Romans 8:35-39

Good morning, church.

Would you turn with me to Romans chapter 8?

Romans 8 · chapter mention

We are concluding our series in Romans 8 today, looking at verses 35 through 39.

Next week starts the season of Advent.

That's the season of the year when we look back to Christ's first coming

and we look ahead to Christ's second coming.

There's a lot of good things coming up in the life of our church this coming month.

So check out the bulletin.

December 12th is the carol service.

December 17th is our longest night service, a service of lament in this time of the year.

Christmas Eve is actually a Sunday this year.

So we're going to have a candlelight service on Christmas Eve at 5 p.m.

in addition to our morning service.

And this coming Advent, we're going to be preaching through the life of John the Baptist,

the great herald of the coming king, saying, prepare the way.

Prepare your hearts for the one who's about to come.

So that's what's coming up this coming month at Trinity, this Christmas season.

I'm actually pretty excited about it.

I think it's going to be a good December for us as a church.

But this morning, we are finishing off Romans 8.

This fall, we've been studying this great chapter that's sometimes been called the Mount Everest of Scripture,

the highest peak from which we can see all the contours of the land below.

That's page 945 in the Pew Bible.

Let me encourage you to turn there with me.

Romans chapter 8, verses 35 through 39.

Romans 8:35–39

Before I read this for us, let's pray as we come to God's word.

Father, thank you for being a God who reveals yourself to us.

As we come to read this passage of Scripture, we pray that by your spirit,

you would be revealing yourself to us afresh through your written word.

Father, show us your glory in Christ this morning.

Help us to see him with the eyes of our hearts enlightened,

that we may know your love that surpasses knowledge,

and that we might be transformed more and more into his likeness.

In the name of Jesus, we pray.

Amen.

Romans 8, starting in verse 35.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

As it is written, for your sake, we are being killed all the day long.

We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

No.

In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,

nor things present, nor things to come,

nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation

will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Friend, what would it look like for you to live as if you truly had nothing to fear?

I confess I don't often live that way.

I often fear what other people will think of me.

I often fear at times how my kids are going to navigate their futures,

whether they're going to come out okay.

I fear at times sickness.

I fear at times losing loved ones.

There are lots of things in life that can make us afraid, aren't there?

But as Paul draws this chapter to a close,

he points us to the one thing that Christians need never fear.

And because of that one thing, we can face anything with assurance, with confidence.

These five verses are the finale of perhaps one of the most riveting and important chapters in the whole Bible.

These verses are Paul's hold nothing back, no holds barred, lyrical fireworks display of what he's been trying to say for the whole chapter, really.

This is the big finish.

As I was preparing to preach this morning,

Beth asked me, hey, how's your sermon preparation going?

And I said, you know, I feel like preaching this text is a bit like trying to catch a tornado in a paper bag.

How could we possibly try to capture the magnitude of these gale force winds in our short time together this morning?

This momentum that's been building for the whole chapter that's now breaking forth in all of its stunning power.

How do we try to capture what Paul wants us to know here deep in our bones?

What's the earth-shaking assurance that Paul wants us to grasp?

Well, let's hear three times in these five verses.

Verse 35, the love of Christ.

Verse 37, him who loved us.

Verse 39, the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God's love in Christ is the finale, is the big finish.

That's the unshakable assurance.

You know, up to this point in the chapter, Paul hasn't actually explicitly mentioned God's love.

The love of Christ.

In fact, Paul hasn't explicitly mentioned God's love since chapter 5 of the book of Romans.

But you know, that's really what this whole section of the book has been about.

The beginning of 5, the end of 8.

They're like an intro and a conclusion telling us what everything in between has been all about.

It's all been about the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So here's the big finish.

There are three things we see about the love of Christ in this text.

And the first thing we see is this.

That in this world, there are many contenders who will threaten to separate us from the love of Christ.

In this life, for you and I, there are many contenders who are going to threaten to separate us from the love of Christ.

Look again at verse 35.

Where do we see this?

In verse 35, Paul asks the last of his great rhetorical questions.

Remember how he started two weeks ago?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?

Who is to condemn?

And here are the last rhetorical questions.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Who shall separate us from this immense love?

And as soon as he asks that question,

outstep the contenders one by one.

Here they come, lining up, threatening to sever us, to cut us off from Christ's love for us.

Paul lists seven examples in verse 35.

