As you read this verse, come at it from the perspective of HOW this can help you be unafraid~

Romans 8:35-39

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.

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.

NIV

Ok folks.

If you did not read that out loud then I seriously recommend reading it again but do it this time OUT LOUD.

There is power in those words, is there not?

I mean, can I get an AMEN here?!

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There is POWER…POWER….WONDER WORKING POWER….

(I sure hope you are singing that song now! And if you don’t know it- go Google it!)

Let’s pull this passage apart~

For scriptural context please remember that these are the apostle Paul’s words written in a letter to a church in Rome. My Life Application Study Bible note writes this:

These words are written to a church that would soon undergo terrible persecution. In just a few years, Paul’s hypothetical situations would turn into painful realities. This passage reaffirms God’s profound love for His people. No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we can never be lost to His love. Suffering should not drive us away from God, but help us to identify with Him further and allow His love to reach us and heal us.

NIV Life Application Study Bible

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The passage quoted in the verses above by Paul is from Psalm 44:22 where the writer is crying out to God to redeem His people OUT of His unfailing love for them. It is a reference to people fighting a battle without God and coming up short of a victory leaving those defeated defenseless to bring glory to God’s name.

As a commentary writes, these words may sound blasphemous (“we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered“), but instead they are spoken out of great supplication- which essentially means “with begging”. It seems like the author is saying to the Lord, “Although we know we stepped away from You, God, and did this on our own, please help us anyway!”

As I first read this passage, my thoughts about putting that verse from Psalms in the middle of all the others was confusing. However, with this new understanding, I can see that Paul perfectly used an Old Testament reference for those who had an appreciation of the Psalms to recognize.

And it fits beautifully.

Let’s back up, then, and read it again, shall we?

Romans 8:31 kicks off this segment with the popular verse of “if God is for us, then who can be against us?”

GOD IS FOR US.

First and foremost, before we go deeper into our own verses, we MUST recognize what that means.

I would like you to humor me with an exercise I learned through a class about spiritual formation: we take a verse and break it up by putting different emphasis on the different words to watch the meaning really take shape.

Here we go:

GOD is for us.

God IS for us.

God is FOR us.

God is for US.

The emphasis on GOD causes us to reflect on WHO He is…who is He to you?

The emphasis on IS tells me that this is current news – not past tense. It is not “He was” nor is it “He will be”…it is “He is“.

The emphasis on FOR suggests that He is not our enemy, He is not going against us. God is on our side.

The emphasis on US is that you and I are included in all of this. Paul is not directing this statement to a certain person only, but to all who believe in Jesus. That is pretty incredibly, if you ask me!

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Moving forward now to our verses of the day using this new knowledge to propel us along~

Since God is for us, then who or what could possibly separate us from the love of God?

With God on our side, who or what could stand in between us and God’s love?

NOTHING and NO ONE that’s what.

So.

What stands in the way for you to be able to believe that?

And why would knowing that about God’s love –that there is nothing you have done or will ever do, nor anything anyone else could do to you will keep you from it– help you to be UNAFRAID?

Paul writes a list for us…

Trouble~ Anybody have any trouble in their life right now?

Hardship~ things going smooth sailing for you or not quite at the moment?

Persecution~ feeling oppressed or rejected or misunderstood?

Famine~ are you going through a dry spell or are you just plain hungry???

Nakedness~ do you have what you need?

Danger~ are you fearful for your very life?

Sword~ are you fighting a battle?

Psalm 44:22~ have you stepped away from God and are fearful He won’t help because of that?

How can LOVE help me with all that? Any of that?

Because God IS love. God’s love is never ending. God’s love is faithful. God’s love is patient, kind, gentle, and good. God’s love is unmerited. God’s love is unconditional. God’s love never leaves.

LOVE changes things…transforms people….restores relationships.

Love NEVER fails.

Love overcomes.

Love SAVES.

For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so those that believed in Him would have LIFE.

(John 3:16)

When I am in trouble, the love of God that overcomes, saves, never fails, that gives life is what is FOR me.

When I am in danger, the love of God that is never ending and is unconditional is what I have going FOR me.

If I have stepped away from His presence and acted out on my own, His love that changes people, never leaves, and is faithful is what is FOR me.

THAT KIND OF LOVE GIVES ME CONFIDENCE IN THE FACE OF WHAT CAN MAKE ME AFRAID.

That kind of love is what empowers me to claim verse 37 boldly:

Through all these things (all those things listed above that would try to keep me from seeing or sensing the love of God) WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Him who loved us!!!

That’s like saying IN SPITE OF all those things, I am still a conqueror in Christ because He loves me.

That’s crazy, isn’t it?

All my imperfections normally keep people away…keep people from loving me….or keep me from letting people love me.

But, THROUGH those imperfections I am loved AND I can be a conqueror!

What does that mean to you? To be a conqueror?

I think of a hero…a warrior….someone brave and strong.

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A “conqueror” or a “warrior” is not usually the description I would use to describe myself, especially when I am feeling afraid. But, it IS the character quality that I need to identify when I am afraid in order to overcome my fear!

And this verse? It tells me THAT I AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR BECAUSE OF GOD’S LOVE FOR ME!

Because of my blatant refusal to be anything less than transparent, I will share my personal truth. I am currently living in a state of fear. Covid-19 has entered into my home and I have never felt more vulnerable in my entire life.

It is like an invisible enemy living under my roof, trapped inside my husband, and looking to break out from him to find a new victim. I do not like to think of myself as weak, but having a compromised immune system means I am at higher risk for a virus that is more vicious than anything our healthcare system has ever seen. With the knowledge that my extremely healthy and strong husband has contracted the virus, my own suppressed system has suddenly become more highlighted.

If HE can get this and be sick with it…then that means that I certainly can as well.

If HE can get this and be sick with it, then my strong teenage sons are also at risk more than I had wanted to believe.

I never doubted the dire possibilities of this virus and we have not been consciously lax in our efforts to maintain safety and yet….here we are.

I feel I am in danger.

I feel I am vulnerable.

I feel we are in trouble in this world due to this virus.

There are so many around me who are facing hardships because of Covid or in spite of it with other issues…and Covid is complicating everything.

Here comes that confidence…BECAUSE OF THE LOVE THAT GOD HAS FOR US, WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH CHRIST as we face whatever is lying in front of us making us afraid.

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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.

Romans 8:38-39

“These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scripture. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonment, even death. These could cause them to fear that they may have been abandoned by Christ. But Paul exclaims that it is IMPOSSIBLE to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of His unconquerable love. Nothing can stop Christ’s constant presence with us. God tells us how great His love is so that we will feel totally secure in Him.

If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid.”

NIV Life Application Study Bible

Let me say that again:

IF WE BELIEVE THESE OVERWHELMING ASSURANCES, WE WILL NOT BE AFRAID.

What I do is talk to myself…I remind myself of the power of God’s love that is inside me when I am scared. I remind myself of His promises when waves of anxiety crash over me.

I remind myself that I am more than a conqueror.

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