Who will bring an accusation against the elect of God? God is the One justifying. (Romans 8.33, BLB[1])The justification of persons before God – that is, the divine juridical act of declaring-righteous those who are trusting in the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead – is never subject to any doubt or debate in the mind of God. Justification is strictly God’s domain.
Regardless of human frailty or presumption, God has determined the criteria[2] by which persons are, and will be, justified. Some individuals may doubt whether they are united to Christ. Such persons are yet uncertain that they are in the condemnation-free condition to be found solely in Christ.[3] Others, with seemingly little anxiety, may believe that they are presently in a state of justification before God, and expect the reiteration of their divine acquittal on Judgement Day.
Conclusion
Though a thousand accusations may arise from within and without, from natural and supernatural enemies alike, for those in Christ, for those loving God,[4] the charges shall not stand. The objective truth of who is and is not (or will or will not be) justified remains unaltered. Our personal misgivings concerning our status before God, present or future, as justified or condemned, do not detract from the reality that it is God’s declaration that stands and will stand.
Notes
1. Berean Literal Bible (2016). (This translation may be accessed by utilising the following link: <https://literalbible.com>.)2. Some might prefer ‘criterion’ (singular).
3. See Romans 8.1.
4. See Romans 8.28.
Addendum (28 Feb. 2023). Expanding upon the (hitherto) unaddressed point of whether there is a single criterion of justification, opinion is not unanimous amongst interpreters that initial and final (eschatological) justification are based solely on faith (pistis), although this is the conventional Protestant understanding of Pauline justification.
