Romans 8 is my favorite chapter in the Bible, definitely. There is an assurance in this chapter that transcends all our sins, all our fears, all our feelings of inadequacy, and all our doubts. The heavenly Father loves us so much that He has allowed His most beloved Son to die… for us. There is nothing that can stand between us and God's Kingdom — except our own indifference, or our own loss of faith. Christ will never abandon us unless we abandon him.

In the first verses of Romans 8, we are assured that "there is no condemnation for those who remain in Christ"; that despite our sins God will declare us "righteous" because of our faith in His Son. We are assured that, even though we were once slaves to “Sin”, we are now freed forever from that bondage, and we are introduced by God's Son into a wonderful family, the family of God. In this family, we are assured that we will be an important part of the "new creation" of the whole world so as to reflect God's glory. And, when we wander away from, or forget, our Lord and Savior, he assures us that he will still remain to "intercede" or speak up for us before his Father's throne. In short, no matter how we fail, or how often, we know that God works in all things for our ultimate glory.

Verses 31-39 are the conclusion of Romans 8. In these verses, Paul draws together all these golden threads into a statement of faith. This statement of faith is his personal profession of hope and trust which is the foundation of every believer's life. The believer may take Romans 8, and say: 'Here is where I take my stand. Here is the basis of my faith and my hope. I trust in my God to help me and save me.'

Comment on Romans 8:31

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Paul is now completely and passionately convinced of his salvation and ours. All creation — all the world — is being divided into two camps, and we, who are in Christ, are on the winning side.

As has been pointed out before, Paul is not contradicting here the statements he has made elsewhere, to the effect that salvation is conditional on "well doing" (Rom 2:6,7), or that we can become "castaways" (1 Cor 9:27). Rather, he is purposefully unmindful of the possibility of failure, for he is concentrating solely on the glories of salvation.

This is the Scriptural viewpoint, and it can scarcely be stressed too much. As Christadelphians we must resist the non-Biblical idea expressed in the simplistic phrase 'once saved, always saved', as well as the blindly optimistic supposition that 'Christ has done it all.' The danger, however, is this: Too much effort expended disproving these assertions, to ourselves and others, may engross us in the contemplation of the negative side of things. And so, when troubles come, we may find ourselves suddenly trapped in an impotent pessimism and a paralyzing fear which we have partly created for ourselves.

To this we might add F.W. Turner's thoughts:

Because of our constant recognition of the difficulties of the way and of the possibility of failure in the day of Christ, we my be in danger of thinking that the bestowal of the reward must necessarily be a matter of grave concern and even of hesitating doubt. We need have no such fears. The Scriptures assure us that if we succeed in overcoming there will be no limitation of Divine graciousness in the reward of faithfulness. "Fear not, little flock," says Christ to his disciples, "for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom" [Luke 12:32].

These gracious words supply wonderful encouragement to greater endeavor. Do we sometimes think, even if we allow the possibility of success in the day of Christ, of ourselves being grudgingly admitted to the Kingdom "by the skin of our teeth"? Peter has a higher conception of the Divine grace and lifts our earthbound thoughts to a loftier plane: "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" [2 Pet 1:11]. There is no limit to God's grace: no suggestion of frugality or economy: these belong to men, not to the Creator of heaven and earth.

"Christ's Secret of Success", Meditations

Who has not felt the effect of cheering words in times of danger and distress? Sometimes, alas! they are nothing more than words, because the speaker of them is a man, and speaks perhaps against hope, for the mere sake of preventing despondency, without power in his hand to alter evil. But consider the cheer contained in a divine summons to "fear not". "If God be for us, who can be against us?" He knows we are prone to fear. He knows our frame; He remembers we are dust. He knows we can only see things as they appear to mortal sense, and not as they are to His all-penetrating eyes. He knows that the cloud and the immensity and the silence appear greater to our feeble faculties than He appears who fills all, holding even the ocean in the hollow of His hand. He knows we walk by faith and not by sight, and He knows that, though the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Therefore He recognizes the tendency of our poor hearts to flutter and quail [tremble with fear], and He says, "Fear not."

