Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died… – Romans 8:34

By the grace of God, the apostle stands defiantly in the midst of all the believer’s foes and flings down the gauntlet before them all. The encounter to which he challenges them is not to be a mere tilt in a tournament, but a battle for life or death. Who enters the lists against the believer? First comes Satan; then the world; then conscience; and last of all the law of God. Over them all the believer triumphs. “It is Christ that died,” becomes both his sword and his shield; and when the dread conflict is over, and even while it is raging, he sings, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The first who takes up the believer’s challenge is Satan. Some do not believe in the personality of the devil; but I am as sure of it as I am of the personality of his children who deny their own father. Those of us who have passed through any spiritual conflicts know that Satan is a terribly real personage. He attacks us on the right hand and on the left, from beneath and from above. Very dexterously, with infernal malice, he endeavours to condemn the child of God. It is his business to be the accuser of the brethren, and he carries it on with very great vigour. He knows enough of our conduct to be able, truthfully, to bring to our memory much that might condemn us. When this fails, he never sticks at an accusation because it does not happen to be true. Being the father of lies, he will accuse us of things of which we are not guilty, or, when it suits his purpose, he will exaggerate our guilt, and make it appear worse than it is, in order that he may drive us to despair. There is only one way to successfully resist the onset of the arch-enemy; but that one way ensures certain victory. Up with your shield, and say, “Yes, it is all true, or it might have been, for my heart is so evil that it would have led me to any sin; but ‘It is Christ that died.'” This will defeat your great adversary. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2240.cfm

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. – Romans 8:34

I recommend that we should, each one of us, have but one hope of salvation. As long as we have half-a-dozen, we have half-a-dozen doubtful ones: but when it comes to only one, and that such a sufficient one as the truth that “It is Christ that died,” we have a well-founded hope, in which we may rest with confidence. Such a hope as this is “an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast”; and the man who has this anchor on board the barque of his life can never suffer spiritual shipwreck…Whatever may be the confidences of others, and whatever may be your own, put them all away, and keep to this one declaration, “It is Christ that died.” There is enough in that one truth to include all that is excellent in the others, and to answer all the accusations that may be brought against you. “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died.” I would put the trumpet to my lips while I preach, and sound out this one note, praying that it may be a death-blast to all accusations that can be brought against believers in Christ.

I want you to notice that Paul does not even rest his confidence as to the believers’ safety upon the fact that they are able to say, “We have trusted in Christ; we have loved Christ; we have served Christ.” He allows nothing to mar the glory of this one blessed fact, “It is Christ that died.” If he adds anything at all, it is still something about that same Christ-“yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2240.cfm

“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died.”- Romans 8:33, 34

Here are two very wonderful challenges thrown out by the apostle Paul. First, he boldly defies anyone to charge the chosen of God with sin: “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?” and then, even if any charges should be brought against them, he defies all our foes to secure an adverse verdict: “Who is he that condemneth?” This would be a very bold challenge even for a man who had been righteous from his youth up. If there had been a man, in the history of the world, who from his infancy had known God, and who had grown up serving him, devoting himself entirely to the cause of the Lord Christ; and if he had kept the commandments without fail, as far as man could judge, it would be a very hazardous thing even for him to say. “Who is he that condemneth?” For human righteousness is only human; being human, it is finite; and, being finite, it falls short somewhere or other. The best of men are but men at the best; to be a man is to be a fallen creature, and being fallen creatures, we cannot of ourselves perfectly please the thrice-holy Jehovah. In many things we all offend.

Happy shall you and I be if, though covered with sin, though guilty and unclean, we nevertheless shall have faith to believe in the Christ that died, a faith so strong, and confident that we shall dare to stand both now, and at the judgment-seat of Christ, and say, “Who is he that condemneth?” May we have this faith on our dying bed, when the pulse is faint and feeble, and heart and flesh begin to fail! May we still, between the very jaws of death, have solid confidence in God, and dare to ask for the presence of men and devils, too, “Who is he that condemneth?” being made bold to do so because we have believed in the Christ that died. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2240.cfm

