Originally posted: 4/03/2020

Who will separate us from the love of Christ?…  (8:35).

Paul did not present this question in search of an answer, as though he needed some sort of assurance. Rather, so convinced of His Inseparable Love, Paul asks this rhetorical question in order to drive home his point. Nothing… in the natural or the spiritual; Nothing… in all of creation; Nothing… Nothing at all can ever separate those who belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (8:35, 38-39).

Consider His Inseparable Love

Inseparable: “incapable of being separated, parted or disjoined; seemingly always together: very intimate; if two or more things are inseparable, they are so closely connected that they cannot be considered separately; things that are inseparable cannot exist or be considered separately.”

 His Inseparable Love is incapable of being separated from Who He Is.

… for God is love, (1 John 4:8).

And because of Who He Is, His Inseparable Love is incapable of being separated from those who belong to Him.

… neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (8:35, 38-39).

And in Romans 8, we are presented with a panoramic view of His Inseparable Love in action, offered to all who belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

To all who belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ:

• His Inseparable Love acquits and exonerates us, removing all condemnation.
  • Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death, (8:1-2).

•  His Inseparable Love fulfills the requirements of the law in us.
  •  For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, (8:3-4).

• His Inseparable Love gave His Life to give us His life and His Spirit.
  • But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you, (8:11).

• His Inseparable Love adopts us His children and leads us out of fear.
  • For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (8:15).

• His Inseparable Love testifies and confirms we are His, and He is our Abba Father.
  • For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, (8:15-16).

• His Inseparable Love helps our weakness and supplies His wisdom in our ignorance.
  • In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God, (8:26-27).

• His Inseparable Love works all thing together for our good and His ultimate purpose.
  • And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose, (8:28).

• His Inseparable Love, bestowed from eternity past, fulfills His predestined plan to conform us to the image of His Son.
  • For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified, (8:29-30).

• His Inseparable Love freely gives us all things, verified through the giving of His Son.
  •  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (8:31-32).

• His Inseparable Love sacrificially gave His life for us in order to justify and forever intercede for His elect.
  • Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us, (8:33-34).

• His Inseparable Love eternally endows us with His victorious Power and Presence through and in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (8:37-39).

How do we respond to His Inseparable Love?

A good place to begin is at the beginning. Can we emphatically declare, like Paul, that we live convinced of His Inseparable Love?

Are we sure we belong to Him? It is all about faith in what He has done, not in what we can do.

as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; (Romans 3:10).

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…⁶ For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly… ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, (Romans 5:1, 6, 8).

The Scriptures are clear, it is His work, not ours. But Scripture is also clear that when we have been born again through faith in His work, not our own, our lives will begin to resemble His, for we have been given His Spirit.

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you, (8:11).

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, (8:15-16).

And as His adopted children, indwelt with His Holy Spirit, we will bear out the family resemblance of His Inseparable Love

Self-examination time:

1). Is my life characterized by His love?

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love, (1 John 4:8).

Love often does not come easy. While many of us long for a Hallmark movie happy ending kind of love (guilty as charged), His Inseparable Love is not a sentiment, but a choice that puts the needs of others before our own. His Inseparable Love is an act of the will rather than a feeling or emotion. We must always remember that feelings lie, therefore, we must base our definition of love on His:

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, ⁵ does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, ⁶ does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never fails… (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

As we grow in His Word, empowered by His Holy Spirit, we will grow in His ability to love as He loves.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John 13:34-35).

2). And are we also like Paul, so completely convinced of His Inseparable Love?

Life will present itself with unknowns and uncertainties. In these times, we must not give in to fear or doubt, but rather believe that He is faithful to us in His Inseparable Love.

…for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5).

Today, let us find our strength in the truth of His Word, that we would face the trials and sufferings of this life as His overwhelming conquerors in Him and for Him. Let us place our faith in His Word to grow us in courageous faith, for He has overcome the world.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).

And let us, like Paul, live absolutely convinced and undeniably grateful for His Inseparable Love.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (8:35-39).

 Let’s Grow Together!