-
Conquerors Through Christ's Love Romans 8:35-39 Series
Contributed by Dean Courtier on Feb 17, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: In Romans 8:35-37, the apostle Paul offers profound insights into the unwavering nature of God's love and its transformative impact on our lives.
- 1
- 2
- Next
Conquerors Through Christ's Love Romans 8:35-39
Introduction:
Today, we gather to explore the transformative power of Christ's love, as revealed in Romans 8:35-37. In these verses, the apostle Paul offers profound insights into the unwavering nature of God's love and its transformative impact on our lives. Let us delve into this truth and discover how it empowers us to overcome all challenges.
Point 1: Unfailing Love Endures All
Romans 8:35 (NLT) "Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?"
Paul begins by posing rhetorical questions, emphasizing the unbreakable bond between believers and Christ's love. He challenges the notion that hardships or trials could sever this connection, highlighting the enduring nature of God's love.
Corrie ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor, once said, "There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still."
Romans 8:38-39 - "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Paul's powerful declaration here resonates with the unwavering assurance of God's love for His people. He lists a series of potential obstacles—death, life, angels, demons, fears, worries, powers—emphasizing that none of these, nor anything else in creation, has the power to sever the bond between believers and God's love. This passage offers profound comfort and security to Christians, assuring them of the eternal and unshakeable nature of God's love.
Quotation: Charles H. Spurgeon once remarked, "God's love is a fortress, our refuge, and our shield. Nothing can separate us from it."
Point 2: Victorious in Love
Romans 8:37 (NLT) "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
Despite the adversities listed by Paul, he asserts that believers are not merely survivors but conquerors. Through Christ's love, we are empowered to overcome every obstacle and emerge victorious.
Charles Spurgeon famously proclaimed, "There is no fatigue so wearisome as that which comes from victory."
1 Corinthians 15:57 - "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
In this verse, Paul celebrates the triumph that believers have through Jesus Christ. Despite the challenges and struggles they may face, believers can be assured of victory over sin and death. This victory is not achieved through their own efforts but is a gracious gift from God through Christ. It underscores the transformative power of Christ's sacrifice, which conquers sin and grants believers eternal life.
The theologian Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said, "The Christian is a man who can never be ultimately defeated. Nothing can separate us from the love of God."
Point 3: Grounded in Love's Assurance
Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Paul concludes with an emphatic declaration of the invincibility of God's love. He enumerates various existential threats but affirms their inability to sever the believer's connection to God's unwavering love.
Martin Luther King Jr. beautifully expressed, "I am convinced that the universe is under the control of a loving purpose and that in the struggle for righteousness, man has cosmic companionship."
Ephesians 3:17-19 - "Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."
Paul's prayer for the Ephesian believers encapsulates the depth and magnitude of God's love. He expresses his desire for them to be rooted and grounded in this love, to comprehend its vast dimensions, and to experience its transformative power in their lives. This passage highlights the centrality of God's love in the believer's spiritual growth and maturity, leading to a life filled with the fullness of God's blessings.