"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:35
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
What a great question. How we answer this says a great deal about our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Shall tribulation?”
This comes from outside of us. This pressure on us is external. But can these incredibly difficult times separate us from Christ’s love? NO!
“Or distress?”
This comes from within us. This is inward pressure, it is anxiety, worry, or fretting. And even if we wrongly give in to these things, will this separate us from Christ’s love? NO!
“Or persecution?”
This oppression comes on us from “God-haters.” And no matter how they come after us, or how they harm us, will this separate us from Christ’s love? NO!
“Or famine?”
And when food becomes scarce, and we are in danger of dying with nothing to eat, will this separate us from Christ’s love? NO!
“Or nakedness?”
The lack of clothing. Even if we are living in rags, will this separate us from Christ’s love? NO!
“Or peril?”
These are dangers of all kinds. These are “dangerous” times in which we live. Will these dangers separate us from Christ’s love? NO!
“Or sword?”
This is war or violence. This is anything hazardous to life and limb. Can these things separate us from Christ’s love? NO!
It is interesting to note that the apostle Paul faced all these seven problems in his life. But the good news is he always found God faithful and his Christ to be loving. The Lord always took care of Paul!
Believers, what is our answer to any and all of these problems? Only Christ’s love.
“As it is written,
For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:35-39)