Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).
This passage delivers a powerful message. There is an absolute guarantee in the Lord’s response to His children’s cries in the midst of crises:
His love has an air tight grip on us, and nothing, including cancer, death, or any other crisis can prevent us from experiencing His love in Jesus Christ.
This gives new meaning to the Christmastime reminder that Jesus Christ is called Emmanuel which means “God with us.”
Surely, some will react, “I am certainly not feeling His love.” But feelings are poor barometers of facts. We should cling to the facts:
- Fact: God’s love is far, far, far greater than our troubles. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge— that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).
- Fact: He said we can experience His love in the midst of any trouble. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
- Fact: He promises we “overwhelmingly conquer” through Christ and His love. We can go beyond surviving, to thriving, even in horrendous circumstances. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
So thank Him… no, praise Him for the absolute truth of these facts which apply to you right now on this day and always. We don’t have to be burdened down by upsetting feelings. Your praises are an act of faith, and we want to “walk by faith, not sight,” (2 Corinthians 5:7). As you persevere in praise, waves of His love will break through the noise and gloom of difficulties. So look away from your trials to be comforted by the One whose love envelops and grips your soul. Who will separate us from the love of God? Not even you can!
