NO SEPARATION
Notes
Transcript
Grace + Glory
Grace + Glory
Romans 8:33–39 (NLT)
33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
VERSE 33
VERSE 33
If God is for us, it would be foolish for anyone to stand against us. You have one enemy, and he’s a defeated foe. His best efforts to destroy you will prove powerless. Your eternity is secure, so anything the devil throws at you is inconsequential.
VERSE 34
VERSE 34
Only Jesus has the right to condemn us; instead, He died for us.
Jesus currently sits at the right hand of God as an intercessor for us. Not only does the Holy Spirit pray the perfect will of God through us, Jesus Himself advocates for us to the Father.
VERSE 35
VERSE 35
Just because your circumstances aren’t ideal doesn’t mean God has stopped loving you. We have to accept that this fallen world will always have junk to throw at us. It doesn’t mean God loves you less, and it doesn’t mean He’s punishing you. We experience pain in this world for one of two reasons. Either something happened to us or we happened to something. It’s never what God is doing to us.
VERSE 36
VERSE 36
Psalm 44:22 (ESV)
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
Being a Christian is going to invite the wrath of the devil. Whatever gets thrown at you is worth enduring when it’s for the sake of the gospel.
VERSE 37
VERSE 37
We are more than conquerors. The Greek word is hypernikōmen, which literally means “super conquerors.” We don’t just barely overcome; we are overwhelmingly victorious because of the love of Jesus. Our victory isn’t through our works; He has won the battle already. Our part is to identify with Him and His victory.
VERSE 38
VERSE 38
Nothing can separate you. Nothing has the ability. Nothing has the power. Nothing happening today. Nothing that might happen tomorrow. When you are His, He will allow nothing to keep you from Him.
Psalm 139:8 (ESV)
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
God’s love is bigger than any mistake of yours or anyone else’s. No demonic assignment against you can keep you from His love. There is no separation. No distance. He’s as close now as He’s ever been or will ever be.
VERSE 39
VERSE 39
The love that God has for you is revealed in Jesus. It’s revealed through His sacrifice and through His active participation in our lives by the Holy Spirit.
No matter how far away from Him you might feel, His love is waiting with open arms. He hasn’t left you. He hasn’t forsaken you. He has not built any walls separating you from His presence. All you have to do to is turn to Him and receive His love for you.