Romans 8:38-39 - No Separation from God's Love

Romans 8:38-39 - 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Message: Nothing can separate us from the love of God

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.

What the Lord is Saying:

Today's passage is really a continuation of yesterday, continuing to describe the relational aspect of the promise of God, And the encouragement we have when we face obstacles; there was a list of many types of adverse situations that can occur in the life of a Christian. And through them all is the confidence that Christ and his love is with us.

Verse 39 offers the reason why we have this hope. It is because the love of God reigns in us because of Jesus Christ. When we make him Lord, we usher in an acceptance and approval from God no matter the circumstance.

• Death - physical separation from the soul (spiritual part) to the body (material part).  
• Life - a vital and functioning being, living, with trials, as aliens and strangers, amongst all the forces that oppose us as believers,
• Angels - messengers, those who are sent in place of one who has sent them; but this could be in reference to fallen angels or angel worship 
• Principalities - speaks of those first in leadership, but here it also refers to those demonic forces that assist Satan in his warfare against God and His children. 
• Things present - present circumstances that believers encounter; the sense of troubles present
• Things to come -  what is about to be; the fear of troubles to come
• Powers - has reference evidently to those uncanny and horrible workings of Satan and his host seen in spiritism, theosophy, and all kinds of magic
• Height - something that is lifted high or elevated; 
• Depth - Wherever they were, or whatever other power might inhabit heaven above, or hell beneath, if either a part of them, or the whole in combination, were to assail those whom Jesus loves, it would be of no avail.
• Any other created being - Paul wants us to know that if he has missed anything, anything that may be construed as beyond what he has already mentioned; it is reasonable because the human heart can conjure up other possible trouble and disaster. 

In all of these aspects, the child of God is more than a conqueror. Time will not separate us from the love of God, nor will the future. No dimensions of any kind can separate us from the love of God.

Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Promise: RC Sproul, "We may feel at times that God has departed from us, but that is when we have to believe his Word rather than our feelings."