Robert Roberts, The Ways of Providence, p. 24

Comment on Romans 8:32

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Paul presents one of the greatest assurances of God's concern for our salvation. If God gave us His only-begotten Son, how could He possibly hold back anything? The greatest possible gift is a “downpayment” on all the lesser ones that follow. This verse is in fact a conscious reference to God's commendation of Abraham in the offering of his son Isaac, when He speaks to him: “…because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son…" (Gen 22:16).

In the Septuagint, the phrase is virtually identical (Harry Whittaker, Abraham: Father of the Faithful, p. 108). This suggests the astounding thought that here Abraham, a mortal man, foreshadows God Himself, in that his sacrifice of Isaac pointed toward the Father's sacrifice of His only Son.

Abraham and his son both participated in the offering (this must be the significance of Genesis 22:6,8: "The two of them went on together"). Thus Abraham suffered along with (perhaps even more than) Isaac in the anticipation of the sacrifice. But the outcome of their dedication was the promise of blessing to all nations (Gen 22:17,18).

The New Testament counterpart, then, is that God participated in the offering of His Son (Isa 53:10; Acts 2:23). In a sense, it was God's "pleasure" to do so, because it would bring eternal blessings to others (John 3:16). Nevertheless, the effort involved a sacrifice and a distress on God's part. Here is a side of God's character hinted at in such passages as Isaiah 63:9:

"In all their [Israel's] distress ['afflictions': KJV] he [the Lord God] too was distressed ['afflicted': KJV]."

In Genesis 22, the ultimate act of sacrificial love from God's viewpoint was portrayed by Abraham on the human level. And we have been privileged that our heavenly Father, in this scene, has pulled back the curtain, and allowed us a glimpse of His own private and personal feelings.

Can God sorrow? Can God feel pain? Can God be compassionate? Can He love? A definite Yes to all these questions!

The Eternal God is many things. But here, to Paul, He is a Father; a Father who graciously loves His children, finding great joy in even their smallest steps toward Him. And an all-powerful Father who has provided, and will continue to provide, all things that He possibly can provide for our salvation.

Just as the Father shared with His Son in his sufferings and sacrifice, so we are called to do the same thing, even if only in small ways.

For example, we take bread and wine to draw nearer to Christ, and to think about and to experience — as best we can — his sacrifice, the pouring out of his life — for us.

And we try, every day and perhaps in very small ways, to take up our own "crosses" or burdens, and carry them — cheerfully and in faith — with Christ's help.

So, in some earlier words of Romans 8, "we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (v. 17).

How will he not also, along with him…: That is, along with Christ. "Sunauto" is the last of the impressive list of 'sharing' references in this chapter (cp. vv. 16,17,22,26,29) — a list that highlights the wonderful blessings of belonging to Jesus Christ's divine family.

…Graciously give us all things?: "Graciously" is "freely" in the KJV. It refers to that which is given freely, without a charge, and with no expectation of receiving an appropriate recompense.

"With": The Sharing Words of Romans 8

Believers are not alone in this world. Christ is with them. Those ways in which Christ shares with us in our experiences, and in which we share with him, include the following:

"Summarturei": Christ agrees, or testifies to the Father, along with us (v. 16).

"Sunkleronomoi": We are co-heirs with Christ (v. 17a).

"Sumpascho": We share in his "passion", i.e., his sufferings (v. 17b); literally, we sympathize with him.

"Sundoxasthomen": Consequently, we may also share in his glory (v. 17c).

"Sustenazo": Christ groans or sighs together with us, in our spiritual labor (v. 22a)…

"Sunodino": …so that, in a spiritual sense, we give birth together, i.e., we bring forth a new life in fellowship with him (v. 22b).

"Sunantilambanetai": Christ takes hold, along with us, of our heavy burdens so as to assist us (v. 26).

"Summorphos": We have been and continue to be conformed to the likeness of each other, Christ with us, and us with him (v. 29).

"Sunauto": Along with [Christ], we shall receive the gracious gift of "all things" promised by the Father (v. 32).

To be joined with our Lord Jesus Christ, in faith and baptism and fellowship in the body of believers, and even in sufferings and labors, is to experience blessings without parallel.