…and unto them that look for Him… – Hebrews 9:28

Even the better sort of believers who wait for His coming, as all the ten virgins did, nevertheless do not watch. Even the best sort of the waiters slumbered and slept. You are waiting, but you are sleeping! This is a mournful business. A man who is asleep cannot be said to look; and yet it is “unto them that look for Him” that the Lord comes with salvation. We must be wide-awake to look. We ought to go up to the watchtower every morning, and look toward the sun-rising, to see whether He is coming. Surely our last act at night should be to look out for His star, and say, “Is He coming?” It ought to be a daily disappointment when our Lord does not come; instead of being, as I fear it is, a kind of foregone conclusion that He will not come just yet. How pleased we are if some daring fellow will tell us when He will come, for then we can get ready near the time, and need not perpetually watch! We would not go to a gypsy in a red cloak, and let her tell our own fortune; but we will let a man in a black coat tell us the fortune of our Lord. What folly! Of that day and of that hour knoweth no man, nor even the angels of God. This time of the advent is a secret; and purposely so, that we may always be on tip-toe of expectation, always looking out, because our Lord is surely coming; but we are not sure when He cometh. “And unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Many professing Christians forget Christ’s second coming altogether; others drop a smile when we speak about it, as though it belonged only to fanatics and dreamers. But ye, beloved, I trust, are not of that kind. As ye believe really in the first coming and the one great sacrifice, so believe really in the second coming without a sin-offering unto the climax of your salvation…May we even now be made to sit together with Christ in the heavenlies! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2194.cfm

…and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. – Hebrews 9:28

Notice that this appearing and this salvation will chiefly belong to those who look for Him...The text says, “Unto them that look for Him shall He appear a second time without sin unto salvation.” How many here are looking for our Lord’s second coming? I am afraid if conscience hath her perfect work many will have to say, “I am afraid I am not among the number.” I will tell you what it is to look for that second appearing. It is to love the Lord Jesus, to love Him so that you long for Him as a bride longeth for her husband. Why are His chariots so long in coming? Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Strong love hates separation, it pines for union. It cries, “Come, Lord! Come, Lord!” Longing follows on the heels of loving. To look for His coming is to prepare for Him. If I were asked to visit you to-morrow evening, I am sure you would make some preparations for my call-even for one so common-place as myself. You would prepare, because you would welcome me… When we expect our Lord to come, we shall be concerned to have everything ready for Him. I sometimes see the great gates open in front of the larger houses in the suburbs; and it means that they are expecting company. Keep the great gates of your soul always open, expecting your Lord to come…Do not say, “The Lord will not yet come, and therefore I shall make my plans irrespective of Him for the next twenty or thirty years.” You may not be here in the next twenty or thirty minutes, or, if you are, your Lord may be here also. He cometh; He is on the road; He started long ago, and He sent on a herald before Him to cry, “Behold, I come quickly.” He has been coming quickly over the mountains of division ever since; and He must be here soon. If you look for His appearing you will be found in an attitude of one who waits and watches, that when his Lord cometh he may meet Him with joy. Christ is coming, I must not sin: Christ is coming, I must not be rooted to the world. Are you thus expecting Him? ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2194.cfm

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. – Hebrews 9:28

He will appear. The appearing will be of the most open character. He will not be visible in some quiet place where two or three are met, but He will appear as the lightning is seen in the heavens. At His first appearing He was truly seen: wherever He went He could be looked at and gazed upon and touched and handled. He will appear quite as plainly, by-and-by, among the sons of men…We have seen that He once offered Himself without spot to God, and therefore, when He comes a second time, His relation to human guilt will finally cease. He will then have nothing further to do with that sin which was laid upon Him. Our sin, which He took to Himself by imputation, He has borne and discharged. Not only is the sinner free, but the sinner’s Surety is free also; for He has paid our debt to the utmost farthing. Jesus is no longer under obligation on our account. When He comes a second time, He will have no connection of any sort with the sin which once He bare. He will come, moreover, without those sicknesses and infirmities which arise out of sin…when He comes a second time it will be without the weakness, pain, poverty, and shame which accompany sin. There will then be no marred visage nor bleeding brow. He will have re-assumed His ancient glory. It will be His glorious appearing…Oh, what a glorious appearing is this! A true appearing, and yet the very opposite of the first.

To-day we fight, and He fights in us; we groan, and He groans in us, for the dread conflict is raging. When He comes again the battle will be ended: He shall divide the spoil of vanquished evil and celebrate the victory of righteousness. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2194.cfm