Who Can Separate Us?

Cortright's Homepage What Can Separate Us?

Romans 8:26-28
   Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with goanings which cannot be uttered.
   And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
   And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

The word "called" is the Greek word kletos. It means invited. God put out the invitation in Romans 10:9. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Those who have accepted this invitation received from God His gift of holy spirit. We may not always know what to pray for, but with the spirit we can pray perfectly. When we speak in tongues, the spirit makes direct intercession for the specific needs of the other believers. Our prayers in the spirit are "according to the will of God." They are perfect to meet the need. That is why "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Romans 8:29
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

God's foreknowledge comes before predestination. God knew that when He put out the Romans 10:9 invitation that you and I would accept. Therefore, God made arrangements for us to receive holy spirit when we believed. That is how "predestination" works. What God predestined was that if you believe He would "conform you to the image of His son." Conform means to "fashion together." God predestinated what He would do, not what you would do. "The image of His son" refers to the spirit. Jesus Christ was the first to receive eternal life spirit. The first among many brethren.

Romans 8:30
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

In this verse the word "called" is kaleo. It means to call out or shout. Those that God "predestinated" to receive holy spirit received from God a call. "Hey Joe! Come and believe!" And God knew that "Joe" would accept. God gave His gift of holy spirit. He also gave justification. To be justified is to be judged innocent. It is just as if you never sinned. And those that God justified, He also glorified. Not only does God say that you are just; He puts you on a pedestal and honors you. You are glorified. WOW!

Romans 8:31-36 contain a number of rhetorical questions leading up to the bold statement in verse 37 that tells us that we are super conquerors through him that loved us. Rhetorical questions are asked for thoughtfulness rather than for an answer. The answers should be obvious and do not need to be stated.

Romans 8:31
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

If God, who created the heavens and the earth is for us then who could possibly stand against us? The obvious answer is NO ONE! There is no one that can stand against us because God, our heavenly Father is for us. God is on our side!

Romans 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son (John 3:16). If God so loved us that He was willing to give His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for us then how could we possibly think that any situation in life could overcome us?

Romans 8:33
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is [Shall] God that justifieth?

If God justified us (declared us legally innocent - not guilty of any crime) then is He going to charge us with anything? NO WAY. God elected us - means He cast His ballot for us. He chose you and He chose me. Who then can charge us with anything?

Romans 8:34
Who is he that condemneth? It is [Shall] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us?

Romans 8:1 tells us that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. So who is going to condemn us? NO ONE! Certainly Christ is not going to condemn us. Christ died for us. God raised him for us. Today he sits at God's right hand and pleads our cause before God. He is our advocate. He intercedes for us. Is he going to condemn us? NO WAY.

Romans 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

tribulation = pressure, mental pressure
distress = being pressed against the wall - squeezed in a "tight spot"
persecution = being pursued by someone
famine = being without food or the means to purchase it
nakedness = being without clothing or the means to purchase it
peril = that which endangers your life
sword = a dagger - as used by an assassin

Seven negative things that attempt to separate us from the love of Christ are listed here. Although we face these things in the world the obvious answer to the rhetorical question is - Nothing can separate us! These are the world's ways of trying; but nothing can.

Romans 8:36-37
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ???
Nay [NO WAY!], in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

more than conquerors = hupernikao - superconquerors!

In all of the worlds tribulations, pressures, etc., we are are conquerors. And not just conquerors; we are super conquerors. And how are we super conquerors? Through the love of God and the love of Christ who carried out His will. We have seen the great love of God. We have read how we are super conquerors in every situation. Now we must get persuaded about it.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Another great list. Ten items are listed that we are to be persuaded about. Nothing can separate us. The list is all inclusive, nothing is left out.

Nothing, in the dimension of the senses world, is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ: NOT LIFE - NOT EVEN DEATH!!!

Nothing, in the dimension of the spiritual world, is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ: NOT ANGELS, NOT PRINCIPALITIES, NOT POWERS!!!

Nothing, in the dimension of time, is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ: NOT THE PRESENT - NOT THE FUTURE!!!

Nothing, in the dimension of of space, is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ: NOT HEIGHT - NOT DEPTH!!!

Nothing, in ALL CREATION, is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ!!!

It is not a matter of a contest with these things. They do not have the ABILITY to separate us! They are NOT ABLE to separate us. We certainly are super conquerors through the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!