Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (37) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves 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

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. Chapter 8 of this letter begins by telling us that there is therefore no condemnation for those in Jesus Christ and our verses today – the last of chapter 8 – amplify this doctrine that the security of the faithful is founded on the plan of God, the promise of God and the power of God. No one and nothing created can remove our no condemnation status. God has predetermined that in Christ the faithful are His forever and He is for us – this has nothing to do with our worthiness or performance. God’s love involves a commitment to finish the good work He has begun in us. Good works did not earn our salvation and bad works cannot take it from us.
Paul is writing to comfort those suffering hardship, persecution and death because of their commitment to Christ and the gospel. Because the faithful were chosen before the foundation of the world God’s love for us is not diminished or alienated by our failures, shortcomings or sins. Life can be a bigger threat than death and our culture – then and now – is no friend to disciples of Christ. The list in verse 35 followed by Paul’s series of contrasts is to reinforce that absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love and to counter our fears in trials.
Paul’s confidence of God’s love in Christ is expressed in the strongest words possible; nothing will frustrate the purpose of God – nothing will turn His love from those He is determined to save. God loves us not because of who we are but what we are in Christ