God’s Everlasting Love
September 15, 2022
Commentary
We know God will never fail us, but we might wonder, can we fail Him? Suppose some trial or temptation comes our way and we fail Him? Then what? Paul deals with that problem in this passage and explains that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. God permits trials to come in order that we may learn to depend on Him more. He gives us the power to be conquerors (v. 37). The seven enemies that are listed here were the common foes of the Christians in the early church: (1) Tribulation, (2) Distress, (3) Persecution, (4) Famine, (5) Nakedness, (6) Peril, & (7) Sword. Paul himself had faced all of these and knew from personal experience that none of them had power to sever his relationship with Christ. Instead, they only draw the believing heart closer to the Lord.
This chapter closes with some of the most comforting promises in all of Scripture. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms. These could cause us to fear that we have been abandoned by Christ. However, Paul explains that it is impossible to be separated from the love of Christ. His death is proof of His never-ending love, and nothing can stop Christ’s constant presence with us. God tells us how great His love is so that we will be totally secure in Him. Regardless of fault, cause, action, or inaction, whatever you do or do not do, God will always love you. He is impartial, and He sees beyond the circumstances of the moment. He loves you both completely, and equally. He has no favorites. He will not take sides; He will view every situation in accordance with what the Bible says. Christians can be free from fear because Christ intercedes for us, and we cannot be separated from His love. We should never fear life or death (v. 38). Death cannot separate us from His love. Death only ushers us into His presence in heaven. Someone might ask, “Can life separate us from His love?” Again, the answer is No. Jesus said, “Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20). Jesus Christ’s love is not something with conditions attached to it. In other words, He does not say, “If you do this, I will do that.” Nothing can separate you from His love! Believe this fact and rejoice in it.
Application
In my lifetime I will go through troubles beyond my control. All things do work together for good as Jesus is conforming me to His image. I will conqueror life’s problems through Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:35– 39 (NET)
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.