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 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.
The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Romans to prepare the Christians in Rome for his hoped for visit to that city. Today’s verses are wondrous words of encouragement telling his audience of the eternal., unchangeable, unfathomable love of God for us in Christ Jesus – this love that transforms our lives. In verse 31, chapter 8 Paul writes “if God is for us, who can be against us?”
The Apostle Paul writes to the Roman Christians to reassure them that God’s love in Christ is not an illusion. God’s love for us is not undermined by adversity. God’s love for us is secure no matter how difficult the trial. Paul writes that God chose us before the world began and His election is not ended because of our failures. God’s love is not conditioned on our worthiness – it is not earned. God’s love for us – even as fallen creatures – is why He sent Christ to die for us. He saved us while we were sinners and we are still sinners after He saved us. We will be disciplined but God’s love for us will not diminish. This is the practical value of the doctrine of election.
Paul cites extreme contrasts to prove his point that, as children of God in Christ, nothing can separate us from His love. No spiritual powers, not present circumstances or things to come, not anything that could possibly happen to us, could separate us from God’s love – nothing in heaven or in hell, height or depth – not any thing we can conceive of. God works all things for the good of His chosen people and nothing can separate them from His love.
God’s supreme love for us was demonstrated in Christ Jesus who died on the cross for us. It is important to remember the cross when talking of God’s love. The cross is the provision of God for our salvation and it must be personal, this, the greatest proof of God’s love. Today’s verses are a triumphant climax to Paul’s statement that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. We are told of the indissoluble union of God’s children with God in Christ – and that there is no power capable of separating us from that love. God’s love, not our love, is the central truth of Paul’s gospel.