What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-39
Scripture Notes
It is an extraordinary claim to have the Creator of the universe at your back, defending and protecting against the depravities of the world. We expect a brave warrior, a brilliant genius, or a strong bodyguard to be by our side. That is what books, television, and myths tell us about winning battles. Although God is strong, mighty, and omniscient, he does something inconceivable; he sacrifices his only son. The paradox of faith is to find victory not in man’s creation of a hero, but in the selfless, unconditional love of a devoted Father. And if He is willing to give something so great as the life of his son so we can be saved, what smaller thing would he not give to us? Those who still live in unbelief look at the struggle and think, “How can he? It is impossible,” while a believer, full of faith, thinks, “How can he not? Nothing is impossible?”
When we are brought to account after we have breathed our last, there will be no one from this world to judge us, and yet, we take too much stock in what others think of us. No one, not the wealthy, the powerful, nor the influential, will be able to judge us because the right belongs solely to God. He is the one who justifies from a heart of love and grace, and not with resentment or abhorrence.
We are told that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and yet, when we read this verse, we see ourselves at the center rather than our savior. Nothing can stop God from loving us, but too often we choose not to love, or trust, or even believe in God. In our society, it is more palatable to look to oneself when enduring hardship. Someone who believes in God and prays in times of need has become fantastical rather than faithful. Paul explains that despite the bothersome trouble, the torment of hardship, the brutality of persecution, the gnawing hunger of famine, the raw harshness of nakedness, nor the cold, brutal death of the sword (or gun) should cause us to turn away from the Lord. Every torment (and everything else) should lead us back to him.
But we are not promised contentment or prosperity. We are regularly promised the opposite, a life racked with tribulation and pain. Psalm 44:22 reminds us that the life of a Christian is to be killed all day long. Our faith is not a means of celebrity, power, or domination but an opportunity to transcend categories, labels, and parties. We are conquerors not of campaigns or colonies, but in the unbreakable security we have in the love of God. Nothing in creation, whether visible or invisible, nothing happening now or in the future, nothing on earth or in the heavens, can separate us from the unshakable, unconditional love of God.
MEMORY VERse
Samuel Palmer. The Lonely Tower, 1879. The Minneapolis Institute of Art
Related Verses
More verses about not being separated from God:
Prayer Invitation
Application Questions
- How does the understanding of God’s love impact your perspective on suffering and adversity?
- How can I practically apply the assurance of God’s love to my daily life?
- How can you share this assurance of God’s love with others who may be struggling?
MANÁ 
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