Romans 8

Bible Passage:  Romans 8

I like reading Romans 8.  There are so many wonderful verses here that we have memorised for a long time.  And even if we do not know it word for word, we know what the verses say.

What is your favourite verse here?

Today, I find my eyes drawn to the last few verses of this chapter:

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~ Romans 8:37-39

Starting from verse 28, Paul starts asking a series of rhetoric questions.  Paul’s aim was to draw the readers into the discussion.  Questions and answers follow without pause and then finally in verse 35 and 38-39, Paul made his point effectively by telling us that the answer is… “Nothing!”

There are maybe 2 questions here….

Question #1: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Paul masterfully engages his readers with this thought by explaining to us once again:  We have been predestined, called, justified, and glorified.

But is there anything that could interrupt the road to salvation? Is there anyone or anything that could pull us off course? Could we do anything or could anything be done to us to kick us out of future glorification?

Question #2:  Then Paul gets specific.

Could troubles or hardships shake our faith and cause us to drop away from Christ?  Could the loss of daily necessities like food and clothing cause a true believer to reject his faith? Could dangers bring about so much fear that we would fall away? Or could persecution or even death permanently separate us from Jesus?

Paul’s answers are so wonderfully written in this passage.  There is “Nothing!”  Nothing can “separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Indeed, even the greatest difficulty is no match for Jesus.

And the amazing thing is that Paul reminds that through all these things we are conquerors.  Sorry … that was a typo.

No, we are “more than conquerors.”

Verse 38 starts off with “For I am persuaded…” (NKJV).  The NIV versions says, “For I am convinced…”

There is a strong conviction in Paul that what God has started, He will finish.  Through Christ, he can overcome whatever lies ahead…all the way to heaven.

When we think about the mighty love of God – there is nothing we can ever do to merit His love.

There’s that word again… “Nothing”.

But it does not mean that we do nothing…

We receive His grace and offer of eternal life gratefully.  And although we cannot repay His grace by what we do, our response should be that of obedience to His commands as that should be now part of our spiritual life – a new life in Jesus.

Whenever we talk about the love of Christ and the majesty of God’s love for us, the marvellous hymn The Love of God.

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain: O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure,
The saints and angels’ song

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Refrain

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Refrain

Is there anything greater than the love of God?  Are you convinced?