Pencoed AM SUN. 20TH FEB. 2005 ROMANS 8.38-39
PLACE: PENCOED AOG. DATE: AM SUN. 20TH FEB. 2005.
TEXT: ROMANS 8:38-39. THEME: NO SEPARATION!
INTRODCTION: READING ROMANS 8.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The love of God keeps us in the palm of His hand and has been demonstrated to us through the atoning sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ. Yet, Paul amplifies the question by asking if it is possible that tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or the sword can enter our lives and undo what Christ has completed on our behalf at the cross.
Instead of separating us from Christ’s love, these things only succeed in drawing us closer to Him. We are not only “conquerors,” but “more than conquerors.” A very literal rendering is “we are super-conquers.” It is not simply that we triumph over these dreadful forces, but that in doing so we bring:
1. Glory to God.
2. Blessing to others.
3. Good to ourselves.
4. We make slaves out of our enemies and stepping stones out of our roadblocks.
But all of this is not through our own strength, but only “through Him who loved us.” Only the power of Christ can bring:
1. Sweetness out of bitterness.
2. Strength out of weakness.
3. Triumph out of tragedy.
4. Blessing out of heartbreak.
The apostle has not finished his search. He searches the universe for something that might possibly separate us from God’s love, and then dismisses the possibilities one by one:
1. “For I am persuaded,” means that Paul knows.
2. “Death” with all its terrors. “Death,” cannot separate us, in fact, it will take us into His presence. The response of many of the early Christian martyrs when they were threatened with death was, “Thank you, you will transport me right into the presence of my Saviour.” You cannot hurt people like that.
3. “Life” with all its fears. “Life,” often it is more difficult to face life than to face death. But life’s temptations, failures, disappointments, uncertainties, and sufferings will not separate us from the love of God that is in Christ our Lord.
4. “Angels nor principalities,” supernatural in power and knowledge. “Powers,” whether human oppressors or angelic adversaries.
“Angels,” and I think he means fallen angels “principalities and powers” are spiritual enemies of the believer see, Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
5. “Things present,” means present circumstances, crashing in upon us.
6. “Things to come,” refers to the future disturbing fearful futures.
7. Neither “Height nor depth,” those things that are in the realm of dimension or space, including occult forces. Then, to make sure that he is not missing anything, Paul adds:
8. “Any other created thing,” would include anything else you want to mention. Absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God which is centered in Christ. If God, the Creator, is for us, and no created thing can separate us from Him, then our security in Him is complete.
The outcome of Paul’s search is that he can find nothing that can “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” No wonder these words of triumph have been the song of those who have died martyr’s deaths and the great joy of those who have lived martyr’s lives!
Paul connects these questions to lead us to the wonderful truths that:
1. God is for us.
2. He will freely give us all things.
3. He has justified us.
4. He prays for us.
5. We cannot be separated from His love.
All of these precious blessings are granted to those who are in Christ Jesus. With encouragements such as these, the Christian can endure suffering with hope and assurance.
CONCLUSION:
Salvation is a love story. We love Him because He first loved us. Nothing can separate us from that. We entered this chapter with no condemnation; we conclude it with no separation; and in between all things work together for good. Can you improve on this? This is wonderful!
Paul searches the entire universe to see if there is anything that can possibly separate us from the eternal presence of God.
1. He goes first to the realm of death and finds nothing there.
2. Then he turns to the realm of life and again finds nothing.
3. He looks to the angels and they have no power to separate us.
4. He turns to principalities which, in this case, may refer to the angelic hosts representing Satan. There is nothing there.
5. He proceeds to examine “things present” and finds nothing.
6. He explores the future and in the “things to come” there is nothing which can separate us.
7. Nothing can happen now nor in the future which can remove the love of God from us or us from His eternal security.
8. Paul does not stop here for next he searches the entire universe and nothing in the expanses of space, “height, nor depth” can be found to prohibit the presence of God from us.
9. But just in case he has missed something, Paul then says that there is no other creature or creation of God that is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
10. Nowhere can the apostle find anything in the whole universe of God which can sever the relationship that the children of God have with their Father’s love.
11. This great assurance comes to those who are “the called” in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born, of His Spirit, washed in His blood.”
Paul has completed this great chapter in the same way he began it. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”
Paul is persuaded that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” All these wonderful promises belong to us because we belong to Him.
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