Encouragements for our troubled times No. 08
COVID-19 Series | Date: 13 May 2020
The Elders and Deacons want to encourage the members and those who regularly meet with us through this weekly letter. If you have news which you would be happy to share with the fellowship or request for prayer, then please let us know.
A message from your Pastor
Romans 8:38-39
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In the preceding verse, Paul has given us much reason for comfort, confidence and assurance that whatever we go through we shall be more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who loves us. But, can anything separate us from the love of God, can anything come between us and compel our God to withdraw His love from us?
In answer to this question Paul, under the inspiration of God, tells us that he is absolutely convinced, without a shadow of a doubt, fully persuaded, that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Now how can he be so sure of this? He is convinced that it is true because the Bible teaches that it is so and Christ assures us that it is true. Are we not told in Jeremiah that we are ‘loved with an everlasting love’ by God (Jeremiah 31:3) and doesn’t Christ say ‘and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him’ (John 14:21)? But these are not the only reasons Paul is so thoroughly convinced. Every experience Paul has been through as a believer has borne out this truth, leaving Paul in no doubt whatsoever that God will always love His people. This truth was precious to him because he not only believed them to be true but had taken it to heart, having experienced it in his life. And that’s when the truth becomes precious to us when we know and believe it, take it to heart and God allows us to experience it in our own lives. That’s why He allows us to go through the troubles and trials of life so that we can taste and see that the Lord is good, and be assured that His mercy endures forever towards us who He loves and for whom His Son gave Himself.
Now, Paul not only tells us of his confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord but spells it out for us. Firstly, neither death nor life can. Death has lost its sting for those who are in Christ Jesus and Hades will have no victory over them. No, they cannot separate us from His love. Neither can anything in life come between us for there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. God finds nothing that would induce Him to stop loving us because He sees us in Christ Jesus. Nor can anyone lay any charge against us for Christ has died and we are covered by His precious blood.
Secondly, nor angels nor principalities nor powers can. The angels who serve the Almighty God, with all their powers, cannot separate us for they serve the King and do His bidding. And those who are fallen have no power over us as we have been set free from their power by our King. No power in Heaven or earth or under the earth can separate us from His love for we are safe in His almighty hands.
Thirdly, nor things present nor things to come can. All the present problems of life and all that is to come in the future, no matter how dangerous or damaging to our physical or spiritual life they may be, can take us from the love of our Heavenly Father who loved us and gave His Son for us or from the love of our Saviour, who loved us and gave Himself for us.
Fourthly, nor height nor depth can. If we could scale the greatest height on earth or rise to the summit of human achievement we could not go higher and beyond God’s love. Even on the top of Mount Everest, He is there. And if we fell into the deepest pit on earth or into the darkest depths of despair we would not be beyond His love because not even the darkness hides us from Him.
And fifthly, nor any other created thing can. In other words, nothing, for all things were created by Him and through our Saviour. And that means not even you can. Nothing we can do or say or think or feel can induce our Father or our Saviour to stop loving us for we are in Christ Jesus covered by His work on Calvary and His blood that was shed for our redemption, the payment for all our sins.
What a precious truth the eternal security of all the saints is for us especially at times like these. He loves us and will always love us no matter what happens. He will never leave us nor forsake those who He loves. We are not alone in our isolation, our Loving Father is with us. And should we die with no human company in some hospital bed we know He is with us even to the ends of the world.