Introduction:

What, then, shall we say in response to this?

What shall we say in response to the realization that our future glory far outweighs the temporary suffering of this life?

What shall we say in response to the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives who serves as a foretaste of more blessings to come and enables us to wait patiently and confidently for God to do what He has promised?

What shall we say in response to the Holy Spirit’s help and intercession which enables us to stand firm and trust God in the midst of suffering?

What shall we say in response to the promise that all things will work together for the good of those who love God and have been called according to His purpose?

What shall we say in response to God’s plan to perfect us which included His knowing us from the foundation of the world, His predestinating us to become conformed to the image of His Son, His calling us with His effective call which accomplished its purpose, His justifying us, and finally His glorifying us-a future glory which God considers as already having been accomplished?

What, then, shall we say in response to this? What shall we say in response to God’s grace in bringing salvation to completion for all those who are chosen and believe?

When we consider God’s love and His plan for us, we want to respond by saying, "praise God, hallelujah!"

In verses 31-39, Paul concludes chapter 8 with a hymn of praise, a hymn of security. In this section, Paul gives a series of questions followed by a series of responses which all serve to assure those of us who have trusted Christ for salvation that we are secure! We have absolute certainty that we are eternally saved, that we are forever God’s children, and that nothing can or will come between us and God to separate us.

How can we be so sure?

God is on our side. God is for us. If God is for us, who can be against us?

God is the Creator of everything that exists and He is the all-powerful, sovereign ruler of all He has created. God who is in control of all that is has planned to conform us to the image of Christ and to accomplish our glorification. He has promised us that all things will work together for our good. Since God is on our side, and no one can rival His sovereign rule, who or what in the entire universe could threaten our security or reverse what He has planned for our lives. Who can be against us? If anyone were able to rob us of salvation, he would have to be greater than God Himself and since no one is, no one can. No person can conflict with what God will do.

What will God do? He will give us all things. Paul tells us in verse 32 that He will graciously give us all things. God paid an extremely high price in order to obtain our salvation. God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up to die for us. What an incredible sacrifice. If God was willing to pay this high price for us while we were still sinners, while we were still His enemies, how much more is He willing to do for us now that we are His adopted children? Would God do less for believers after they are saved than He did for them before they trusted Christ for salvation? As Stifler writes in his commentary on Romans, "He who could part with the costly jewel could readily give the little case in which it is preserved." Having done the greater is giving His Son, God is sure to do the lesser of giving us all things. Having given His Son, God will certainly give us all things necessary to secure and accomplish what He has planned for us.

Illustration: Kent Hughes writes the following illustration which helps us understand Paul’s argument here. Suppose on a whim you visit a Rolls Royce dealership, enter a drawing, and win a brand-new Rolls Silver Cloud. When you go to pick it up, they say, "It’s all yours-tax free. Take it home!" But they refuse to give you the key. Ridiculous! If the car is yours, whatever you need to drive it is yours. Likewise, since we have received the incredible gift of God’s Son and salvation in him, it is ridiculous to suppose God will not give us everything else we need.

Horatius Bonar wrote:

charge us with an accusation that will stand

"Who will bring any charge against those God has chosen?" God has already given His verdict for those of us who are in Christ Jesus through faith in Him. He has declared believers to be righteous. Based upon our trusting Christ for Salvation, when God looks at us, He does not see our sins, but He sees us in Christ and sharing His righteousness. If God the supreme Judge with final jurisdiction has already declared that we are righteous, who could bring a charge against us that will stand? God’s decision of justification for those who trust Christ is final and irreversible. No one can bring a charge before God against those whose case has already been favorably decided.

This is not to say that all the charges brought up by Satan and the unbelieving world are always false. Sometimes the charges are true, but it is never significant grounds for our being condemned as our past, present, and future sins are covered by Christ’s shed blood and we are clothed in His righteousness.

"Who is he that condemns?" It is possible to understand the participle here as speaking of judgment yet future. If so, it could be translated, "Who is he that will condemn?" Paul identifies the answer to His question as being Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God’s appointed Judge (John 5:22, 27). This same Jesus is also the One the believer has trusted for salvation. Certainly the Judge will not condemn those who have trusted Him for salvation. Christ, the appointed Judge, guarantees that no one of us who are His can be condemned. What did Christ do and what is He doing now to give us this assurance?

Jesus died for us, as our substitute, to pay the debt we owed because of sin. He took upon Himself the penalty we deserved, forever delivering us from condemnation– "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

The resurrection of Christ confirms that He was victorious over sin and death and it provides proof that His death was accepted by God as the necessary payment for the sins of all who trust Him.

The fact that God exalted Christ to this position again confirms that God has accepted Christ’s sacrificial work on our behalf.

Christ’s exalted position at the right hand of God is indicative of the fact that He shares equally in the honor, authority, dominion, and power of the Father. How great of security it affords the believer to know that the same Jesus who saved him is also in the chief place of authority over it all.