When we become a member of Christ's family, we have in effect the ear of Almighty God. Our feeble, faltering pleas to the Lord of the Universe are not enough in themselves, but we know they are supplemented by the words of our Savior, who testifies to the Father along with us (v. 16). Whatever the Father has promised to the Son — which includes the inheritance of all the earth and all its riches — also belongs to us (v. 17a).

It is true that, for a very brief time, we may share in the sufferings of Christ (v. 17b). We do this emblematically when we take the bread and wine which symbolize his body and blood, his life and death. This simple procedure prepares us, in our daily lives, to recognize, when trials and troubles come, as they must, that they come especially to us because we are God's children and Christ's brothers and sisters. As we share those trials with Jesus, he is always present — though unseen — to share our trials with us, to help us bear up under our daily burdens (v. 22a). The heavier our burdens prove to be, the more he will take hold with us, assisting us in carrying them (v. 26).

Along with this blessing — our Lord's sharing of our burdens, during the relatively brief years of our mortal lives — we also have the prospect of an endless sharing, with him, of all the aspects of eternal glory in his future kingdom (v. 17c).

This is the plan of God Himself for His divine family upon this earth. Particularly, He compares this "new creation", a spiritual rebirth and renewal (first of us and then of the world) to an ongoing creative process. In this process Christ shares with us in the "labor pains" of our spiritual childbirth, each of ours individually and all of ours collectively, while Christ comes to live in us (v. 22b). By this continuing experience, difficult at times but always spiritually rewarding, we are being conformed to the likeness of our Savior (v. 29). As he was made like his brethren, so we are being made like him, in many small but sure steps, which result at last in our sharing with him the glorious liberty of God's dear children.

As Jesus Christ was made the heir of the Lord God Almighty, receiving the gift of all things, we likewise are made heirs of all things through him (v. 32). In love, he sought us to be his holy Bride. With his own blood he bought us, and for our life he died. Absolutely nothing and no one will be able to separate us from our Savior, from our God, or from our inheritance with them. Our "sharing" is complete: we are truly, absolutely, and eternally one with him, as he is now one with the Father.

Comment on Romans 8:33,34

These two verses take us into a courtroom. In similar Old Testament scenes, both Jews and Gentiles find themselves lacking at God's bar of justice (Isa 41:21-24; 43:8-11; 44:7; 45:20,21). Here, of course, the position of all men before God is portrayed. Without Christ: they are "under sin… and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). But another event has altered the scales. Another man now stands before the Divine Judge of all the earth:

"Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me?" (Isa 50:7-9).

In these verses (Rom 8:33,34) we stand with Christ. As none could condemn him, so none will condemn us (Romans 8:1, of course).

God will not condemn us (v. 33), because it is He who has arranged all things (including the death of His beloved Son) for our benefit.

Christ will not condemn us (v. 34), because to do so would be to deny the value of his own blood, and to act contrary to all he has previously done, and all he is doing now as our intercessor.

There is no doubt that, if we were judged solely on the basis of our own deeds, we would all fail, and fail miserably. The omniscient eye of God has caught each of us "in the very act" (John 8:4), more times than we can remember. But the only man who can righteously condemn us, being himself without sin, refuses to do so. As he said to the woman caught, allegedly, in the very act of adultery: "Neither do I condemn you" (John 8:11).

Or, as Paul tells all believers: "There is therefore now no condemnation" (Rom 8:1).

Comment on Romans 8:33

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Possibly this should be read as a question, "Is it God who justifies?" In Bible times it was customary to write Hebrew and Greek manuscripts with few, if any, marks of punctuation. So naturally the opinions of translators as to appropriate punctuation, by modern standards, will sometimes differ.

This verse alludes to Isaiah 50:8, already mentioned above:

"He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!"

This chapter in Isaiah culminates the series of courtroom scenes in Isaiah (see the references above, to Isaiah 41 and 43-45), in which the Lord God is pictured as sitting in judgment of men, and of Israel especially. But here the prophet, a man of God, knows that, no matter what happens to him in the short term, he need have no fear of such a judgment. In faith he knows that the One who will judge others is the same One who will vindicate him, that is, defend and protect him, and at the same time declare him righteous.

