“What (or Who) Shall Separate Us?”
Text; Romans 8:35-39
Introduction:
The city of Rome was one of the most beautiful cities of the known world. During the days of Paul, it had a population of about one million people. It was and is often called; “the city of love.” It is where Venus, the goddess of love, and Mars, the god of war, were worshipped. It was a city that had sunk very deep into sin, for the people had stopped worshipping the Creator, and started worshipping the creation. The Romans had corrupted themselves after the same manner that cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had. Paul wrote to them in chapter 1:26-27; “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections; for even their women had changed their natural use unto that which is against nature: and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves the recompense (reward) of their error which was meet (due).”
In Romans chapter 8, Paul was preaching to them about Christ and His forgiving Grace, telling them that even though they had stooped so low into sin, Christ loved them and would forgive them their sins.
Paul told them how the Spirit delivers from the powers of the flesh, how “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made ….(us) free from the law of sin and death…that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Paul; went on to say in verses 13-14; “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons (and Daughters) of God.”
Paul told how the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God (v. 16). Then in the verses following, he lets them know that the Spirit assures them of a future in glory. He told how they have a hope and that hope is steadfast and sure.
Paul further explain that the Spirit assures them of a final victory, he says; “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Then in verse 35, Paul asked the questions that I want to ask you this morning: What ( and I say Who) shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Can Tribulation, or Persecution, or Peril separate you from the Love of Christ?
1) Tribulation:
The Bible tells us that as long as we are in this world, we are going to have trials and tribulations. Hear this; Satan does not like you, and he is going to do whatever he can to try to get you to fall be the wayside. He will bring many and all kinds of trails and tribulations upon you as long as there is life in your body. Even while you are dying, he will be right there by your bedside trying to get you to fall. If by no way else, trying to get you to charge God foolishly.
Jesus tells us in John 16:33; “In the world, ye shall have tribulation, (but I have overcome the world).” James 1:2 tells us; “My brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.” So as long as we are in this world, we are going to come face to face with trails, and temptations.
Job was one of the richest men of his time, He was blessed with seven sons and three daughters. He had large herds of oxen, donkeys, sheep, and camels, and he had many servants to do all the work that needed to be done.
Job 1 tells the story; “There was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. (6)” The Lord asked him; “Satan, whence comest thou?” He answered; “From going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it.” (7). Listen now church, you have heard this many times, but hear it again; Satan cannot be everywhere at the same time. He is limited to walking the earth seeking who he can devour. He accuses us before God and then accuses God before us.
God asked him; “Have you considered My servant Job? Satan replied, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a hedge around Him?”
In other words; Satan was saying that if God would just take down the hedge and let him bring tribulation his way, then Job would curse God to His face. So than God told Satan; “All that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thy hand.” You can’t take his life!
The Bible tells us that a messenger came and told Job that while the oxen were plowing the Sabeans attacked, killed the servants, and took the stock away. While he was still speaking, another servant came ands said that the fire of God had fallen and burned up all his sheep and his servants and he only had escaped. Still, while he was speaking another servant came and told Job that the Chaldeans came and killed all the servants except him and took all his camels away.
You would think that this was more than one man would be able to bear. But while that servant was speaking yet another servant came running and told Job that all his sons and daughters had been killed by a great wind. Satan did all he could to get Job to fall. He called all the demons from hell to come and listen, for he was sure Job would curse God. But the Bible says; “Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshipped.” Than Job said; “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Than the Bible goes on to say; “In all this, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
Hear me now church! You might as well put on the whole armor of God, because if trails and tribulations haven’t already came your way, they are coming. But the Word of the Lord says that “He will never leave us, nor forsake us.’” It also says; “In this world we shall have tribulations, But listen now; it doesn’t stop there, it says; But I have overcome the world.”
He will go with us all the way to the end. The word also says in Psalms 27:5; “For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me upon a rock.”
James adds, “Submit yourselves therefore unto God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Trails and tribulations will always be there, but you and I have the power through the Name of Jesus Christ to overcome everything that Satan can throw at us. To say we don’t is to say that Jesus’ power is limited and we know that’s not true.
2). Persecution:
Persecution was not uncommon during the days of the Apostles. After the day of Pentecost and the Move of the Holy Ghost, there was a great wave of persecution against the church. The apostles were brought before the council, and many of the beaten, put in prisons and even killed. The Bible tells us that Stephen was stoned to death because of his faith.
Saul ( whose name was changed to Paul) was going from city to city searching for believers, and when he found them he would put them into prisons. Some of the apostles were fed to lions, some were dragged through the streets until they died, some were used as human torches to light up the arenas for the pleasure of the king. But persecution was great during that time.
Persecution hasn’t changed all that much. The church is still being persecuted. Children of God are still being put in prison for their faith, and some are still being put to death for the cause of Christ. Satan has waged an all out war against the church and anyone that claims to be a child of God.
But just because persecution comes your way doesn’t mean that the Lord has left you or that you have done something wrong.
Many people wants to throw up their hands and call it quits when persecution come their way, but just listen to what the Bible say will be ours if we just hold on a little longer; He that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations……. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels……. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of My God, and he shall go no more out….. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne.” (Rev. 2:26; 3:5, 12, 21). Man doesn’t that sound good????????
Paul and Silas were put into prison for casting out a spirit of divination. They could have thrown up their hands and quit, but instead, they started singing. Their bonds fell off, the prison doors opened, and the guard gave his heart to the Lord.
I don’t know about you, but hear me friend. I have come too far, worked too hard, and battled to long to thrown up my hands and give up now. The battle is about over, Home is almost in sight. I can almost hear the angels singing; “Come Home, Come Home it is supper time.”
So don’t give up when trails and persecutions come your way, just do what James 4:7 says to do; “Submit yourselves therefore to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
3). Perils:
Paul was much acquainted with perils. The Bibles tells u that he was; “in perils of waters, perils of robbers, perils of his own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea……. In hunger and in thirst…. In cold and in nakedness.” (2 Cor. 11:26-27).
It says five times he received “forty stripes save one.” Three times he was beaten, one time he was stoned, and three times he suffered shipwreck. But in all of this, Paul maintained his integrity. He didn’t charge God foolishly. He lifted up the name of the Lord, and it was for this reason that Paul could say to Timothy, (2 Timothy 4:7-8), “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.
If that doesn’t make you shout, nothing will. When all of our trails, persecutions, and perils are over, and we have finally made it home. We will hear; “Well done, thy good and faithful servant!”
Conclusion:
Listen now church! I know I have already said it, but we’ve come too far to turn back now. We’ve come to far to let tribulation or persecution cause us to turn back, There is nothing or nobody in this world worth turning back for. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:9; “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”
The song writer said; “I love Him too much to turn back now,” another one said; “I am determined to hold out to the end.”
How about you? Are you suffering from trails, or persecutions, are even perils. What is it that will be able to separate you from the Lord?
For Judas, it was the 30 pieces of silver. For Pilate, it was to appease the people. For many people, it is just the pleasures of this life, the material things. What is it for you?
