Romans 8:35-39 New Living Translation
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,* neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The following sermon is by Pastor Malcolm Maclean.
Paul, in these verses, considers the third question that he asks as he draws this section of Romans to a close. So far in his conclusion, he has asked, ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ and ‘Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?’, and has provided answers to each question. The first is answered by the reminder that God has already given his Son for us, and he will with him give all that we need; the second is answered by the twofold reality that God has justified his people and Jesus is interceding for them.
The third question that he asks is, ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?’ He amplifies the question by bringing into view the various experiences his readers have had as a result of following Christ. Each of the details in the second question in verse 35 are associated with persecution that believers were then facing. Therefore this list is made up of visible sources of opposition. This tells us that the Christian life will not be easy and that Christ’s love is not dependant on our circumstances.
In verses 38 and 39 he describes four other potential sources of opposition: (1) human experience (death or life), (2) demonic attack (angels or demons), (3) time (things present and to come) and space (height and depth), and (4) anything else in all creation. This list is made up of currently invisible sources of opposition, which may become visible in the future.
This does not mean that opposition will not come. Indeed the enemies will be confident of success, for they will regard believers as sheep to be slaughtered. Paul explains this situation by citing a verse from Psalm 44, a psalm in which the loyalty of God’s people is stressed although they were facing intense trouble for their faith. But Paul does not regard persecuted believers as sheep about to be slaughtered. Instead he sees them as more than conquerors.
Paul depicts the Christian as under attack, and the several details of tribulation and trouble are the weapons used against us. The one leading the opposition is the devil, and armed with such weapons he looks fierce and strong, heading for an overwhelming victory. They are weapons that would defeat any earthly army, but they don’t defeat the Lord’s army.
It is important to note the preposition that Paul uses when he writes ‘in all these things’. He does not say that they will be conquerors after the trouble is over. Instead he says that they are conquering as they are suffering or being opposed. The early church faced this attack for three centuries and overcame comprehensively.
In what ways are they victorious?
Firstly, they are victorious in that they resist the temptations of the devil. He comes in more than one way. At the same time as he is overtly opposing them, he can be covertly tempting them. We are in danger of falling into temptation at any time. Some fall after they have won a spiritual victory – perhaps they take their eye off the enemy and forget that although he was defeated he is still on the prowl. Others fall as a consequence of prolonged attack, the victims of a spiritual siege. We have to resist him, and as long as we resist him we are victorious. We don’t have to wait until the devil quits the field in order to have victories. They conquered in the battle.
Secondly, they are victorious in that they are making progress in the Christian life. What effect does tribulation have on Christians? Paul reminds us in Romans 5:3-5: ‘More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.’ Peter tells his readers in 1 Peter 1:6-7: ‘In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’ Trouble for them provided both joy and assurance that their faith was genuine. They conquered in the battle. Read more…
