31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8.31-39 [NIV]
“God is for us” are four words that should radically alter our perception. At some point in pursuing the way of Christ our perception of God will change. We think we need to do more for God. We should have more faith. God doesn’t love us because we keep screwing up. We think He is keeping a ledger of our good and bad deeds. We fear the wrath of God. Fear in the bad way, not the reverential fear of God. So much of this is rubbish.
Who can: come against us?
charge us?
condemn us?
separate us from the love of Christ?
No one can. Did you catch that? No one. No thing. God’s perception of us in Christ Jesus never changes. His love is constant and never failing. Yet, for whatever silly reasons, we think the love of God has limits. His love has no end. Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, death, life, angels, demons, present, future, powers, heights, depths or any created thing can undo the love of God in Christ. That’s a long list and covers pretty much anything you will face during your lifetime. So the next time you feel God is distant or loves you less, pause for a moment, turn to the Lord and realize, His love endures forever.
