Paul finishes out this final passage from Romans 8 by quoting from Psalm 44:22 to remind the believers that people who trust in God must expect to face persecution, even death. In that psalm, the poets made the specific point that difficulties and suffering were coming to people who had been faithful. Believers who suffer are the rule, not the exception.
No, instead of being separated from Christ through all these things (the trials and hardships mentioned in 8:35), we have overwhelming victory. This does not mean that we will be superheroes, but that our victory will be intensified by virtue of our union with Christ.
Yes, we are secure in Christ—Paul was convinced of this, and so should we be. Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love for us. In both death and the trials of life in this evil world, we will be in God’s presence. No spiritual forces, such as angels or demons, are powerful enough to undo what God has done for us. Nothing in the sphere of time itself (fears and worries) can threaten us; nothing that can happen in the present and nothing that can happen in the future, such as persecution and hardship, would cause God to leave us. No powers that exist (Satan, human governments, etc.) are more powerful than God; they can have no effect on our relationship with him. Nothing in space, from high above or in the deepest ocean, can take us away from God’s love. Nothing in all creation can take us away from God’s love or thwart his purposes for us.
Paul’s point is simple and compelling: once in his care, it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of his unconquerable love. Nothing can stop his constant presence with us. God tells us how great his love is so that we will feel totally secure in him.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read and studied today?)
When I think about this passage today, I think about GRACE. That's the difference between every other religion and Christianity. Other religions are based on what you do, what you do in order to please God. The Christian life is not based on doing, it's based on what's done. It's an established fact. God has paid the penalty through Jesus Christ. Grace means I can always count on God for His power, for His provision, for His protection and for His pardon.
Grace means I can always count on God for His presence. He is always with me. He will never leave me. The question is, Who can separate us? "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword."
Notice these things: "trouble" like tribulation. Jesus said in John 16:33 "In the world you will have trouble and tribulation." But that can't ever separate you from the love of God. You'll never lose your relationship to Christ. You cannot be unsaved once you're saved. You cannot be unborn once you've been born again. You are eternally secure.
"Hardship" in Greek is literally stress. You may be in stress. You may feel strain in your relationship or fellowship but the relationship is never broken.
"Persecution" is what other people do to you. That's used ten times in the New Testament. "Famine, nakedness, danger, sword... as it is written `For your sake we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'" What does that verse have to do with what we're talking about? This is a quote from Psalm 44:22. It's referring to the Jews, as a nation, suffering and being scattered all over the world. It says, "For your sake we're facing death all day long." There are so many of them. They were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. The history of the nation of Israel has been continuous persecution and suffering. They lost the land of Israel for years. Paul uses that as an illustration.
"In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Paul builds to a great crescendo. "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, the present or the future nor any powers, neither height or depth nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
What a great chapter Romans 8 is! He starts with no condemnation and ends with no separation. Absolutely nothing can ever separate you from God's love. Nothing you can ever do will make God stop loving you. He loves you on your good days, your bad days, when you're faithful, when you're unfaithful. Nothing can separate. You may choose to break fellowship with Him, but that relationship is never broken. It's like my children are born and they may go out and live a lifestyle that I disapprove of and they may do things that disappoint me and our fellowship may be strained. But my children will always be my children. I can never disown them.
The Bible says that you may suffer a loss of fellowship with God and a loss of rewards in heaven but once you're in the family of God there is no way to get out of it. Nothing can keep God from loving you. The Bible says, "Lo, I am with you always.... I will never leave you nor forsake you." Scriptures teach over and over again that nothing can separate us from the love of God. "No creation" -- that covers all creation -- can separate us from God.
John 10:27 says "My sheep listen to my voice and I know them and they follow Me and I give them eternal life. [That means forever and it begins the moment you become a believer.] And they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand." You can't even jump out of God's hand because it's so big. He loves you and nothing can separate you from the love of God. Nothing at all! What a comfort it is to know that you can loose everything else but you can never loose your relationship to God. You are secure.
Five statements I think of why Christians should never need to worry. I don't ever have to worry about these things because of God's grace.
1. I don't ever have to worry about opposition from God in my life. Because He is for me.
2. I don't ever have to worry about situations from God. He has promised to provide. If He loves me enough to take care of my salvation needs, He loves me enough to take care of any situation. I don't have to worry about any situation from God.
3. I don't ever have to worry about any accusation from God. He's not accusing me. He's not against me, He's for me. He defends me when Satan comes to accuse me. Scripture says He has justified me. He has made me just as if I'd never sinned. He's declared me righteous. I'm not perfect but He's declared me righteous because of what Jesus did.
4. I don't ever have to worry about condemnation from God. Jesus said "I didn't come to condemn the world but to save it." Scripture says He's praying for me moment by moment, so I don't face condemnation.
5. I don't ever have to worry about separation from God. Bumper sticker: If you feel far from God, guess who moved? You may have moved back in your fellowship but God still loves you. He will never let you go. It's like walking down a hillside with your child. They may try to let go of your hand, but you will not let go of theirs.
Isn't that a wonderful truth? God is for us. That's what grace is all about. It's summed up in those words: God is for us.
Re-read this passage from the Phillips Translation - I love how it says it;
"In the face of all of this, what is there left to say? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not hesitate to spare His own son, but gave Him up for us all, can we not trust such a God to give us with Him everything else that we would need? Who would dare to accuse us whom God has chosen? The judge Himself has declared us free from sin. Who is in a position to condemn us? Only Christ. And Christ died for us. Christ rose for us. Christ reigns in power for us. Christ prays for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, pain or persecution? Can lack of clothes and food, danger to life and limb, the threat of force or arms? Indeed, some of us know the truth of that ancient text, `For thy sake we are killed all the day long. We were counted as sheep for the slaughter.' No, in all of these things we win an overwhelming victory through Him who has proved His love for us. I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messengers of heaven or monarchs of earth, neither what happens today or what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God's whole world, has any power to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus."
Folks, that is grace! Now, what will you with this foundational truth?
Thank you Mike. I needed to hear those words from scripture today! I came to your site to see if there was any mention of Dave Bassard's passing and I found your devotional for today. On the same day that Dave passed, my 18 year old daughter was involved in a very serious car accident. She is recovering from her injuries, but an EMT died in the accident and there is a huge state investigation. We have no idea what the outcome will be for our daughter or our family, but we KNOW that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God! Thanks be to God!!! God's grace is sufficient for this and any other trial we may be asked to face. Thank you for faithfully serving as God has called you and for being the light God has called you to be. I grew up at First Baptist Modesto, but I knew your sister, Molly, better than I knew you. I hope your family is well. We live in Georgia now, but my extended family still goes to FBC and they keep me connected.
ReplyDeleteDebby Murphy Overman
doverman@hotmail.com