Romans 8:18-39

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

These are a few of the words that the Apostle Paul uses to express the power of God’s love.

The Christian not only has great hope for the future, but he also has sufficient help for the present.

As we explore the truth of these verses, we discover they are dealing with the Christian’s personal security, which is found in the power of God’s love.

• God’s love sustains (Romans 8:26-28)

The Christian is not left in this world to his own devices or to make his own way. He is sustained through the protection of God’s love. We are sustained in two ways, as the Scripture points out. 

• • By intercession (Romans 8:26-27)

This is how God is sustaining us. He has given the Holy Spirit to help our infirmities. This shows a change in the Holy Spirit’s ministry. 

1. Old Testament – to inspire men as they wrote
2. New Testament – to show intercession

• • • The infirmity of ignorance

“We know now that to pray for as we ought.” Weymouth translates this to: we do not know what prayers to offer nor in what to offer them, but the Spirit pleads for us. When we are ignorant of the will of God, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Note in Romans 8:27 that his intercession is according to the will of God. 

• • • Infirmity of utterance

The Spirit maketh intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered. When we are perplexed. When we do not know what words to use. When we are helpless. The Holy Spirit prays for us. Name any situation that means infirmity and the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us. Thus, we are sustained by the mighty hand of God.  

• • By intervention 

We know that all things work together for good to them who love the Lord, to them who are called according to His purpose. Here is the place where our lives are under the providential sustaining care. Here we come to experience that ultimately the purpose for every experience is good, although for the present it might seem a calamity. Not all things are good. All things work for good. 

• God’s love secures (Romans 8:31-39)

The fact that God has secured us is revealed by four questions that are asked. 

• • Who shall oppose us?
    • He is so much for us that He would not even spare His own son, but gave Him up to death so that we could be set free. 
  • Who shall accuse us? 
    • Who shall discredit Christianity and us? It is God that justifieth. 
  • Who shall condemn us?
    • We do not fall under the condemnation of sin, for Christ died that we might be forgiven
  • Who shall separate us? 

We can only conclude from all of that that the power of God’s love is so great that if we abide in that love, we are sustained every day. We are secured against all of the elements that would bring us into defeat as Christians.