The fact that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God also points to the fact that His sacrifice was the once and for all sacrifice for sins for all time–the work is finished–no more sacrifices are needed. No one can come back later and say, "More sacrifice is needed to cover what you have done."

Being seated at God’s right hand, Jesus hears every accusation Satan ever brings against us, and intercedes on our behalf. Whenever we sin and our accuser brings it up to the Father, Christ , our advocate in essence says, "My sacrifice on the cross has already paid for that. Put that to my account."

Hebrews 7:25 says, "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

The power of salvation is Christ’s ability- "He is able."

The extent of salvation is that it is complete- "to save completely"–There is no need for subsequent redemptive acts. There is no such thing as partial salvation or almost salvation. The Bible never pictures a person who almost made it, but not quite. Salvation is complete.

The objects of salvation are those who come to God through Christ- "those who come to God through him."

The security of salvation is Christ’s continual intercession for us– "because he always lives to intercede for them." Just as we did not save ourselves, but were saved through trusting Christ, nor do we keep ourselves saved. Christ has the power to save us, He has the power to keep us saved, and He continually offers intercession which does just that. Christ continually intercedes for us before the Father. No accusation will ever slip by or escape the notice of our Advocate who intercedes on our behalf and speaks to the Father in our defense.

James Stifler gives an excellent summary of verse 34 in his commentary on Romans. He writes, "No one can condemn, for Christ is fourfold protection. Are there offenses? He ‘died’ for them. Is there need of life? He is ‘risen again,’ and we are ‘saved by his life’ (5:10). Do we need representation and influence at the court? He is in the chief place of authority- ‘even at the right hand of God.’ Do we in hours of transgression and weakness need an Advocate (1 John 2:1.) He ‘ever liveth to make intercession for us" (John 17).

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" There is a question as to whether this should be read "who" or "what." Both are acceptable translations of the Greek word. If it is read "who" it is asking who of our persecutors can separate us from the love of Christ. If it is read "what" it is asking what things can a persecutor bring our way that could separate us from the love of Christ?

Regardless of which way you translate the question, it is clear that persecution is in view here. Paul quotes in verse 36 Psalm 44:22- "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." For the sake of God, believers will sometimes face the threat of death from persecutors who value their lives as nothing more than animals to be butchered–they are sometimes considered as sheep to be slaughtered. In suffering persecution, it can appear that the enemy is winning, but no matter how things may seem, the reality is that in Christ, we win. Nothing can separate us from His love.

When all that our persecutors could possibly bring our way comes into our lives, can any of these separate us from the love of Christ?

Can trouble or tribulation separate us? This word conveys the picture of something being crushed or pressed by a great weight–when that which causes us to feel as if a heavy weight were bearing down on our lives, will it separate us from the love of Christ?

Can hardship separate us? This word conveys the concept of being confined or hemmed into a constrictive, narrow space.

Can persecution separate us? This is simply the affliction or harassment Christians suffer for the sake of Christ.

Can famine or hunger separate us? Usually when we think of famine, we think of a natural disaster. Certainly when this kind of famine touches our lives, it cannot separate us from Christ’s love. However, I believe Paul is here alluding to the lack of food Christians experience when they are imprisoned for their faith and not given enough food, when they are discriminated against in their employment and cannot afford to buy food, when they are pillaged and the food they were counting on is taken away.

Can nakedness separate us? Those who are persecuted for Christ’s sake are often stripped of adequate or decent clothing. They are left vulnerable and unprotected to the elements.

Can danger separate us? Can anything that exposes us to danger in general separate us from Christ’s love.

Can the sword separate us? This word pictures not a battle sword, but a dagger. The sword is a symbol of death and I believe here alludes to being murdered for one’s faith.

When we feel squeezed, when we feel hemmed in, when we are harassed and mistreated for our faith, when we are left hungry and without adequate clothing, when we are in constant danger, when we are murdered for our faith, can any of these things separate us from the love of Christ? NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!

None of these things can affect our lives at all unless they are a part of God’s plan for us. As the song says, "Nothing will happen to me today, nothing good, nothing bad, nothing will happen to me today without passing through my Father’s hands." When these things do pass through the Father’s hands and are permitted to affect our lives, they affect them in such a way that they draw us closer to God, they conform us to the image of Christ, they glorify God as they fulfill His purposes in and through us, but they never separate us from Christ’s love.

Because nothing can separate us from Christ’s love, if dying for the sake of Christ is what God has for us, then death is no tragedy. If God determines that He would have us to die at the hands of those who persecute us, we don’t have to be afraid. When we who trust Christ die, we are ushered into the direct presence of our Lord. There we will be in better shape and in a better condition than we could ever dream about here on earth.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 in the midst of incredible persecution: "Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."

