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Romans 8:31–39 (ESV)
This morning is our last sermon in this section of the book of Romans. We have just completed 21 sermons from Romans 6-8 in this series “Walking in New Life.” Thirteen of those sermons have been from Romans 8.
For the next three Sundays, we will be continuing in the theme of the Worship of God from the Psalms, including, Psalms 96, 59, and 107. For our next major series, we will begin in the book of Exodus in October.
This morning, we will meditate on the final five verses of Romans 8. At least since verse 28, Paul has been bolstering our confidence in the salvation we have been given.
John Stott summarizes this section like this:
Here then are five convictions about God’s providence (28), five affirmations about his purpose (29, 30) and five questions about his love (31–39), which together bring us fifteen assurances about him. We urgently need them today, since nothing seems stable in our world any longer. Insecurity is written across all human experience.
- John Stott, The Message of Romans, The Bible Speaks Today, 259.
From Romans 8:28 forward, we have been swept away into the deep end of the pool of theology, gazing at God’s Providence—His working of all things for his purposes and our good—along with the Golden Chain of our salvation. We have considered that God would not withhold any good thing from us since he has already given his Son for us.
Is there anything more the Lord wants to tell us through Paul’s letter to the Romans to strengthen our confidence in the Gospel? I think there is. The question is this: having been brought into God’s gracious plan of salvation, is there any chance we can lose it? If so, what would that take?
My hope this morning is that we all walk out of this auditorium with more confidence that God keeps those he saves—that nothing can separate us from the Love of God.
We’re simply going to walk through these five verses together in four points.
We begin with the Question in verse 35.
Romans 8:35 (ESV)
We wonder if what Paul has been telling us is too good to be true. Has God invited us into this walk of faith only to let it fail?
Are we in the same predicament as the company in the Fellowship of the Ring as Galadriel questions them?
But this I will say to you: your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while all the Company is true.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Is our quest upon the edge of a knife? If we stray but a little, will it fail, to the ruin of all? This is how we can feel at times, isn’t it? Even if we have solid, Reformed theology, we can still feel as if our salvation is fragile and dependent upon our daily performance. Our question (and its answer) this morning is a gift from God to each of us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
This is the 5th question in Paul’s series of questions designed to strengthen our confidence. Let’s review them. Look back at verse 31.
What kind of shift is Paul making in this last question?
Paul is moving from the legal and judicial language of justification to the relational language of love. Don’t undervalue the legal and judicial language. It is clear, decisive, and powerful. Paul has labored to explain them in such a way through the first half of his letter. These truths can cut through the most confusing emotions and the most daunting circumstances.
Here in our final question, though, Paul hints at something deeper than the courtroom scene, something greater than logical deductions. He points us to the love of Christ. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though with the answer to his question.
Can anyone separate us from the love of Christ?
Paul is not content to live in the theoretical, abstract realm of theology. He directly faces particular challenges to our remaining in the faith. Can any of these separate us from Christ?
Romans 8:35 (ESV)
What if things in this life don’t work out well, though? What if we encounter tribulation? What if we are persecuted for our faith. If we become destitute does that mean we have been separated from God’s love? If God doesn’t bring the victory in our situation what does that mean about our faith?
If we read verse 35 too quickly and give our answer too carelessly, we will miss something very important.
We want to answer, “No! We are victorious in Christ!” And, that is true. But, we want to claim that victory over his list of troubles. We want to say that God will deliver us from each of these things.
This brings us to our next point, “The Problem.”
Romans 8:36 (ESV)
We were well on our way to a massive crescendo to victory! No one can stand against us! Nothing can separate us from God’s love! God will not hold back any good thing from us if we are united to Christ!
Then, verse 36—a great blow to any “health and wealth” or “name it and claim it” gospel. The scene is not a pretty one. He is not describing a glorious victory in battle, not even a glorious defeat in battle, but an ongoing slaughter of the weaker by the stronger.
To state the problem succinctly: The love of God does not prevent the Christian from suffering, sometimes horribly and even to death.
In order to make his point, Paul references a verse from Psalm 44. Let’s turn there together to see why Paul finds this verse so illustrative of our situation.
The Psalmist has already been lamenting that God has rejected and disgrace them by not going out with Israel’s armies.
