Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “The Lord’s Presence”
Our Bible verse for today: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” Romans 8:35 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Nothing in all creation can separate the Christian from God.”
Romans 8:35-39 is one of the most reassuring passages in the New Testament. Picking it up in verses 37-39: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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.”
Please don’t miss Paul’s progression in that passage. He begins in verse 35 by posing the question, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” He then mentions some typical challenges we all face in life such as trouble and hardship, persecution, hunger, danger, etc. And he quickly rules them all out. Surely such simple, transitory, and temporary things like that could never move us out of the realm of being loved and cared for by our Savior.
But then Paul’s rhetoric really takes off as he tells us that beyond those common trials and tribulations of life which are routinely experienced by everyone in the physical realm, there is also nothing in the spiritual realm that can get between us and God. Angels can’t and demons can’t. In fact there are no powers that are strong enough to snatch us away from our Lord. There is no height high enough, no depth low enough, nothing that exists in the present, and nothing that will ever exist in the future, which will be able to take us away from Jesus.
Paul says that once you are “in” Christ (once you belong to Him), He will never ever let you go. You are His and there is no circumstance, no power, nothing in this world and nothing in the next, which can do anything to change it. He gave His life to save you, His Holy Spirit worked hard to draw you to Him, and now that He has you He will never let you go.
Any time you are feeling alone and wondering where God is, remember this passage in Romans. God is with you even if you aren’t aware of His presence in that moment. You are His and He will never let you go.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 