Romans 8:38–39

Paul, in closing this unfolding of the Christian condition, names the strongest things that could dare to rise up against the saints, and sees in them only powerless obstacles in the presence of the love that God has shown us in Jesus Christ. This eighth chapter, as it has been expressed, sets out by saying "no condemnation," and ends by adding "no separation."

The answer is that none of these will separate us from the love of God for a single moment. That love rests on us in Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the worthy and all-glorious Object of that love, and we are in it because we are connected with Him. The love reached us in Him, and we, now in Him, stand permanently in that love. If Christ can be removed from the embrace of that love, we can be. If He cannot be, neither can we.

The love of God finds its anchorage, not in the feeble faith of His people, but "in Christ Jesus our Lord." No storm can drag the anchor from there. It is assured for evermore.

Here we have still deeper difficulties: not the visible but the invisible, the spiritual. But sum them all up as the apostle does in his climax — they are only the creature. They stand lined up at their strongest only to be wiped out as nothing in the presence of the all-conquering love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Can death? That was the very thing in which it was expressed in all its greatness. Can life? Love is the very thing that has made me alive, and I have found that all life is in the love of God… Can angels? They are only the servants of that love, sent out to minister to those who are its objects… Can things present? These all work together for good to those who love God… Can height? It is in the height of heaven that we know it best. Can depth? Nothing can be deeper than the judgment we lay under, and love reached us there and removed the judgment from us. Can any other creature? No, because it is only a creature, and the love we boast in is the love of the Creator Himself.

Here, as the fitting close, note that it is the love of God, rather than of Christ as in verse 35. Each is exactly in place. The love of Christ showed itself in suffering to the utmost for us here, and He carries that same love into His intercession in heaven for us who still suffer where He suffered. The love of God is no less real if less in sight. This is His immense and unchanging love, whose grace planned all, gave all, forgave all, justified all, sustains all, and will bring all to that fulness of love and joy and glory that can satisfy such a God and the redemption of such a Saviour.

Now the apostle says, "I am persuaded." He does not say the Romans were persuaded. It is our privilege to be persuaded as he was, but he does not say we are… He was personally persuaded, but he was as fully persuaded about the Romans as about himself.

The apostle Paul puts the stamp of absolute finality on this… If Paul speaks so confidently, without any doubts, what about each of us? Should we not honour God with the same simplicity of faith? To doubt this would be to dishonour His own word.