Jun 12 2020 - Romans 8:26-39 – Nothing can separate us from the love of God

Separation can be deeply painful. After nearly sixty years of married life my mother died leaving my father on his own. He felt the loss deeply. He grieved that his love and companion of so many years had been taken from him and he longed to be reunited with her. He seemed lost without her. He used to say, tongue in cheek, that he was concerned that she would get so far into heaven that he would not be able to catch her up. At last his wish was granted; he was united with her in the presence of Christ.

In Romans 8, Paul expresses his confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. God loved us so much that he did not spare his own Son but gave him over to death for our redemption. He will not see that work wasted. Having given his Son for us, he will spare no effort in bringing us safe to glory.

Jesus loved us so much that he willingly gave himself for us to make us, as it were, his bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). At the cross, he experienced the horror of separation from the Father as he cried out, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” He suffered such separation for us – suffered it on our behalf that through him we might never be separated from God. Risen from the dead, he is now in the place of power at the Father’s right hand. He is there on our behalf, interceding for us and utterly refuting every accusation brought against us – accusations that we are unfit to be reckoned as children of God. Jesus will not allow anything to separate us from his love.

The Spirit also has been given to us as our help in our weakness. He also intercedes for us with God and provides us with a witness in our hearts that we are children of God – that we belong to him. He provides us with the strength we need to go on living the Christian life – pressing on to glory.

These truths should bring us great encouragement and banish all our fears. No circumstance we face, however difficult, demanding or threatening, is able to separate us from the love of God. All things ultimately work together for our good for, through and in them all, God has determined to bring us safe at last to glory. Paul understood these things personally and reminded the Christians in Rome of them for their encouragement in the face of troubles. We need constantly to remind ourselves of these things so that we might not grow weary and lose heart. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Life may require us to face many painful separations, but the one who has come to trust in Jesus can be sure that they will never be separated from him; not in life, nor in death. Jesus has determined to share his inheritance of glory with us. The triune God is at work on our behalf to ensure that it shall be so. It is not the strength of our hold upon Christ that brings us safe to glory, it is the strength of God’s hold upon us.

Father God, I am humbled and amazed by your love for me: the love that drew salvation’s plan; the love that drove Jesus to come into this poor world and give himself for me; the love that moved the Spirit to call me and tell me that I am loved of God. Help me to love you with all my being and to serve you with all I possess and without fear until that day when I shall be brought safe to glory.

Peter Misselbrook