Seven of them as if to say, you know, there could be a whole lot more.

To start with, there are all the things that happen to Christians just for naming the name of Jesus.

Tribulation, distress, persecution.

Friends, you know, for most of the church's history, and much of the world today,

Christians are persecuted for their allegiance to Jesus,

just for identifying with Jesus.

There are actually missionaries that we support as a church that we can't tell you publicly what country they minister in

because it will put their ministry in jeopardy.

At best, they'll be severely fined, sent home, and the whole work will be shut down.

But more than that, in other parts of the world, it's much worse, even to the point of outright physical violence and martyrdom.

But those aren't the only contenders who threaten to separate us from Christ's love.

Paul goes on to list some of the tragedies of living in a fallen world.

Famine, nakedness, to be left without food, to be left without clothes, famine and nakedness.

These things speak of the deprivations, of the losses that we experience,

the hardships, the trials, the job loss, the struggling to make ends meet,

the spouse who walks out, the friend who cuts you off.

And if that weren't enough, they keep coming.

Last, there are the things that threaten our very lives.

Danger.

Or the things that even take our lives.

Paul says, the sword.

And by sword, Paul probably means the executioner's sword.

Which we know that he himself would face later in life.

And succumb.

Here they come.

The things that threaten our lives, that take our lives.

Cancer.

Car accidents.

Execution.

All threatening our lives.

All threatening to separate us from Christ's love.

So what do we know about the love of Christ then?

We know that the love of Christ for the Christian doesn't guarantee him or her immunity

from evil and suffering and persecution in this life.

There are countless candidates ready to stand up and to threaten to separate us from the love of Christ.

So friends,

know this,

know this,

that these things will come.

Hardship and loss will come.

Persecution and distress will come,

whether severe or subtle.

Danger and death will come.

Both to you and to your loved ones.

Sometimes at an old age,

after a long life.

Sometimes suddenly,

tragically.

In verse 36,

Paul quotes Psalm 44, 22,

which was a prayer to God

when the people of Israel were being persecuted

and afflicted.

Paul says,

this is the Christian's experience.

We will feel like this many times.

Like you're a sheep to be slaughtered.

Undergoing death every day.

So what will you make of this?

As one by one,

these contenders come around,

how will you view them?

The temptation

will be to see them as signs,

as evidence,

as proof

that you have in fact been separated from Christ's love.

The temptation will be to say,

Christ must not love me

if this is happening.

But is that true?

Brings us to the second thing

that we see about the love of Christ here.

Yes, on the one hand,

the love of Christ guarantees no one

immunity from suffering.

But on the other hand,

the love of Christ entails

no possibility of separation.

In verse 38,

Paul says,

I am sure.

There's a resounding confidence

that comes flowing out of this passage

for each one of us in Christ.

Confidence

that nothing in our human experience,

Paul says,

whether death or life

or anything in between,

that nothing in the spiritual realm,

whether angels or heavenly rulers,

that nothing in the course of time,

whether present or future,

that nothing that is opposed to God's plans,

whatever power it may be,

that nothing in the vast reaches of space,

whether height or depth,

that nothing in all creation

can separate us

from the love of God

in Christ Jesus,

our Lord.

Friends,

whether you can see it or not,

or feel it or not,

or understand it or not,

there's not a single thing

in all of creation,

nothing at all,

that can separate you.

But how can Paul be so sure?

How can you and I be so sure

that nothing will separate us

from the love of Christ?

Well, maybe this is a good point

in our sermon series

to take a step back

and listen again

to what Paul has been showing us

in Romans 8.

Go back with me

to verses 1 through 3.

If you are in Christ Jesus,

if you've placed your trust in Him,

then God has done for you

what the law could not do.

God sent His own Son

from the glories of heaven

to take on the likeness

of sinful flesh

to die as a sacrifice

for your sin

in order to condemn

sin in the flesh,

Paul says.

That is to judge it

and to fully exhaust

its penalty

so that there's nothing left

for you to bear.

So that united to Christ

through faith,

you might be counted

not as sinful,

not as guilty,

but as righteous,

as loved.

That's how much God loves you.

But not just that.

Having justified you in Christ,

pronounced you righteous,

God has now sent His Spirit

to dwell in you.

This is verses 4 through 13.

And that means

that you have a whole new mindset.

