Justified by God
A Sermon on Romans 8:33-34
Originally preached May 4, 1962
Scripture
33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who 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.
Sermon Description
The Reformers were adamant that the church stands or falls on the doctrine of justification. Martin Luther, says Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, was thrilled when the doctrine of justification dawned upon him. Many Christians today, however, may be apathetic towards justification. Even those who happily affirm the truth of justification may do so with less excitement than previous generations of Protestant believers. Given that there is no charge whatsoever the devil can bring against God’s elect and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the believer, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says justification is the key to everything. In this sermon on Romans 8:33–34 titled “Justified By God,” he gives an exposition of the meaning of justification along with its legal and covenantal context. For Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the Christian’s joy, security, and safety is at stake when considering the doctrine of justification by faith. If one relies on anything else, including experience, then they will certainly be shaken as the devil shows one’s guilt before the law. Hear this grand exposition of the only ground that a believer can truly stand on as they proclaim that it is God who justifies.
Sermon Breakdown
- God's relationship with men is always legal. God deals with men in terms of covenants and law.
- God himself constructed the law that governs his relationship with men. The law comes from God, not men.
- God is not only the administrator of the law, he is also the judge. He judges men according to the law he gave.
- Any charge against men must be in terms of God's law. Likes, dislikes and opinions do not matter. Only God's law matters.
- God himself justifies us. He declares us righteous through faith in Christ. This is a legal declaration, not just forgiveness.
- Justification means God declares us just as if we never sinned. He imputes Christ's righteousness to us.
- Justification is a once-for-all act. We do not go in and out of being justified. God knows the end from the beginning.
- In justification, we are cleared of all charges, past, present and future. No charge can stand against us.
- The law is finished for us. We are dead to the law through Christ's body. We are under grace, not law.
- No one can bring any charge against us because God himself has justified us. The law is out of the picture.
- We must understand the doctrine of justification by faith alone. It is our only security and answer to the devil.
- The Protestant Reformation recovered the truth of justification by faith alone. The Roman Catholic church denies this.
- We can have complete assurance of salvation because God himself has justified us. No charge can stand.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 8:33-34
What is the main focus of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Romans 8:33-34?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, examining the third of Paul's challenges in these verses. He explains how the apostle demolishes the possibility that any charge could be brought against God's elect or that they could ever be condemned. The sermon particularly emphasizes the meaning and significance of justification by faith and how this provides absolute assurance of salvation.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe Christians in the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes Christians as "God's elect" - those whom God has chosen beforehand. He emphasizes that Christians should think of themselves not primarily as "people who decided for Christ" but as those who have been elected and chosen by God. He calls them "God's peculiar people," "his peculiar possession," and "his purchased possession" - those whom God has set apart for Himself.
What is the significance of the legal language in Romans 8:33-34?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul uses legal or forensic language because man's relationship to God is always a legal one, established through covenants. The challenge "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" presents a courtroom picture where God is both the lawgiver and the judge. This legal framework is important because any accusation against believers must be established in terms of God's law, but since God Himself has justified believers, no accusation can stand.
What is the difference between justification and mere acquittal according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones strongly argues that justification is more than mere acquittal or forgiveness. While acquittal means "not guilty," justification goes beyond this to a positive declaration of righteousness. In justification, God not only forgives sin but imputes Christ's righteousness to believers, regarding and pronouncing them as righteous. As Lloyd-Jones puts it, "I am positively righteous. God regards me as just and pronounces me to be just."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the finality of justification?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that justification is a once-and-forever act of God, not something that must be repeated. He states: "God makes this pronouncement about us once and forever. He doesn't make it many times. A man is either justified or else he isn't." This permanent status means believers are cleared against not just one charge but against every possible charge - past, present, and future.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say Christians are "dead to the law"?
According to Lloyd-Jones, believers are "dead to the law" because through justification in Christ, the demands of the law have been fully satisfied. Therefore, Christians are no longer related to God in terms of law but in terms of grace. This means that any legal accusation is irrelevant - "out of court" - because believers are no longer under the jurisdiction of the law that would condemn them.
What error does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify in the Roman Catholic view of justification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones criticizes the Roman Catholic view that says "you're only justified because you are sanctified." He identifies this as a "terrible error" because it opposes the doctrine of justification by faith alone and denies believers the assurance of salvation. According to Lloyd-Jones, this undermines the certainty that God intends believers to have about their ultimate destiny.
How should Christians respond to accusations according to the sermon?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that when faced with accusations from Satan or others, Christians should not rely on their own worthiness or attempt to defend themselves based on their performance. Instead, they should stand solely on the doctrine of justification by faith, saying: "God has justified me in Christ. I don't rely upon myself. I'm relying utterly, only absolutely upon the Lord Jesus Christ and what he's done on my behalf."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones call the doctrine of justification by faith "the test of a standing or falling church"?
Quoting Martin Luther, Lloyd-Jones affirms that justification by faith alone is the foundational doctrine upon which the church either stands or falls because it is the key to everything in Paul's argument. It provides the only secure ground for believers' assurance and is the complete answer to any charge that could ever be brought against them. Without this doctrine, Christians are left vulnerable to Satan's accusations and deprived of the certainty God intends them to have.
What is Dr. Lloyd-Jones' position on whether Christ or God is the justifier in Romans 8:33-34?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses a textual debate about verse divisions, defending the traditional view (along with Luther and Calvin) that "It is God that justifieth" concludes verse 33 as an answer to the first question, while verse 34 begins a new thought about Christ and condemnation. He argues that this arrangement maintains the symmetry of Paul's argument and recognizes that while God is the justifier, Christ has been appointed as judge, making it appropriate to discuss condemnation in relation to Him.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.