Comment on Romans 8:34

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us…

Who is he that condemns?: For those who do not believe, or have turned away from their faith, the Judgment Seat will be a true "courtroom", where one's sins are offered in evidence and judgment (i.e., condemnation) is declared.

But for those who believe (no matter how well or how feebly they have served their Master — the desire and the commitment is accepted for the actions, surely!), for those who have truly believed, who have truly had faith… there will be no judgment declared against them. (Perhaps, if their sins are actually remembered, it will be temporary and for instructional purposes only.) Instead, the One who might bring such charge of condemnation (God Himself: v. 33) sits on the bench prepared to "justify" them (i.e., pronounce them righteous, acquitted, or not guilty).

In fact, you might say, the whole trial has been rigged in our favor. First, there is no prosecuting attorney. Secondly, the Judge (God Himself) has appointed His own Son, whom He loves more than anyone or anything else, as the special defense attorney.

Or, to put it another way, as Paul writes, who will "condemn" us? Will there be a "prosecuting attorney" ready to produce evidence to condemn them? No! Instead, Christ, who might have filled that role, will be "interceding" for them.

There is no prosecuting attorney; look, that seat is empty! And the One who might have sat there has instead taken over the role of defense attorney. Now he is pleading, to a sympathetic Judge (his own Father!) — the mitigating circumstances that negate the sins of the "defendant". Let's read the transcript of that trial; here's his final argument:

'Your Honor, whatever this man did or did not do that fell short of Your glory, he believed in You through me. In that faith he threw himself upon Your mercy, and trusted in Your promises. He followed my example, and did what he could, given the limitations of the nature he possessed, the body of weakness in which he was confined. Now, Father, he leans upon me for what he could not do. I personally vouch for his love, and his sincerity. He's part of our family too! For my sake, O Lord, and for the glory of Your Holy Name, in Your great mercy and Your everlasting love, declare this one, my brother and Your child, "righteous"!'

Christ Jesus, who died: Once again, this statement might be read as a question, "Is it Christ, who died?" Compare verse 33, notes.

More than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us: The primary work of the Lord Jesus Christ, as he sits on the right hand of the Father, is to intercede on behalf of all his brothers and sisters. This has been mentioned earlier (in Rom 8:16), and it is, of course, a key element of the teaching of the Letter to the Hebrews:

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Heb 4:14-16).

"Therefore [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (Heb 7:25).

Comment on Romans 8:35-37

The beauties of this passage are manifold:

First of all, no hardship (no matter how severe) can separate us from the love of Christ. Do we need to fear the pronouncement of our guilt? No… because we have the love of Christ, which is stronger than death! Our Savior died so that, among other things, even if we face death we can face it unafraid.

Even if we are lined up and slaughtered like sheep, even then we are only walking in the footsteps of our Master, who was the Passover lamb led to slaughter. And he did not open his mouth to protest, but committed himself totally into his Father's care, asking forgiveness for his murderers. Stephen did the same, as he was being stoned at the instigation of that “vicious killer”, Saul of Tarsus (whose name was changed to “Paul”, of course)! Where would we be if Stephen had prayed for vengeance on his enemies, and if God had listened? (I suppose we wouldn't be reading Paul’s letter to the Romans today, for one thing.)

But… saving the best for last: "In all these things (i.e., persecution and danger and even death) we are more than conquerors!" How can we be greater than a conqueror? There is only one thing greater than conquering your enemy, and that is converting your enemy to be your friend, bringing him over to your side! The love of Christ is strong enough to do that. Thereby you have not only neutralized your enemy, but you have also gained other friends at the same time: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34)“ "Go, and do likewise!" (Luke 10:37).

Comment on Romans 8:35

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?: Some manuscripts have the longer phrase, "the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus", but that is probably borrowed from verse 39.

