Nothing Can Separate
September 21, 2022
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Paul starts out Romans chapter 8 with a summary of all the things God has done for us. In Romans 1, he tell us how sin had separated us from God.
Verse 2 he talks about how our works can’t obtain good standing with God.
Verse 3 he explains how God provided a way apart from the law that we can be justified by faith. Verse 4 describes how the patriarchs were also justified and that this has always been God’s plan for salvation.
Verse 5 He tells how since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God, and that His grace is more than our sin ever was.
Verse 6 He taught that we have been freed from the sin nature by faith in Christ
Verse 7 He shows us how to live according to the spirit so that we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.
Verse 8 He teaches us that our obligation comes out of a love to the Lord because He first loved us.
Paul is listing 10 things that cannot separate us from the love of God. The point of this whole passage is security. Think of all the things that you dread most in life… fear of death, demons, unknown future events, and even the fear of heights and drowning. Paul is thoroughly convinced that none of those things, even anything else in all creation, can separate us from the love of God. And… that includes ourselves. Nothing you can do can separate you from the love of God.
I saw a story of a father of four who was asked, Why do you love your kids? He thought for a minute and answered, because they’ve mine.
It’s the same with God. He loves us because we are His. We belong to Him. We are His children. There isn’t anything that will drive a wedge between us. It doesn’t matter where we go, who we spend time with, what we fear, how we act and what we do. God will always be there WITH us, and FOR us.
A few verses before this one in Romans 8:31, Paul asked, “If God is for us, who can be against us?
Absolutely nothing in the universe can separate you from God’s all-consuming, ever-present love for you. Nothing. Remember that the next time you are afraid. God’s got you.