What Can Separate Us From God’s Love?
When our lives are in upheaval, and everything seems out of control, we can fall into the trap of believing that we have become separated from God’s love. Steph reminds us that the Bible assures us this is simply not the case. According to Romans 8, there is nothing in creation that can separate us from God’s love. Wow!
How have you experienced God’s love? We would love to hear from you. Share your comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Can Anything Separate Us From God’s Love?
Romans 8:35-39 is a passage overflowing with hope and love. It says,
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We’ve likely all heard the objections. Maybe we’ve even voiced them ourselves. “If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world? If He loves us, wouldn’t He do something about it? If He exists, things wouldn’t be the way they are.”
hopestreamradio · The Vastness Of Gods Love – What Can Separate Us From God’s Love?
I don’t understand these things from God’s perspective, not really, but I do know that we can trust Him. I do know that we can believe His Word even when everything around us seems to contradict what we read there.
Nothing Can Separate Us From God’s Love
This passage from Romans 8 is one of those portions of scripture that fills me with peace and assurance—and wonder. If we face trying times . . . if we’re distressed . . . even if we’re persecuted, we have not been separated from the Saviour’s love. If we don’t have enough to eat . . . if we don’t have anything to wear . . . if we’re in danger, this is not evidence that He has withdrawn His love from us.
We know that people face these conditions every day. And yet, if they are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are more than conquerors. Does that mean if they just believe intensely enough, their situation will change? Not necessarily. But from God’s perspective, conquering the apparently insurmountable conditions that may come our way means much more than this.
What Things Cannot Separate Us From God’s Love?
And what about that list of things that the writer of Romans declares cannot separate us from God’s love? Well, it begins with death. For the believer in Jesus, physical death ushers us into a glorious life we could never experience here on Earth.
Paul then goes on to say life can’t separate us from God’s love. Interesting! But let’s think about that for a moment. There are so many things that beg for our time and attention this side of heaven. Thankfully, even if we get distracted, the Lord doesn’t withdraw His love. I have many times recommitted my life to Him only to find He was right there with His arms open wide.
Let’s touch on the other things that cannot separate us from God’s love: angels, rulers, the past or the future, powers, the heights, the depths . . . and lastly, anything in creation. Now that takes care of anything that we could ever think of. But before we talk about what that means to us personally, I’d like to refer back to rulers, the future, and powers.
God Loves Us And He Is In Control
There is much upheaval in the world today, much uncertainty. Thanks to social media and ready access to information—and misinformation—we are more aware of it than ever before. Power struggles, wars, elections . . . it can send us scrambling for a safe place to hide. If we’re not careful, we can develop a “wake me when it’s over” attitude.
But what can get us through? The knowledge that the Creator and Sustainer of the universe loves us and is in control, no matter how things appear, is cause to rejoice. This passage doesn’t say that Christians will be conquerors or are only conquerors if they believe or feel like it. Remember Hebrews 11:1? It says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This is yet another reason to celebrate.
Share God’s Love With Others
And finally, a word about those objections I mentioned at the beginning of today’s devotional. I recently came across Matthew West’s song “Do Something.” You may want to check it out on YouTube. It speaks of our responsibility, as believers in Jesus, to do something when we see others in need. There are many things we can’t change, but we can visit our lonely neighbour, feed someone who is hungry, share the gospel with those who has never heard it.
Remember, God wants to show His love through the actions of His children.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
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