for, even that he should rise again, and be acquitted from them. So in Psalm 16 (a psalm also made for Christ, when to suffer, and lie in the grave), Psalm 16:8-10, "The Lord is at my right hand, I shall not be moved; Therefore my heart is glad, my flesh also rests in hope," or, as in the original, "dwells in confident sureness."
"You will not leave my soul in hell," that is, under the load of these sins, and your wrath laid on me for them; "neither will you allow your holy One
(in my body) to see corruption." This is essentially the same as what is said
here in this one phrase, "He is near that justifies me," for Christ's resurrection was a justification of him, as I shall show later.
Second, he did not exercise faith only for himself, but for us also, and that more than any of us is required to exercise for himself; for he, in dying, and emptying himself, trusted God with the merit of all his sufferings beforehand, there being many thousands of souls to be saved by it a long while after, even to the end of the world. He died and trusted all that wealth into his Father's hands, to give it out in grace and glory, as those for whom he died should have need. And this is a greater trust (considering the infinite number of his chosen as then yet to come) than any man has occasion to put forth for himself alone. God trusted Christ before he came into the world, and saved many millions of the Jews on his mere word. And then Christ, at his death, trusts God again as much, both for the salvation of Jews and Gentiles that were to believe after his death. In Hebrews 2:12-15, it is made an argument that Christ was a man like us, because he was required to live by faith like as we are (which the angels do not); and for this purpose, the apostle brings in these words prophesied of him, as spoken by him of himself, "I will put my trust in him," as one proof that he was a man like us.
Now for what was it that he trusted God? By the context it appears to be this, that he should be the salvation of his "brethren" and "children," and that he should have "a seed and a generation to serve him," and raise up a church to God to praise him in. For this is made his confidence, and the outcome of his sufferings, in that previously cited Psalm 22, from verse 22 to the end.
Use. How should the consideration of these things both draw us to faith, and encourage us in it, and lift up our hearts above all doubts and hesitations in believing! For in this example of Christ we have the highest
instance of faith that ever was. He trusted God (as we have seen) for himself, and for many thousands besides, even for all his chosen; and do you not have the heart to trust him for one poor soul? Yes, Christ thus trusted God on his single promise; but we, for our assurance, have both
Christ and God bound to us, even God with his surety Christ (for he is God's surety as well as ours). A double promise from two such persons, whom would it not secure? If God the Father and God the Son thus mutually trusted one another for our salvation, whom would it not persuade to trust them both, for one's own salvation, when otherwise they must be damned that will not?
1. This example of Christ may teach and incite us to believe. For did Christ lay down all his glory, and empty himself, and leave himself worth nothing, but made a deed of surrendering all he had into his Father's hands, and this in a pure trust that God would "justify many by him" (as it is in Isaiah 53)? And shall we not lay down all we have, and part with whatever is dear to us beforehand, with the same submission, in a dependence and hope of being ourselves justified by him? And further;—
2. It may encourage us to believe, especially against the greatness of sins.
Do you have the guilt of countless transgressions coming in and discouraging you from trusting in him? Consider what Christ had, though not of his own; Christ was made (as Luther boldly, in this sense that we speak of him, speaks), the greatest sinner that ever was, that is, by imputation; for the sins of all God's chosen met in him. And yet he trusted
God to be justified from them all, and to be raised up from under the wrath due to them. Alas! You are but one poor sinner, and your faith has but a light and small load laid upon it, namely, your own sins, which compared to this sum he undertook for, are but as a unit to an infinite number. "God laid
upon him the iniquities of us all." Christ trusted God for his own acquittal from the sins of all the world, and when that was given him, he yet again further trusted him, to acquit the world for his satisfaction's sake.
But you will say, Christ was Christ, one personally united to God, and so knew that he could satisfy him; but I am a sinful man. Well, but if you believe, and so are one of those who are one with Christ, then Christ speaking these words in the name both of himself and of his chosen, as has been shown, you have the very same ground to utter them that he had, and all that encouraged him may embolden you, for he stood in your place. It was only yours and others' sins that put him in any danger of condemnation; and you see what his confidence beforehand was, that God would justify him from them all. And if he had left any of them unsatisfied for, he had not been justified; and also, in performing his own part undertaken by him, he performed yours as well and so in his being justified you were justified also. His confidence, then, may be your confidence now; only his was in and from himself, but yours must be on him. Yet so as by reason of your fellowship with him in his both condemnation and justification, you may take and turn all that emboldened him to this his trust and confidence, to embolden you also in yours, as truly as he did for himself. Yes, in this you have now a further support and encouragement to your faith than he had; for now (when you are to believe), Christ has fully performed the satisfaction he undertook, and we now see Jesus crucified, acquitted, yes crowned with glory and honor, as the apostle speaks; but he when he took up this triumph, was (as Isaiah here foretold and prophesied it of him), but as then entering upon that work. The prophet seeing the day of his arraignment and agony, utters these words as his; showing what thoughts should then possess his heart, when Pilate and the Jews should condemn
him, and our sins come in upon him. 'God is near that justifies me; who therefore shall contend with me?' But now this comes to be added to our challenge here, that 'Christ has died, and is also risen again;' that he was condemned and justified; who therefore shall condemn? May we say, and say much more.
But you will yet say, He knew himself to be the Son of God, but so do not I? Well, do you but cast yourself upon him, to be adopted and justified by him, with a surrendering of your soul to his saving you his own way, and though you know it not, the thing is done. And as for that so great and usual discouragement to poor souls from doing this, namely, the greatness and multitudes of sins, this very example of his faith, and the consideration of it, may alone remove it, more than any I have ever met with; for he, in bearing the sins of his chosen, did bear as great and infinitely more sins than yours, yes, all sorts of sins whatever, for some one of his chosen or other, for he said upon it that all (that is, all sorts of) sins shall be forgiven unto men, and therefore were first borne by him for them. And yet you see how confident beforehand he was and is now clearly justified from them all.
And by virtue of his being justified from all sorts of sins, even so shall all sorts of sinners in and through him be justified also; and therefore, should not you also hope to be from yours? Certainly for this very reason our sins, simply and alone considered, cannot be supposed any hindrance to us.
Thus we have met with one great and general encouragement at the very entrance of this text, which comes forth to invite us before we have entered into it, and which will accompany us throughout all that shall be said, and have an influence into our faith, and help to direct it in all that follows.