Romans 8: Nothing Can Separate Us from God
Romans 8: Nothing Can Separate Us from God
Romans 8:37-39; 1 Peter 4:12-19
“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:37-39 NASB1995
We now reach the end of Romans 8. This has been so uplifting and revealing to dig into the words that Paul wrote that should be the cornerstone of faith for every believer. I had a dear friend tell me that Romans 8 forms the very being of his faith in God and he has enjoyed my journey and analysis, so that’s a good thing! Forgive my “screediness” in the last couple of devotions, but I am seriously concerned about the state of faith in our too comfortable and “modern” secular world and we both feel called to bring God’s truth to others, even if the audience is tiny.
Fortunately, Paul tells us that we can overwhelmingly conquer those trials and tribulations and bullying and nasty comments and lost “friends” and persecution through Him who loved us. Paul’s list of what convinces him of that glorious conquest is one of my favorite, favorite verses in the entire Bible. NOTHING in this Universe or in the supernatural realm (like angels) can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NOTHING! Life or death, governments and principalities, things present or things to come, the highest things or the lowest things, or any other created thing will not stand in our way of that love.
Death looms for all of us and can be a factor for some in retreating from God’s love and embracing the fallen world to gain a few more moments of pleasure. Death should be no more a factor in solidifying our devotion and obedience to God than anything else that is created, including tribulation, persecution and separation from society. Peter addresses this temporary suffering in a wonderful way in one of his letters:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”
1 Peter 4:12-19 NASB1995
I found some hopeful words, too, from a Sermon that John Piper gave a week after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on 9/11/2001:
Your steady, solid hope this morning — and it is the only lasting hope — is that if you will trust Christ as your precious Savior and your supremely-valued King, then you will be folded into the love of God in a way that no terrorist, no torture, no demons, no disasters, no disease, no man, no microbe, no government, and no grave can destroy. That’s the hope of this text. That’s the hope of the Christian life. It is not a political hope, or a military hope, or a financial hope, or a geographical hope, or a psychological hope, or an escapist hope. It is a blood-bought, Spirit-wrought, Christ-exalting, God-centered, fear-destroying, death-defeating hope.
We have one hope and one hope only and that is in our Savior. Believe, trust, obey and stand strong! Romans 8 gives us hope after hope and is essential for the believer.
My next devotional will be an introduction to the Parables of Jesus, followed by several devotionals on the Parables that are unique to the Gospel of Luke.
Sermons by John Piper are found on the Desiring God website.