Romans 8:35-39 "The Inseparable Love of God"

Introduction

The love of God from a biblical perspective is pointing us to something beyond mere emotion.

I realize that we are used to thinking of it as an emotion in our society. But when the Apostle Paul speaks of the love of God here in Romans 8, make no mistake he is speaking of something specific that goes beyond an emotion.

The context bears this out in verses 31-34 that what he means by the love of God is the expression extended to us in giving up His eternal Son to die as a substitute in our place.

This expression in the gift of Jesus Christ is what brings him to ponder the rhetorical question regarding potential separation from the love of Christ in verses 35-36. Look back at your text:

I. The Question of Separation (35-36).

Trials will come in the world but those trials will not separate us from the love of Christ (35a).

Paul proposes a list of trials in the second half of verse 35. And his list encompasses many possibilities of human experiences: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword.

The implication is that God’s covenant people are not immune from experiencing such things in the world. And this has long ben the case.

We know this because in verse 36 he quotes Scripture in the OT to explain his logic. The reference is from Psalm 44:22.

Psalm 44:1-8 is a reflecting on how God raised His people up and caused them to be blessed and to triumph over their enemies.

But from verse 9 on there is a change. And the Psalmist reflects on their current trials but yet there appears to be no sin in the life of the people that would warrant such actions when it comes to judgement.

The Psalmist appears to be declaring that God allows things in the lives of His covenant people that make no sense to us from the standpoint of chastisement versus blessing.

The Psalmist even appeals to the Lord to wake up from His sleep. He questions why the Lord’s face is is hid from His people as if He forgot about the miseries of His covenant people.

And these miseries that the Psalmist refers to are deeply traumatic things. They were over thrown by foreign nations and their neighbors despised them in disgrace.

All for no apparent reason. This is the irony that the that Psalmist ponders in Psalm 44. And this gives us some insight into what Paul is referring to in our text.

The whole notion is that we are kept in the inseparable love of Christ while going through what can be traumatic trials in the world that appear to have no apparent purpose to us.

Let me make a critical point right here Christian. If we do not learn to see through the lens of sovereignty and of divine grace in our redemption; trials will not build our faith and strengthen our resolve but they will cause us to despair. And they will cultivate hardness in our hearts towards God and undermine our faith.

This is because failure to see through the binoculars of sovereign grace will in the end promote self as the basis of our determination and outcomes.

And all of us know in this life we don’t always get what we want. Life is not always as comfortable as we would like it to be regardless of our efforts.

How many people in this world try Christianity and end up walking away from it because God didn’t take their problems away and in some cases the problems got worse.

Or they walked away because the things they prayed for didn’t come to pass. They have an idea that God is obligated to answer their prayers and to direct their lives as they see fit.

Such a god has a preoccupation with pleasing man. This notion is an extension of human desires with attributes ascribed to this god that are in keeping with man’s own personal self-perceived idea of what god should actually be.

You ever watch one of those reality TV shows and you see things that are totally different of how you live in your family.

And you watch and it is not long before you realize that they have a totally different worldview and set of standards than you do.

Christian that is how the whole world is in contrast with the true God. He is Holy and He has a whole different view and standard than we do in the world. He understands that our ultimate fulfillment and purpose comes from Him and not from anything this world has to offer.

So if ultimate fulfillment and purpose comes from God in Christ, then what would ultimate triumph look like? Look back at verses 37-39 at what I am calling the Question of Triumph:

II. The Question of Triumph (37-39).

The Conquering nature of the love of God holds us firm in the face of trials and difficulty in the world (37). Paul affirms with absolute certainty here that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

That is because the nature of our triumph is in Christ and therefore everything He accomplished for us is what defines our ultimate triumph and victory.

Things like condemnation removed and being reconciled to God, the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, the security of our eternal hope and the certainty of our inheritance in Christ. Nothing can stop what is coming.

Because nothing in all of the Universe will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is a statement that goes to cosmic proportions in scope and time. Nothing has that kind of ability in all the Universe.

The love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord is unmovable when it comes to separation from us. Now lets go back to Psalm 44:25-26 ---25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. 26 Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

We go back here because that is the Psalm that Paul previously quoted from. The Psalmist in all the traumatic circumstances of the people of God appeals to the redeeming, unfailing love of God for His people at the end of Psalm 44.

Christian has your soul ever been bowed down to the dust? Mine has and I want to tell you something it was looking through the binoculars of sovereign grace that reminded me that even here at this moment, in this trial, in this pain, God still loves me in Christ Jesus and nothing can change that, I am secure in Christ.

I think Paul believes this because of Psalm 44 but also because of how he understands God’s character and the decrees of sovereign grace in Romans 8:29-30.

If God is the sovereign initiator and sovereign sustainer of our salvation then who can change that? Jesus said in John 10:27-30 — 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.

It seems to me that our Lord knows of the absolute security of the true believer. Those who have salvation initiated by sovereign grace are secure in Christ.

When I was a kid it never occured to me that my father would disown me for my mischievous actions. There was that one time when I was about 12 years old, the shotgun went off in the house while my cousin and I were looking at it. I am one of the reasons for gun safes and trigger locks.

But even then my father didn’t disown me or stop loving me.

There have been times Christian that I would have fallen away if God left me to myself. But He didn’t.

He worked in spite of me to orchestrate me being at the end of my road. Thinking my situation was hopeless and there He was once again in His gracious provision again and again showing Himself to be forever faithful.

Conclusion

I don’t know what kind of journey you are on this morning. But if you are an unbeliever you need Jesus Christ more than you need your next breath. Maybe today is the day that your eyes are being opened to the truth of the gospel. Trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. (Trust Jesus)

Christian, God doesn’t abandon His covenant people. Life may not make sense and even through the pain, and sometimes it can be very traumatic, God has not abandoned His covenant people.

Jonathan Edwards was the 3rd president of Princeton University. And he was appointed to the position 5 days after Aaron Burr Sr. died as the 2nd president.

Aaron Burr Sr. was actually the Son in Law of Edwards.

Edwards only served about 2 months before he took a small pox vaccine and contacted small pox and he died at 55 years old. He was one of the greatest theologians in the history of America.

Upon word of his death Sarah Edwards wrote to her daughter Esther Burr as to try to comfort her regarding the news of her Father. She wrote: My very dear child! What shall I say? A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod, and lay our hands on our mouths! The Lord has done it. He has made me adore his goodness, that we had him so long. But my God lives; and he has my heart. O what a legacy my husband, and your father, has left us! We are all given to God; and there I am, and love to be.          Your affectionate mother,          Sarah Edwards

Sarah Edwards knew how to look through the binoculars of sovereign grace.

By the time the letter arrived Esther Burr herself was dead too. People in the 1700’s had a much lower life expectancy than today. They clanged to God as their hope and security in life and in death.

He is sovereign over us and He is with us even when we may feel alone and forsaken. The word of God tells us this. We may despair often but we are not forsaken. He has secured us to Himself in Christ.

This is the provision of His grace to us and the basis of our ongoing appeal to Him as we confess our sin we know He is faithful and just to forgive us of all our unrighteousness.

Christian, home is just over the horizon! When we see Him all the weight of this world is going fall off of us and true everlasting freedom to be with God unhindered will consume us for eternity. I am looking forward to that day Christian!

Let’s Pray!