Romans 8: 28 - 39

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

‘For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Who Can be Against Us?

Today we come to the end of our readings in the first eight chapters of Romans, and you could say that we have reached a climax. Certainly there are more well-known and remembered sayings in these twelve verses than in any of the previous passages we have covered. And I would say that this whole section is definitely worth memorising as an encouragement!

Verse 28 tells us that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. It doesn’t mean that everything in life will have a happy ending, nor even that every cloud has a silver lining. Nevertheless, God is always on our side, and he always has our best interests at heart, and he is working for us. In this covid-19 pandemic there is good that comes out of it and good that will come out of it. God hasn’t left us or abandoned us. It is worth pausing and spending time thinking about how God has been blessing us individually, as a church and as a nation over the last nine months.

Verse 31 – ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ This is so encouraging when facing difficulties or opposition or persecution. It doesn’t matter who or what is against us, because God is always for us. Always.

Verse 35 – ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?’ No, none of those things shall separate us from the love of Christ, nor will a global pandemic. The love of Christ is strong and steadfast; he is unchanging and always faithful.

This whole passage reminds us that no matter what happens in our lives or in our community or in the world, God never lets us down. He is always on our side, he never lets us go, and he is perfectly and eternally faithful. Nothing can change that – nothing can separate us from God.

‘In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.’ (v. 37). No matter what comes against us, we can defeat it in Christ, because he is always with us, always strengthening and blessing us. Not that trouble doesn’t come – but in Christ we are on the victory side!

‘For I am convinced that neither lockdown nor face masks, neither firebreaks nor social distancing, neither the virus nor the vaccine, nor any covid-deniers, neither a persistent cough nor a high temperature, nor a loss or change in taste or smell, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank you that you are perfectly faithful. I thank you that there is nothing in my life or in the world that is strong enough to separate me from your love. Your love is eternal and unchanging, and I rejoice in it! Amen.