No Separation—NONE!

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

There are some Scriptures that, when I read them, cause me to scratch my head and wonder, what in the world does this mean? Yet others, are crystal clear. Take Paul’s letter to the Romans where he said that “nothing is able to separate us from the love of God.” I don’t know of another verse as straight forward. It doesn’t present an interpretational difficulty in either English or Greek. So why do so many Christ followers struggle to live in the comfort that verse provides? 

Would to God that our theology was sound enough to realize that God loves us unconditionally. There can be no doubt of that because it was proven when Jesus offered Himself on our behalf on the cross. Therefore, it is not a knowledge issue, it is a heart issue.

It seems to me that Paul wanted this to be clear to the Romans because he went to great lengths to make a detailed list of things that can’t separate us from God’s love. And what a list it is—things which cause many to lose a proper perspective. 

Death is one of the things on the list, and it certainly can be unnerving. We seem to talk very little about death. Perhaps we don’t talk about it because we’re a little afraid of it. Even knowing that Christ defeated death, our uncertainty about dying remains.

Life is another thing on the list. Let’s face it, life can be complicated and overwhelming at times. Just reading the newspaper can cause uncertainty about the present and the future. Furthermore, sickness, broken relationships, and financial woes tend to be unnerving. 

Paul mentioned angels on the list. That might be a scary thing for some. 

The list continues, but I think you’ve got the point by now—there are many things that get thrown at us that can cause us to lose sight of God’s love. But Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, penned grand words of encouragement. Let’s take comfort that nothing [inside or outside of us] can separate us from God’s love. I cannot make God stop loving me.

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. Romans 8:38-39