Shall trouble..?: "Thlipsis" — pressure, affliction, or "trials". This word is used almost exclusively by Paul in the sense of the oppression or tribulation that is caused by outward circumstances or events (e.g., Rom 2:9; 5:3; 8:35; 12:12; 1 Cor 7:28; 2 Cor 1:8; 4:17; 6:4; 7:4,5; 8:2; Phil 4:14; 1 Thes 1:6; 3:3,7; 2 Thes 1:4,6). It is applied to the coming tribulations of the Last Days (Matt 24:8,21,30; Mark 13:19).

Or hardship?: "Distress". "Stenochoria" — narrowness of place, anguish of mind, in which there seems to be no way out of the situation, and no room to maneuver. This word and its variations are used half a dozen times in the New Testament (here; Rom 2:9; 2 Cor 4:8; 6:4,12; 12:10).

Or persecution?: "Diogmos" — to be pressured or pursued, to be put to flight or driven away. It refers to an unrelenting active opposition, when believers must bear the rage and malice of persecutors (cf. Acts 8:1; cp. Matt 5:11).

Or famine?: Greek "limnos", a scarcity of food. Many have been exposed to famine as the natural result of being driven from their homes, and to wander amidst strangers, seeking refuge in deserts and desolate places.

Or nakedness?: "Poverty": "gumnos" — literally, nakedness. But in a material context, the word can mean bareness, bitter need, and/or extreme poverty (cp. 2 Cor 11:27). It can also be extended to mean a spiritual 'poverty' in an unfavorable sense:

"You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked" (Rev 3:17,18).

Or danger?: "Kindynos" appears eight times in 2 Corinthians 11:26, where it is translated "dangers" or "perils". Such were the difficulties encountered and overcome by the apostle as he went about the Roman Empire preaching the gospel (see the references in the catalogues below).

Or sword?: "Machaira" refers to an assassin's dagger, or short sword, probably used in executions. It occurs in a number of places (Matt 10:34; 26:47,51,55; Mark 14:43,47; Luke 21:24; 22:36,38,49,52; John 18:10; Acts 12:2; 16:27; Rom 13:4; Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12; 11:34,37; Rev 6:4; 13:10,14). Whether the "sword" refers to specific acts of violence, or generally to the threat of violence in a violent world, not even its sharp blade can separate the believer from the love of Christ.

* * * *

Paul’s Catalogue of Suffering

This list makes for instructive, though very difficult, reading. It can certainly help us put our own problems in perspective:

1 Corinthians 4:10-13: "We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the trash of the world."

2 Corinthians 4:8,9: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

2 Corinthians 6:4-10: "Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

2 Corinthians 11:23-33: "Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands."

2 Corinthians 12:10: "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Philippians 4:12: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

Paul listed some of these persecutions to demonstrate his credentials as a true apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. These same catalogues also remind us that, whatever troubles we encounter in this life, they almost certainly will not rise (or sink!) to the level which Paul and some of his companions experienced.

Comment on Romans 8:36

As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

This is cited from Psalm 44:22. What is there about a psalm from the days of Hezekiah that bears upon Paul's subject here? The psalm was set in the time of Sennacherib's invasion, a time of severe testing for all Israel, including the faithful remnant. 'Why do we suffer?' they were asking (Psa 44:9); 'we have not forgotten You' (v. 17).

Verse 21 in the psalm brings the answer: God was searching their hearts, and knew the secrets of those hearts (cp. Rom 8:27); their trials were for their spiritual development and benefit. And thus the answer, and the key, is in Psalm 44:22: "For your sake we face death." Not even undeserved suffering can separate us from God. Though we are "considered as sheep to be slaughtered", still there was one who above all others suffered undeservedly, as the lamb of God led to the slaughter (Isa 53:6,7). If so for him, then it must be also for us. If we suffer with him, we will also be glorified with him (Rom 8:17,18).

Comment on Romans 8:37

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

No!: Paul answers his question of verses 35 and 36 with the most emphatic negative he can muster. No! Not only can no hardship or calamity separate us from the love of Christ, but also we can be, in Christ, so much more than conquerors of our trials and tribulations. In fact, we shall actually make those fierce enemies our true allies, turning them to the peaceful cause of strengthening our characters, so that we shall more and more clearly reflect the image of the One who has called us to this glory!

