Sermon 26

No Separation

Romans 8:31-39

We arrive today at one of the most beautiful, poetic, dramatic, vivid and powerful passages in God's Word. I say arrived, which means that we have been on a journey through Romans which has brought us to this point in chapter 8.

Let's step back for a moment and get the big picture.

Sin - 1:1 - 3:20 We are all sinners and thus, we all face the righteous wrath of God.

Salvation - 3:21- 4:25 It has always been by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Security - 5:1- 8:39

· We are eternally and securely chained to the Savior as we confidently anticipate our future glorification and the certainty of our deliverance, 5.

· Security is not a license to sin because a saved person is sanctified, dead to sin, alive to God, free from sin and the servant of Christ, 6.

· Security does not free us from an on-going struggle against sin, 7.

· If you are saved, you can be sure that you have the Spirit and the Spirit has you, 8.

So secure are we in Christ, that the scope of our salvation stretches from eternity past to eternity future, 8:29-30.

At the conclusion of this great section on our security in Christ, the apostle Paul asks and then answers the question, "Is there anyone or anything that can separate us from God?"

No One Can Revoke Our Salvation, 8:31-35a.

"What shall we say then to these things?" This is a rhetorical question. "These things" refers to the truths which have been revealed about our eternal security. What is the summation of all this?

"If God be for us who can be against us?' The word "if" is not questioning whether God is for us or not, it is not raising a doubt to that matter, it has the meaning of "Since God is for us, who can stand against us?"

Indeed God is for us! He delivered his Son for us, v. 32. Christ intercedes for us, v. 34. The Holy Spirit groans for us, v. 26. Things are all working together for us, v. 28. Sometimes is seems as though everyone, including God, is against us. Jacob said, "... all these things are against me" (Genesis 42:36). But the reality is that God is for us. "For I know the thoughts (plans)that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace (welfare) and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (future and a hope)" Jeremiah 29:11. God is on our side! God protects us. If God is on your side, who can defeat you? If God is protecting you, who can destroy your salvation?

Not only does God protect us, He also loves us. He spared not but rather delivered his own Son for us all. If God paid the ultimate price for our salvation, is He going to take it away from us? If God gave a sacrifice sufficient to save us from our sins, won't He continue to give us the things that we keep us saved and enjoying spiritual blessings?

God will not revoke our salvation! What about Satan? Can Satan bring charges against the chosen people of God that will cause us to lose our salvation. Indeed. Satan does continually accuse of sin, see Revelation 12:10 - the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.; Zechariah 3:1-2 - And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? But God won't condemn someone whom He has already justified, forgiven, see Jude 24 - Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. We are secure against Satan.

God the Father will not revoke our salvation; Satan cannot revoke our salvation. What about Christ? Will he change his mind about us and condemn us? Can anybody condemn us? Can we condemn ourselves? Christ will not condemn us (see John 3:17-18a - For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned). He died for us becoming our substitute; He lives for us being resurrected, ascended to the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf, v. 34. Will the one who died for us condemn us? If he did he would be saying that his death was not sufficient to forgive us of all our sins. Will the one who is our advocate, our defense attorney, condemn us? He represents us! If God is on our side, if Satan cannot lay any charge to us, if Christ will not condemn us, who is there to condemn us? Ourselves?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Paul is making a strong statement in the form of a rhetorical question. There is no one who can revoke our salvation!

Nothing Can Revoke Our Salvation, 8:35b-39

If no person can separate us from Christ, perhaps some circumstance can cause us to fall. Paul lists some of the possibilities. Can tribulation (external pressure) steal our salvation? What about distress (internal pressure; temptation)? What about persecution (physical or mental suffering), or famine (starvation), or nakedness (extreme poverty), or peril (danger) or even the sword (death). This is a rather unusual list of negative circumstances. These are difficulties and deprivations which would get us to deny Christ. In verse 36, Paul's quote from Psalm 44:22, indicates that adversity has been the lot of God's people through all generations, so it is no surprise that we encounter it. The answer to the question of verse 35 is the first word of verse 37, "Nay" (No). A truly saved person will not lose his salvation due to any difficult circumstance which he may encounter. Through Christ we are super conquerors when we face all these circumstances.

Paul concludes with a confident declaration, a settled conclusion. That's what is meant by the phrase "I am persuaded". We are secure ...

in death (Psalm 23:4 says that even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we have nothing to fear; the Lord is with us) ...

in life (see Romans 14:7-9) ...

against fallen angels, archangels, and all their power ...

against things we may encounter in the present ...

against things we may encounter in the future ...

no height (Greek word comes from astronomy, the study of the stars, and refers to an astronomical term the zenith, the highest point) ...

no depth (same idea, refers to nadir, the lowest point) ...

against any other creature (a word which takes in anything that is created by God) ...

is able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are back to the original outline of the passage ... no one or nothing can separate us from God's love ... no exceptions.

The chapter began with no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. It ends by promising us that there is no separation to those who have been saved!

If you have been genuinely saved, there is no one and nothing that can revoke your salvation. The question is, "Have you been saved?"