Who Shall Separate Us from Christ's Love? Romans 8:35

Paul the apostle asked the people in Rome, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?”, and he answered, “It is God that justifies.” He continued with another question, “Who is he that condemns?”, and he answered, “It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” In chapter eight and verse thirty-five of Romans, Paul asked his readers, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” where we read:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,

or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

The verse begins, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Paul began with the words, “who” which means “what person whether male or female” “shall separate us from” which means “who shall divide, part or put asunder” “the love” or “the unconditional affection, good will, benevolence” “of Christ” which refers to “the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God”? Paul rhetorically asked his readers “what person exists that can” divide those who believe in Jesus from His “love”.

The verse goes on to say, “shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Paul continued with the words, “shall tribulation” or “will affliction, pressure, distress and straits”, “or distress” which means “dire calamity and extreme affliction” “or famine” which means “scarcity of harvest or dearth”, “or nakedness” which refers to “nudity”, “or peril” which means “danger”, “or sword” which refers to “a large knife or curved sword for cutting a stroke or a straight sword for thrusting”. Paul shared a few examples that fail to “separate believers” from God's “love”.

When we consider these words of Paul, we see how difficulties, afflictions, lack of food and clothing, danger and attack by sword cannot “separate” a person who believes in Jesus Christ as their personal “Savior and Lord” from God's “love”. Troubles, trials, afflictions and persecution may come into a believer's life, but those things shall never diminish God's eternal and unconditional “love” for them. God loves people, all people, and He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for their sins so they could be in a relationship with Him. Those who receive God's “love” through Jesus shall never know what it means for God not to love them no matter how difficult their lives may be or become.

Next time Paul refers to scripture as he tells his readers, “for your sake we are killed all the day long”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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