In all these things we are more than conquerors: "Hupernikao", from "huper" (over, or above) and "nikao" (to overcome). Literally, "super-conquerors". Those who are victorious in a surpassing, abounding way. The word appears only here.

Him who loved us: The verb tense indicates one past act: one great, all-surpassing act; and it was an act of love. That single act, more meaningful than all the others which preceded or followed it, was when our Savior made the absolute decision to lay down his life for us. He loved us, even unto death, thereby showing us "the full extent of his love" (John 13:1). And with that single supreme act, he changed the course of all human history and laid the foundation for a new creation of the whole world.

"Super-heroes": A Story

When our granddaughter Miriam was about three years old, she watched a couple of cartoons and decided that she would be a "super-hero", and that she had special abilities. Fortified with this enormous new "strength", as she imagined, she informed us that she now had "super powers", and proceeded immediately to show us how fast she could run. All went well for a few moments, until she tripped on an unseen object and sprawled out flat on the hard ground. Many tears were shed, and were followed by much comforting by grandparents, and soon she was as good as new. But to this day, she has never claimed super powers again!

It is perhaps an amusing story for us mature adults. But as believers in Christ, we may sometimes fall into the same sort of delusion as our granddaughter did. We may read of the apostle Paul, for example, or hear of some other great "hero" of faith who has lived in more recent times. Then, whether we realize it or not, we may start to measure ourselves by such men and women as these, and say to ourselves: 'I wish I had that great courage, or that awesome commitment to serving others. But sadly, I just don't.'

Worse than even that is the thought that might come to us next: 'Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a disciple of Christ. Maybe I just don't have it in me — so I might as well get out of this before I waste too much time.'

There is the potential tragedy. We imagine that we simply cannot live up to the highest standards, and that we must inevitably fail as followers of Christ. Yet, all along, what we were being asked to do was follow Christ, to the best of our ability — not to the best of the apostle Paul's ability, nor to the best of that sister's ability who seems so totally committed to serving others.

When we feel as though we just aren't "good enough", we need to remember that our Lord never demanded "impossible" feats of spiritual strength, but rather he spoke quite favorably of the believers who gave a cup of cold water to one of his little ones (Matt 10:42), or who shared food or clothing or a kind word with the least of his brothers and sisters (Matt 25:44,45). Such believers, he said, would certainly not lose their reward.

Through Christ we have won a victory which is more than a victory. We must not feel that, as believers in Christ, we need to be "super-heroes"; there are no superhuman believers! We don't need super powers in order to overwhelm, defeat, or muscle through our trials. We don't need some other-worldly strength. We just need faith, lasting faith.

When Christ is on our side, those things which seem to threaten us shrink into insignificance when compared to our Savior — just as the great storm on the Sea of Galilee melted away into perfectly calm waters at Christ's command.

We just need to follow our Lord and Master. Remembering his example as best we can, we know that each difficulty of life, no matter how painful in the present, can work to our ultimate benefit. "All these things" of verse 37 are simply the "all things" of verse 28 which work together for our good. In measure as we see this, understand it, and embrace it, we purge all fear and doubt from our lives, and allow the mind of Christ to develop in us.

Comment on Romans 8:38,39

The last two verses express with minute precision the full assurance of faith which is, or should be, the possession of those who have been declared righteous in Christ. No physical condition, no power of any sort, no dimension of time or space, no other part of God's ("new") creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ. We must believe this.

And what if Paul were writing to us today? What would he say? Here, in this beautiful chapter, he has surely left us a message too, and a guideline: Neither depression, nor recession, nor inflation, nor bankruptcy, nor unemployment, nor riot nor crime in the streets, nor cancer, nor heart disease, nor arthritis, nor diabetes, nor old age, nor nuclear holocaust, nor international terrorism — nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here is the victorious life in Christ. Do we have the faith and the courage to live it? Let us find those stumbling-blocks in our lives, those delusions, which hinder us and leave us trapped in fear and uncertainty. And let us put them firmly to the side, and choose this instead. If we do, the Father who remembers us, and the Son who has engraved us on the palms of his hands (Isa 49:16), will rejoice at our faith, and will justify us from all sin.