You have a whole new principle

of life within you, Christian,

that is overcoming

the old pattern

of our old fallen nature.

As verse 13 puts it,

we can put sin to death

by the Spirit

and truly live.

God has given you His Spirit.

That's how much He loves you.

But the indwelling Spirit

means more than just a new power

for holiness and godliness.

Paul goes on to say

that it means

that you're now

God's adopted child.

Verse 14,

all who are led

by the Spirit of God

are sons of God,

children of God.

You can call God

your Father,

Paul says.

You can know the glory

of an intimate relationship

with Him.

And as daughters and sons,

Paul says,

you are heirs,

in verse 17.

You will inherit

with Christ

the coming new creation.

That is how much

God loves you.

Then in verses 18 through 30,

Paul says that

as we wait

for that day of resurrection,

as we wait

for the coming glory,

for the new creation,

the Spirit comes

and prays

and intercedes within us.

And God works

all things around us

for our good.

In fact,

Paul says that God

from eternity past

has known you.

That from the stretches

of eternity past,

God has known you

and set a purpose

for you

to be like Christ.

And flowing out

of that eternal purpose

of God

like an unbroken chain,

God has called you

in time

and God has justified you

and God will most certainly

one day glorify you.

That's how much

God loves you.

But ultimately,

this is how much

God loves you.

Verse 32,

He did not spare

His own son

but gave Him up

for you.

In Romans 5,

Paul says this

about God's love.

He says,

while we were still weak,

you and I,

at the right time,

Christ died

for the ungodly.

For one will scarcely die

for a righteous person,

though perhaps

for a good person,

one would dare

even to die.

But God shows

His love

for us

in that while

we were still sinners,

Christ died for us.

Friends,

there it is.

The unshakable

proof

and demonstration

of God's love

for you.

because God loves you,

He sent His own Son

to die for your sins.

And He purchased

for you

through Jesus' life

and death

and resurrection

everything

that you could possibly need

for eternal life

with Him

now

and for forever.

So that all

you and I

need now to do

is admit

that we can't make

ourselves right with God.

That we're sinners

and hopeless in His sight.

And we need to turn to God

and receive Christ.

Take hold of Christ

through faith

so that all that's His

might become ours.

That His righteousness

and His status

and His life

and His salvation

become ours

through faith

and faith alone.

And friends,

if that is true,

think with me now.

Let's use our,

let's use some logic

this morning.

If that is true,

if God has given

His only Son

for you,

then no matter

what comes,

whether persecution

or famine

or sword,

no matter what it is

in all creation,

if God has given

His only Son

for you,

then those things

cannot mean,

they cannot mean

that God doesn't love you.

Christ went to the cross

for you,

friends.

He took your sin

and your death.

He was forsaken for you.

Paul says in Galatians,

Christ loved me

and gave Himself for me.

And that's true

of every Christian.

And if Christ endured

the cross for you,

no matter what you face

in this life,

it can't be

because He doesn't love you.

You might not know

the exact reason why

you're going through

this particular suffering

or pain

or persecution,

but it can't be

because you've been

separated from the love

of Christ.

His was a love,

friends,

think about it,

that went through

distress and persecution

for you.

His was a love

that went hungry

and naked for you

on the cross.

His was a love

that was pierced for you

and upon whom

the sword

of the powers

and principalities

of this world fell.

He did that for you,

so what could separate

you from His love?

Friends,

stand before the cross

and see

that no matter

what comes,

there's no possibility

of God's love

being removed from you.

But there's one last thing

to add,

if that weren't enough.

And this is the third thing

that we see

that this text shows us

about Christ's love.

We've seen that,

although there's no immunity

from suffering

in Christ's love for us,

there's no possibility

of separation

from Christ's love for us,

but third,

there's no doubt

of victory

because of Christ's love

for us.

Look again at verse 37.

No.

In all these things,

and what are these things?

Being slaughtered

like sheep.

In all these things,

we are more

than conquerors

through Him

who loved us.

whatever the opposition,

danger,

or difficulties

that tempt us

to give up,

nothing will stop us

from sharing

His victory.

You see, friends,

nothing can break

that chain

of verse 30.

Those whom He predestined,

He also called.

Those whom He called,

He also justified.

Those whom He justified,

He also glorified.

Amazing that Paul uses

a past tense verb

to describe a future reality.