Psalm 44:17–26 (ESV)
This all sounds very poetic to us in our Western, peaceful, affluent society. We can read Psalm 44 and imagine our friends saying something mean about us or imagine our boss or manager overlooking us for the promotion we deserve. Or, maybe it’s really bad and we lose our job because of our Christian convictions. Of course we feel God is for us. We have more freedoms, protections, opportunities, and blessings that most Christians throughout human history could have ever imagined.
In many places around the world today, this is not so. You could lose your livelihood, your family, or your life for being a Christian. You could suffer imprisonment, torture, or martyrdom for naming the name of Christ.
The Psalmist recognized that suffering for doing wrong would be appropriate discipline from the Lord, but he protests that they had not forgotten God. It was in fact, for God’s sake that they were suffering slaughter.
Paul himself experienced profound suffering for the sake of his testimony and the gospel. Though we may be familiar with his biography, I want us to hear it again with this question in mind: Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
2 Corinthians 11:23–27 (ESV) — …with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Are you ready to endure these things while holding tightly to the love of God in Christ Jesus?
It is quite possible that in our lifetimes the cost for truly living as a Christian will increase. If the elections don’t go our way, or the courts begin to rule against religious liberty, or Islam continues to spread and threaten violence to Christians, will you continue to rest and rejoice in the love of God?
The question is not simply whether you will endure, but whether you continue resting in the love of God.
(For another example, see Hebrews 11:36–40.)
Verse 36 is a good reminder that trouble does not mean we have escaped the love of God.
We have looked at the question and the problem, not let’s move on to our declaration.
Romans 8:37 (ESV)
This is a strange declaration after verse 36.
Paul does not say “despite these things” but “in all these things.” Not only is God not promising to keep us from these sufferings, he actually tells us to expect them.
2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV) — Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Matthew 5:10 (ESV) — “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2 Corinthians 4:8–10 (ESV) — We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies.
Remember that persecution is not the only kind of trial.
James 1:2 (ESV) — Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
What does it mean, then for us to be “more than conquerors?”
Does it mean we are rescued—like Daniel out of the lion’s den? Does God always protect and deliver “out of” the trial?
Does God promise to fix your circumstances? Wayward child, unemployment, difficult marriage, antagonistic boss, long-term health struggles, profound loneliness, broken relationships, deep depression, struggles with addiction.
In order for this verse to be true, must God rescue you from these trials? No.
Romans 8:37 (ESV)
One of the most authoritative Greek Lexicons defines this term which the ESV translates “more than conquerors” as “we are winning a most glorious victory” (BDAG).
This is true for all true believers everywhere. It is true for you, dear saint. It is true regardless of the present state of your circumstances or suffering. It is true despite your feelings on the matter. It is true because we are united to Christ in his sufferings and victory.
John 16:33 (ESV) — I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
We must have Romans 8:28 in mind to say this.
Romans 8:28 (ESV) — And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
If we’re honest with one another, though I somewhat get this theologically, I don’t often feel as if I’m experiencing “a most glorious victory” or like we are “more than conquerors.” Do you?
This is uncomfortable. And don’t get caught up with me using “feeling” words. I don’t just mean my emotions. I mean my experience. Is Paul putting this declaration just out of our reach? It feels that way sometimes. But, we walk by faith and not by sight. Let me repeat what I said earlier.
This is true for all true believers everywhere. It is true for you, dear saint. It is true regardless of the present state of your circumstances or suffering. It is true despite your feelings on the matter. It is true because we are united to Christ in his sufferings and victory.
How then do we train our hearts to believe this? First, we must look beyond our circumstances, even beyond this life.
2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV) — as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Paul wrote of this earlier in Chapter 8.
Romans 8:18 (ESV) — For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Next, we must look to our confidence in the love of Christ, which takes us to our final point.
Romans 8:38–39 (ESV)
Paul started in verse 28 with “we know.” Now he concludes with “I am sure” or “I am convinced.” As one who had endured many sufferings for Christ, this is encouraging and faith-building.
Here is Paul’s climax of his argument, and his answer to the problem of our sufferings. Nothing can separate us from God’s love.
Once united to Christ by faith, there is nothing that can separate you from God’s love. This is a continuation of his argument, but he piles on language to convince us.
This covers all of the potential states of being. Whether we live or die. For some, death feels like the greater threat to the continuing love of God. For others, a life of difficulty (or success) feels like the greater threat.