Comment on Romans 8:38

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers…

For I am convinced: "Absolutely convinced": The KJV "persuaded" is not strong enough; neither is the NIV "convinced". The Greek expresses full assurance, absolute conviction of which there can be no doubt.

That neither death nor life: God will continue to love us when we die, and He will continue to love us whatever may befall us now. He loves us on both sides of death. Long after they had died, God was pleased to call Himself "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (Matt 22:32; Mark 12:27; Luke 20:38; see also Exod 3:16; Acts 3:13; Acts 7:32), because He knew that they and others who had. died in faith will live again, forever.

Neither angels: Would the angels of God ever separate believers from "the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"? Of course not. But the arguments of the Judaizers may shed some light on this phrase. Their argument might have gone something like this:

'The Law of Moses was brought from God by His angels. Would an angel of God teach men something that was wrong? Of course not. Therefore it is necessary for us to continue to keep the Law…'

And their argument might proceed to its intended conclusion:

'…and for the same reason it is also necessary for us to reject the claims of Jesus and his followers.'

Given this scenario, Paul's reference to angels here might imply:

'If the Judaizers were right in their assertions, then that is exactly what the angels would be doing; that is separating believers from God and His Son! But that idea is perfectly ridiculous, because those same angels who conveyed the Law to Moses also witnessed the Lord God's further revelation of Himself in the birth of His only-begotten Son, and later in the resurrection of that Son from the dead to eternal life. So I am convinced that not even the Judaizers' clever arguments about the angels can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

Nor demons: Even the powers in this world, whether spiritual or political or military or social, which seemingly work against God's purpose, cannot separate us from His love. In fact, the Lord God controls those powers too, wherever they might be, and whatever they might do. Their "power" is actually His power, and never exceeds what He is willing to allow. When the time is right, the Lord's power will prevail, and will be seen to prevail.

Neither the present nor the future: Nothing that the present or future may hold can separate us from God's love. Nothing found in time, and nothing existing in eternity, can separate us from God's love. No force of any kind can remove us from His loving care.

Nor any powers: To paraphrase Paul: 'And if there be any other conceivable powers, which do not fall into these categories… if there is something which is neither of the present nor the future; if there is something which is neither in heaven above or on earth beneath; if there is something which is not of this life, neither pertaining to the death-state; in short, if there be some remotely imaginable circumstance or situation that I, Paul, have not yet covered… then, even there — wherever "there" will be — that "power" will not be able either to separate us from the love of God!'

Comment on Romans 8:39

…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.

Neither height nor depth: Distance cannot separate us from God's loving care either.

Nor anything else in all creation: In the four previous occurrences of "ktisis" ("creation") in Romans 8, Paul has in mind the spiritual, or new, creation in Christ (vv. 19-22). Perhaps then, this is a reference to anything or anyone in God's whole creation. The apostle may be saying that not even our own brethren, being other parts of God's "new creation", can do anything to separate us from Christ. Sometimes other members of our own spiritual family can make life quite difficult for us in our walk in the Truth. It is then that this thought, especially, can be a great comfort to us.

…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord: Literally nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. In this last verse, two different pairs are each inseparable from one another. They are each bound together for eternity:

God's love and Jesus Christ, and

God's love and us.

And it is precisely because we have become "one" with our Lord Jesus Christ that we will never be separated from God's love, which was in him before it could ever be in us.

Nowhere [except Romans 8] has the feeling of Paul been displayed in such overflowing measure, and yet the thread of logical deduction is not broken for an instant. This passage sums up, as we have seen, all that Paul has hitherto expounded in this Epistle. He leaves us at the end of this chapter face to face with this divinely wrought salvation, which is complete, assured, and founded on faith alone, to be apprehended, and ever apprehended anew by the same means.

Frederick Godet

Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Romans, p. 335

The results of justification are thus fully presented (Romans 5 to 8). No one has ever set them forth so compactly and so profoundly, in a way that is so stimulating, effective, and uplifting.

Richard Lenski

The Interpretation of Paul's Epistle to the Romans, p. 578

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed… in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God (Romans 8:19,21).