Who will separate us from the love of Christ?

Romans 8:26-39 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

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

In today’s text it says:  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.   In my own life, I can attest to the truth of this portion of scripture. God did not cause the difficult things that have happened in my life. Much of the difficulty I have experienced resulted from my own decisions and actions. Other trials and difficulties were the consequences of other people’s decisions or actions and finally some of the hard things that are experienced in this life are simply the consequence or the result of living in a fallen world. God does not cause these difficult times, but He will cause all things, both the good times and the hard times to work together for our good. As I learned to run to God rather than away from Him, as I learned to love Him and trust Him in even the hard times, as I started to do good, I began to see good. As I began to seek God’s will rather than my will, seeking His purpose for me, He revealed Himself to me. The greatest good though that God causes and that He caused in my life, is that we are conformed to the image of His Son. As we submit and subject the difficult things; the consequences of sin to the cross of Christ, we are raised up like Him in the power of the resurrection to live in His righteousness. My life; each of our lives are still in the process of being glorified. Surely, I am not the reflection or the revelation of Christ that I am called to be, but by His grace I am more like Him that I used to be.  

The next portion of today’s scripture speaks volumes to me and for all of us:  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?... But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   In truth, there is only one thing that can separate us from the love of God. That is our own decision to reject His love. Romans 5:8 says: God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.   John 3:16 says:  God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.   In Deuteronomy 31:6 God says:  The LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.   God is omnipotent, all powerful. There is nothing that has the power to separate us from Him. Even death cannot separate us from the love of God, because in death, we are finally and fully glorified to eternal life, through His love demonstrated on the cross.   The only thing that can separate us from the love and the power of God; the only thing that can separate us from His good plans for our lives, is for us to reject the demonstration of His love; for us to run from Him rather than to Him.

The text says:  Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.  In the beginning of today’s text it says: In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.   So, we have Jesus, God the Son and the Holy Spirit interceding for us to God the Father, who loves us and will never forsake us. All we need to do. In both the good times and the hard times, is to say, like Jesus Himself, not my will, but Your will be done.

‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.  ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.  ‘Give us this day our daily bread.  ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’