In Romans 8:33, the Bible says; “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” This verse teaches us the incredible meaning of being chosen by God and declared righteous in Christ.
What Does It Mean To Be God’s Elect?
To be “God’s elect” means to be chosen by God. The Bible clearly teaches that before the foundation of the world, God predestined a people for Himself (Ephesians 1:4-5). He sovereignly set His electing love upon His chosen ones, not based on any good foreseen in them, but according to His free grace and mercy alone.
Those whom God has elected, He calls to Himself and saves by His Spirit working powerfully in their hearts (John 6:37, 44; Acts 13:48). All whom the Father gives to the Son will surely come to Him. This is the glorious truth of being chosen as God’s elect! It is all due to His sovereign grace, not our own works.
Key Bible Verses on Election
Here are some key verses in the Bible about election:
- “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,” (Ephesians 1:4-5).
- “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out,” (John 6:37).
- “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day,” (John 6:44).
- “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed,” (Acts 13:48).
So being God’s elect means being unconditionally chosen by Him, called, and secured forever in Christ! This should fill us with praise for His glorious grace.
What Does It Mean For God To Justify Us?
The second part of Romans 8:33 teaches the incredible meaning of being justified by God. To “justify” means to declare legally righteous. Even though we were sinners deserving condemnation (Romans 5:6-8), God graciously justifies all who trust in Christ for salvation.
On the cross, Jesus fully bore the wrath of God against sin on our behalf, dying in our place (Romans 3:21-26; 4:25). When we repent and believe, God credits Christ’s perfect righteousness to our account. Although we have done nothing to earn or deserve it, we are justified freely by God’s grace as a gift!
So to be justified by God means that He has removed our sins, credited us with Christ’s righteousness, and declared us to be righteous in His sight forever. We now have peace with God and stand before Him as pardoned, cleansed, and reconciled children. What an amazing, undeserved gift of justification!
Key Bible Verses on Justification
Here are key passages on the biblical meaning of justification:
- “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 3:24).
- “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1).
- “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- “Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified,” (Galatians 2:16).
Our Security In Christ (Romans 8:33b-34)
The second half of Romans 8:33 asks powerfully, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?” Paul is making clear that all who are justified in Christ are eternally secure. With rhetorical flourish, he declares that no charge can overturn God’s verdict of justification for His elect. Why is this?
Verse 34 gives two unshakeable reasons secured by four great actions Christ accomplished in redemptive history:
1. Christ Died and Was Raised
“It is Christ who died, yes rather who was raised…” Christ’s death for sins and victorious resurrection mean all our sins have been punished in full and we now share His resurrection life.
The wages of sin was fully paid at Calvary, and the Father’s acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice was powerfully vindicated when He raised Him in victory over death (Romans 4:25). So the death and resurrection of Christ mean there is now no condemnation left for God’s elect (Romans 8:1)—all our sins have been atoned forever!
2. Christ Is Exalted With All Authority
The verse goes on, “…who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Not only did Jesus die for our sins and rise again; He is now exalted to the Father’s right hand, enthroned with all power and authority in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:20-23).
And what is Christ doing there? He lives to intercede for all who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25)! So Jesus prays for us constantly from heaven’s throne, securing the application of His purchased redemption to our lives. His authority ensures we can never be condemned or snatched from His hand (John 10:28).
God’s Invincible Love for His Elect (Romans 8:35-39)
The soaring paean of praise to God’s invincible electing love in Romans 8:35-39 provides the capstone to Paul’s air-tight argument for the eternal security of all whom God justifies in Christ.
After asking “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Paul declares with sweeping finality that absolutely nothing in all creation can thwart God’s purpose to save His elect people or tear them from His loving hands.
Neither tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword—nor death itself, nor all the combined powers of hell unleashed against us, can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (8:39).
What is unconditional election?
Unconditional election refers to God’s sovereign, unconditional choice before creation to save a people for Himself for His glory. This election to salvation was not based on any foreseen faith or merits in fallen man, but solely according to God’s free and sovereign electing grace (Romans 9:11-16; Ephesians 1:4-6). All of salvation is thus owing to God’s sovereign, electing love from start to glorious finish.
Can we know if we are one of God’s elect?
While we cannot infallibly peer into the hidden counsels of God to see if our individual names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27), the Bible does give us reasons to confidently trust we are among God’s elect if we are trusting in Christ. Scripture points to fruits of election like repentance, faith, and love of righteousness as evidences Christ is at work in our hearts for salvation (2 Peter 1:5-11). So we can have solid assurance of hope that we who believe are among God’s elect (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5).
What should I do if doubt my election?
If we struggle with doubts over our election, the solution is simple: trust in Christ! The Bible declares that all who repent of sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved (Acts 16:31). If you have done this, you can be fully assured of your place among God’s elect in Christ. So turn from sin daily, fix your hope fully on Jesus, and trust His finished work on the cross for your justification before God. The fruits God works in all His elect—repentance, faith and obedience—will then calm your doubts, by His Spirit who guarantees our hope.
Final Thoughts
This astonishing, humbling teaching in Romans 8 on the meaning of being God’s unconditionally elect and forever justified should move us to praise. As Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “No doctrine in the whole Word of God has more power to humble the penitent, and yet to exalt the believer, than the doctrine of the election of grace.”
May the Spirit produce this dual fruit in all our lives – profound humility at God’s glorious grace, and joyful assurance that all God’s elect are eternally secure in Christ. To the triune God alone be all praise for our election and justification from start to finish!