In either state, we pray, “keep me in the love of God, Lord.”
We understand “angels.” “Rulers” most likely refers to demons or fallen angels. In other letters, Paul writes of “principalities.”
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) — For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
These are powerful forces for evil in a cosmic battle against the Lord. However, as powerful as they are, they cannot separate a child of God from the love of God.
There is no circumstance in your life today or any possible circumstance in your future that can separate you from God’s love.
Apply this truth to your fears and anxieties.
What do you fear might shipwreck your faith?
This could be connected to Angels and rulers already mentioned, but the basic idea is “mighty acts.” It is the basic word for “power.” No powerful spiritual force can separate you from God’s love.
We’ve already covered “time” with things present or to come. Now Paul references the span of the physical creation. There is nothing in the span of the entire universe with the power to separate you from God’s love.
Aren’t you glad Paul put this here? I know some of you are already thinking Paul left something out.
What about your own choices? What about your own sins? What about your own doubts? Do you only maintain confidence and assurance of your salvation as far as your works go? Are you quaking under the words of Galadriel in LOTR again? “Your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all.”
Are you acting as if you are excluded from “anything else in all creation?”
Dear saint, if you had started your salvation, you could un-start it. But, you did not. It is a gift of God (Ephesians 2). All those who are justified are glorified.
Look back at verses 38-39 again.
Romans 8:38–39 (ESV)
Would you be tempted to finish the verse as, “nothing… will be able to separate us from the decrees of God in his plan of salvation for his elect”?
Do you tend to think of your salvation primarily in transactional or legal terms? Consider the relational language Paul uses here.
He has not written much so far in the letter to the Romans of the love of God, though he did start that way.
Romans 1:7 (ESV) — To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Consider our desire to be known and loved. It is one of our deepest longings, perhaps even deeper than our desires to avoid suffering and death, or for our desires to have eternal life. After all, what is eternal life if we are not known and loved.
We are tempted to think if God knew us that he would not love us.
Deuteronomy 7:7–8 (ESV) — It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers…
God set his love on his chosen people in the Old Testament. He does the same for the church.
Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV) — But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Our Great Confidence is not just that God will complete our salvation, but that he will keep us in his love.
There is theology in this text today. But, the overall impact should not simply be head-knowledge or knowing new facts about God’s love.
The invitation today is to experience and know personally the love that God has for you in Christ. This is not only an invitation for unbelievers to trust in Christ for salvation to experience the love of God that brings forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and eternal life.
It is also for the saint who has been saved for decades. Has the glory worn off like losing that new car smell? Have you lost your wonder at the gospel message that used to stir your heart deeply? Do you find yourself striving, worrying, or suffering with no current experience of the Love of God?
If so, I invite you with me to rest and rejoice in the love of Christ. This is a well too deep to fathom.
I realize that we have read this passage from Ephesians several times throughout the last few weeks. However, in it, Paul prays that the believers in Ephesus would truly experience the love of God in tangible ways. This is what he prays for them.
Ephesians 3:16–19 (ESV) — that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Paul is not dutifully explaining the beliefs they must hold about the love of God. He is inviting them to know it—to know it in their bones.
Fellow Christian, there is more of the love of God for us to experience—both in this life and in the life to come.
Rest in his love for you. Rejoice in that love.
We already sang a wonderful hymn about the love of God this morning. Let’s review it.
O the deep deep love of Jesus
Vast unmeasured boundless free
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me
Underneath me all around me
Is the current of Thy love
Leading onward leading homeward
To my glorious rest aboveO the deep deep love of Jesus
Spread His praise from shore to shore
How He loveth ever loveth
Changeth never nevermore
How He watches o'er His loved ones
Died to call them all His own
How for them He intercedeth
Watches over them from the throneO the deep deep love of Jesus
Love of every love the best
'Tis an ocean vast of blessing
’Tis a haven sweet of rest
O the deep deep love of Jesus
'Tis a heaven of heavens to me
And it lifts me up to glory
For it lifts me up to Thee
Remember the invitation to come up for prayer this morning for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Benjamin will lead us in that time of ministry after we sing this next song. This could be a hunger for the presence of God or a desire for more of the gifts of the Spirit, or perhaps a specific yearning to know the love of God in a powerful way. This is one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:5 (ESV) — …God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Let me pray that for us all right now.
Here are some other recent messages.
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