How much more confident

and assured

could Paul be

in God's purpose

and plan for us?

It's done.

If you are in Christ,

you will be glorified.

Nothing's going to stop it.

Can you stop

the love of God for you?

Take out your paper bag

and try to catch

the tornado,

friends.

It's not going to happen.

No matter what circumstances

may come,

even if it's death itself,

we are more than conquerors.

But how can this be?

Verse 36 says

that we're like sheep

to be slaughtered.

How can we be more

than conquerors

if that is true?

And the answer,

because of Him

who loved us.

Because Christ died

and rose again,

everyone who is united

to Christ by faith,

even if they die,

they will rise again

with Him.

Every contender

that stands up

threatening to shake

our assurance

in Christ's love,

whether it's persecution

or distress

or famine

or nakedness

or danger or sword,

ultimately, friends,

they are defeated foes.

Even if that foe

happens to have

a little bit of life

left in it

to shake its fist

or try to swing,

even if it lands a punch,

ultimately,

our victory has been won.

Christ is risen.

Death has died

and love

and life

have conquered

and you and I

in Christ

will rise with Him.

And even as we saw

in verse 28,

God's even now,

God is even now

working all things

for your good,

for those who love Him

and are called

according to His purpose.

So no matter what

we're facing in the present,

God's plan to glorify us

will be achieved.

Because ultimately,

our confidence

is not

in our love for Him,

which,

if we're honest

with ourselves,

is frail

and fickle

and faltering.

Our confidence

is not

in our love for God,

but in the love

of Christ for us,

which is steadfast,

faithful,

persevering,

and victorious.

So friends,

what are you afraid of?

What are you really afraid of?

Deep down,

what do you fear?

What are you tempted?

When are you tempted?

Where are you tempted?

To disobey Christ

because you're afraid

of losing it

or never getting it.

What if you put that fear

into the list

of verse 35?

Verse 35.

Would you begin

to feel the power,

the assurance

that this passage brings?

Would you then

begin to see

how these verses

can give you

an assurance

that nothing

can take away?

What shall separate us

from the love of Christ?

Come now.

Shall tribulation

or distress

or persecution

or famine

or nakedness

or danger

or sword?

Shall singleness

or joblessness

or childlessness?

Shall cancer

or depression

or miscarriage?

Shall embarrassment

before my peers

or loneliness

or disapproval

from my parents?

No.

In all these things

we're more than conquerors

through him who loved us.

For I'm sure

that neither death

nor life

nor angels

nor rulers

nor things present

nor things to come

nor powers

nor height

nor depth

nor anything else

in all creation

will be able

to separate us

from the eternal

burning

immense

love of God

in Christ Jesus

our Lord.

the love

friends

that created

the worlds

the love

that has lifted

our condemnation

the love

that has filled us

with his spirit

the love

that has made us

heirs of his glory

the love

that has gone

to the cross

willingly

for our sins

nothing

will be able

to separate you

from that love

the love of God

in Christ Jesus

our Lord.

Let's pray.

why don't we take a moment

and just be still

before God

this morning

why don't we take a moment

and reflect

in our hearts

and before God

those things

that we are so afraid of

perhaps this morning

you would identify

as a believer

in Christ

and yet

you would confess

that this love

of Christ for you

doesn't feel

like a very thrilling

or driving reality

perhaps for you

you're not sure

what to make

of the claims

of Jesus

and this talk

of the love of God

that is inseparable

in him

Father I pray

for my friends

in this room

that by your Holy Spirit

we would be able

to see afresh

Father that you

have given up

your son for us

and that because

of his life

and death

and resurrection

for all who trust

in him

nothing

will separate us

from that love

oh Lord

would that

be the thrilling

driving center

of our lives

and would we be able

to face fears

and hardship

and distress

without losing

our joy

and confidence

and assurance

in you

oh God

thank you

that you keep us

and you hold us

all the way

from eternity

to eternity

in Christ Jesus

our Lord

Lord for my

Christian brothers

and sisters

would it become

more and more real

in their lives

Father for those

who are here

and who don't know you

who are still

wondering

and deciding

and figuring out

where they stand

with Christ

oh Lord I pray

that you would help

them to see

the beauty

of the message

of Jesus

of who he is

and that you

would lead them

to real repentance

and real saving

trust in him

we ask all this

in Jesus name

amen

amen

amen

Thank you.