57 The Testimony of the Spirit Life (Part 2)

Romans 8 v 31-39

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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
. (ESV)

Believers are secure because of:

  1. The Labour of Christ.
    a. His Interest in us (v 31).
    b. His investment in us (v 32a).
    c. His intentions for us (v 32b).
    d. His insistence concerning us (v 33).

  2. The Life of Christ.
    a. The price He paid on the cross.
    b. The power He displayed in the tomb.
    c. The position He holds at the throne of God.

  3. The Love of Christ.
    a. It is enduring.
    b. It is enabling.
    c. It is everlasting.

Paul closes this chapter – one of the most glorious in all of Scripture – by speaking of his confidence in his own safety and security and in that of the redeemed. He tells us that what we have is not a ‘hope so’ thing, but we can be confident that there is nothing from the beginning of our life with God to the end of our life here that will ever be able to separate the believer from the salvation he enjoys in Jesus Christ.

The end result of all this is the blessed assurance that in Jesus we are forever protected and secure – come what may in life or in death.