33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. (Romans 8:33 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, 1. The apostle’s confident and daring challenge: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?
Where note, The universality of the challenge: It is universal in double respect:
1. In respect of persons accusing, Who shall? He excepts none in heaven, none on earth, nay, none in hell; neither sin, nor the law, nor Satan, nor conscience, having anything to lay to our charge to our condemnation.
2. In respect of crimes; he excepts no sort of sin, though never so heinously aggravated, and sadly circumstantiated; Justifying grace is their full discharge.
Learn hence, That it is impossible for any charge or accusation to take place against those whom God does justify because there is nothing to accuse them of, none to accuse them of, and nobody to frame or make the accusation against them.
Well might the apostle say, Who can, who shall, who may, who dare lay anything to the justified person’s charge!
Observe, 2. The ground and reason of this confident challenge, it is God that justifies, who shall condemn?
Here note, 1. That there is a very gracious privilege vouchsafed to believers, which the scriptures call justification.
2. That it is God that justifies the believer’s person, and pardons his sins, and none but God; he is the person against whom the offence is committed, and he alone it is that absolves us from the guilt contracted.
When the justice of God accuses, when the law of God accuses, when our own consciences accuse, when Satan and wicked men accuse, the mercy and goodness, the truth and faithfulness of God, will for the sake of his Son’s satisfaction, acquit and discharge us; for it is God that justifieth.