“Who Shall Separate Us from the Love of Christ” (1)

[Romans 8:35–37]

Here is the word from Romans 8:35–37: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  Today, under the title “Who Shall Separate Us from the Love of Christ”, I would like to meditate on this word in two parts. Today, we will meditate only on verse 35, and next Wednesday we will reflect on verses 36–37.

Romans 8:35 says: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”  This verse shows us that seven things try to separate us from the love of Christ: (a) trouble, (b) hardship, (c) persecution, (d) famine, (e) nakedness, (f) danger, and (g) sword.  Here, “us” refers to “those whom God foreknew” (those He loved before the foundation of the world), and those whom God “predestined” (those whom He chose before creation) (v.29). Scripture says: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?…” (v.33), “Who then is the one who condemns?…” (v.34), and now in verse 35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”  At the same time, the Bible tells us that “trouble,” “hardship,” “persecution,” “famine,” “nakedness,” “danger,” and “sword” all attempt to separate us from Christ’s love (v.35).

The Bible gives us examples of people who faced these seven things. In the Old Testament, one such example is Job. Job was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). He had seven sons and three daughters, owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, and 500 donkeys, and had many servants—he was the greatest man among all the people of the East (vv.2–3). Yet in a single day, Job lost all ten children and all his possessions: “One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, ‘The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!’ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, ‘The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!’ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, ‘The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!’ While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, ‘Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead—and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!’” (vv.13–19).  Look at Job’s response: “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’ In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (vv.20–22).  Job’s suffering and response are further described in Job 2:7–10: “So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’ He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”

In the New Testament, an example is the Apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians 11:23–27, Paul writes: “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 pelted with stones, 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 fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 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.”  The sufferings of the ancestors of faith also set a good example for us: “Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated” (Heb. 11:35–37). Scripture says: “The world was not worthy of them…” (v.38).

As we live by faith in this world and walk toward the heavenly city, we too will face hardships—trouble, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword. At such times, we must not fall into worry, despair, or fear, but instead obey the Lord’s words: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  We must take courage in times of hardship, for Christ has already overcome the world. Those saints who endured suffering for Christ and the gospel have already gone to heaven. For example, when Paul wrote to the church in Rome, Christians in those days—facing the severe persecution of Emperor Nero—boldly fought the good fight of faith, even to death, and entered the heavenly kingdom.  Revelation 7:14 says: “I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”  Therefore, like the believers who went before us, even if we face trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword, we must boldly fight the good fight of faith and win the victory. May we all meet death in faith, enter heaven, praise the Lord, and share in His eternal glory.