Who Condemns Us? by L. A. S.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 21, 1903

Who Condemns Us?

By L. A. S.

“Who shall lay anything 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.” Rom. 8: 33, 34.

The gospel of God is not a means devised by him for the detection and punishment of sinners. The purpose of the gospel is not to condemn the sinner, but to save him.

In the natural blindness of our minds we have accustomed ourselves to think of God as a condemner, when his whole desire and aim is to be a justifier. Between the Father and his Son, our intercessor, is no conflict of desires, but “the counsel of peace” is “between them both.” Zech. 6: 12, 13.

There was one who sought to condemn, and to lay things to the charge of God’s elect, and that one was Satan. He “accused them before our God day and night.” But his accusations did not prevail. God vindicated his office as a justifier, and the accuser of the brethren was cast down.

Who, then, shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? Who shall force God to condemn when it is his purpose to justify? What can prevail against the work of him who died and is risen again, and is at the right hand of God to make intercession for us? For our offenses

was Christ delivered and put to death. But the purpose of God appeared in the fact that he was raised again for our justification.

Many, it is true, will be condemned in spite of the gospel provisions in their behalf. But who will condemn them? Not Christ; he is their intercessor. Not God; his office is that of justifier. Not Satan; he has tried it and has failed. Ah, they will condemn themselves! The individual who is lost is condemned by himself. His own hand it is that signs the death warrant. Like the unbelieving Jews from whom Paul and Barnabas turned away, he judges himself to be unworthy of everlasting life. God can not save the one who condemns himself.

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” Men turn away from the light; they refuse the light of the Word of God. And “he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Only believe, and God himself is your justifier. Only refuse to believe, and you condemn yourself in spite of all the grace of heaven. Believe, and you have nothing to fear. No one can lay anything to your charge, for God himself is your vindicator, through Christ’s own merits, before all the worlds. L. A. S.