Veroni's Views

I love the honesty and transparency of God’s Word.  Unlike many so-called positive preachers who often deny that Christians will go through different kinds of suffering, Paul acknowledges that we as believers do often suffer.  In Romans 8 he does that by mentioning different kinds of suffering and then places them in perspective.

The background is the triumphant statement in Romans 8.1 and 2 that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”   Furthermore, the conclusion that we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” who will “share in his glory”. (Romans 8.17)

Yet Paul talks of  “our present sufferings” (Romans 8.18).

The perspective is that God is with us in all of this.  The questions in Romans 8.31-35 are really rhetorical.  Rather than firing off a series of questions, Paul is making a series of emphatic statements:  Since God is with us, there can be no-one who can stand against us.  No-one can bring any charge against us.  No-one can condemn us.  The climactic statement is in verse 35:  No-one can separate us from the love of Christ.  

Elaborating on this statement, Paul enumerates possible sources of suffering we might experience:  “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword”.  Quoting from Psalm 44 he even mentions martyrdom  “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered” (Romans 8.36).  Amidst  all of these possible onslaughts against us, Paul is confident that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ.   

Paul affirms his conviction in a sweeping statement in Romans 8.38 and 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.”

The guarantee of this belief is the fact that Jesus died for us.  God “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8.32).   Furthermore, “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” (Romans 8.34).  No wonder then that Paul’s conclusion is that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us”.  

God is on your side!  No matter what difficulties you may face, He is always there to see you through.  Jesus is interceding for you at the right hand of God.  You are assured of sharing in the glory of God.

Now let us pray.

Father, we thank you that we have the guarantee of your love and your abiding presence with us in this life, and the promise of sharing your glory hereafter.  Help us to believe and confess this truth and to walk in it.  For Jesus’ sake, Amen.