Paul wrote in Philippians 1:20-24- "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."

Christ’s love, from which we cannot be separated, enables us to win. Paul says that in all of these things, we are more than conquerors. No matter what tragedies we might face, no matter how horrific our persecution might be, God enables us to be triumphant and victorious. He allows us to hyper-conquer, to over-conquer. We don’t just survive and endure the difficult circumstances or obstacles that come our way–we are super conquerors. The most severe circumstances come together to make us more like Christ and stronger than we were before. All circumstances of life come together to accomplish God’s purposes for our lives and in the end, we win. Even in the time of our death, God does everything for our good and to assure our victory.

Application:

Being secure in Christ’s love, we should be compelled to live selfless lives for our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Being secure in Christ’s love, we should be compelled to follow after Christ as Christ instructs us to do in Mark 8:34- "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

We say no to self, once and for all. We surrender ourselves to Christ and turn away decisively from orienting our lives by the dictates of what self wants. We refuse to assert our rights and what we want in a way that would be in conflict with what Christ requires of us as His followers.

When Christ spoke the requirement of taking up one’s cross as a part of following Him, the crowd no doubt thought of a man on a death march carrying the instrument of execution on his back to the place from which he would hang from it. Taking up our cross means we willingly accept the inevitable suffering and loss (of whatever form it may take) involved in following Christ. It means we pay whatever price is necessary for Christ’s sake whether it be shame, rejection, persecution, physical suffering, or even martyrdom.

As Christ’s Followers, We Follow Him As The Habit Of Our Lives

Our following after Christ is to be a repeated, continuous, habitual process. For there to be a genuine and continual following after Christ, there must first be the once for all commitment to deny self and take up one’s cross. Once that commitment has been made, we must resist the temptation when the cost seems high to take back what we have denied and lay down what we have taken up.

As we learn what it costs to follow after Christ as His disciples, as we face persecution for doing so, we should be encouraged to follow just the same as nothing can separate us from His love. Nothing.

Paul was convinced that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. No matter how powerful our foes are and no matter how vast are the spheres of the entire universe, the extremes of our existence cannot separate us from God’s love.

*For those who have trusted Christ, the enemy of death cannot separate us from God’s love. Death has been swallowed up in victory. We have been given victory over death through our Lord Jesus Christ. This assurance that God’s love for us is secure gives us great encouragement as we understand that the final experience of this earthly life, should the Lord tarry, will not separate us from God’s love. It also gives us great encouragement concerning our loved ones in Christ who have gone before us.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14- "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."

Even at the moment of our death, we are assured of the loving presence of our Lord.

Psalm 116:15- "¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."

Life cannot separate us either. No matter how deep is the valley we are going through, no matter how severe our experiences may become, no matter how imposing the threats and dangers of this life are, none of these can separate us from God’s love. Nothing life brings to us can separate us from the love of God who promised–"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you–And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

*Angels would not and demons cannot separate us from God’s love. Yes, there is a real spiritual battle going on that appears to be increasing in intensity.

Ephesians 6:12- "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

There are demons in the spiritual realm who are doing everything they can to oppose God’s plan for our lives. However, remember that God is for us and no one can be against us. Not even the most powerful demon can thwart the plan of our sovereign God to bring our lives to perfection. Though the demons who do spiritual battle against us may cause us pain and struggle, God can use even what they do. He can and will cause their actions against us to work out for our good.

*Nothing we known now which we are presently experiencing and nothing in the unknown time to come which we have yet to experience can separate us from the love of God.

*No powers whether they be of nature, or government, or of spiritual adversaries can separate us from God’s love. Nothing and no one can rival God’s power and sever His love for us.

*Nothing natural or supernatural can come down from the greatest heights nor can anything come up from the deepest depths to separate us from God’s love. No matter the distance you go in any direction, nothing can be found which will threaten God’s love for us.

*Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love. God is the only uncreated being. Everything and everyone else is His creation, an no one or thing in His creation can come between us and God’s love for us.

It is important to note that we are included in this last category. Nothing we do–not even our works--can separate us from God’s love. We did not earn our position in Christ by what we did and nor do we keep our position in Christ by what we do now. Our being declared righteous or justified depends exclusively on the work of redemption completed by Christ on the cross. Never ever does our salvation depend on what we do–it does not depend on what we have done in the past and it does not depend on what we do in the future. Our salvation is absolutely secure and certain because we are trusting in Christ alone to save.

If we are in Christ through faith in Him, we can live with confidence that we belong to Him today, tomorrow, and throughout eternity. If you trust Christ alone to save you, you can be absolutely certain that your salvation is eternally secure. Have you never known what it is to have absolute security? Would you like to have the security we have been considering today from God’s Word? Trust Christ as your Savior. If we trust Christ alone to save us, we are absolutely secure in Him.

Illustration With Misty

Titus 2:11-12