This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

(upbeat music) - Welcome to our daily drive time devotions. Romans chapter
eight, we've been taking two weeks to look together at that chapter and here we
are at the end of this awesome chapter of scripture. At the end of this chapter,
it's like Paul saves the best for last.

The spirit saves the best for last. All these assurances that we need to live in
our daily lives the way that God would want us to live in a confident
relationship with him. Yesterday, we talked about the fact that God is for us,
God gives to us, God forgives us, and God does not condemn us.

And there is one more truth that's contained in the five questions that are
asked at the end of this chapter. In verse 35, here's the fifth question, who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? And as you hear the answer to this
question, you hear the assurance God will never leave us.

Let me read for you Romans eight, 35 to 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. Now 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's in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now honestly, I feel like just stopping right there. What else could I say? What
more could I say than those verses clearly say?

It's pretty powerful what's said here. And the tense, in the Greek language of
Paul's words here indicate I have become convinced and I will remain convinced
of this incredible truth. Remember, as we talked about Jesus' sufferings
together at the beginning of this week, we saw that Jesus proved his love for
us, showed his love for us by his sufferings.

And so because of that, our sufferings cannot possibly separate us from his
love. We are not, as these verses tell us clearly, we are not guaranteed
immunity from tribulation, temptation or trials, but we are guaranteed victory
over all of them. We're not promised that suffering will never afflict us, but
we are promised that suffering will never separate us from the love of God.

As Paul talks about these enemies that might separate us, he's talking about
enemies that he knows by personal experience. The very things that as he went
through, as we go through, can draw us even closer to Christ. I can't tell you
how many times I've sat with someone who's going through a time of suffering, a
difficult time of suffering, and they've looked at me and said, "I can't explain
it, "but I feel closer to Jesus right now "than I ever have in my life.

" The Bible here says when we go through difficulties, through sufferings,
through trials, we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. We're
not just conquerors, we are more than conquerors. When I think of being more
than victorious, more than a conqueror, I think of the apostle Peter.

You remember he was once put in a prison cell, he was condemned to die, he
thought he was going to die the next day, and an angel came and released him from
that cell. I think he was a conqueror because he knew he was going to go to be with
God in heaven one day. But when you read the story, what happened to the book of
Acts, when the angel came to release this apostle who was going to die the next
day, he found him sleeping in his prison cell.

Now to me, that's more than conqueror. That is an assurance of life. That's an
assurance of God's presence and God's promise.

He's able to sleep when he's facing condemnation to death the next day. That's
an indication of this verse, more than conquerors. Somebody who is more than
conqueror.

A conqueror is someone who is determined to die for his faith. More than
conqueror is someone who is sleeping peacefully even though he's going to die for
his faith. A conqueror is someone who is saying, I can defeat my enemies.

More than conqueror, that's someone who says I can love my enemies. That's the
power of Jesus Christ. And I, because of what he has done, I can conquer my fear
of separation from God.

I encourage you. To spend some time on this mountain top of no fear of
separation. This mountain top of no matter what happens, I can trust in God's
presence, in God's glory.

I encourage you sometime later today to take 10 minutes just to read over these
assurances once again. If this is a particular point of struggle in your life as
it is with many people, do it for a week, for two weeks. I am convinced that
neither death nor life, just read through that again and again and again and
look at your life, look at your circumstances in light of these promises.

Now, as we close this study today, I'd like to close a little bit differently
with a little bit longer time of prayer. We're at the end of our look together
at Romans chapter eight. And as we come to the end of this chapter together, I
would like to spend some time together talking to God about these truths and how
they can sink into our lives.

Let's pray together. Jesus Christ, we thank you for the incredible truths about
us, about life that you share with us in this chapter. Thank you that there is
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

That because of my faith in you, I live in a relationship with God that is
without condemnation. God, you don't condemn me. Forgive me for those times when
I condemn myself.

Instead of trying to improve my relationship with you by condemning myself, I
pray that instead, I would look to your forgiveness and I would begin to live
out in even a better way the holy life that you have made me to live. God, thank
you that you've sent your Holy Spirit into my life. The mind of the sinful man
is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.

Thank you for the life, thank you for the peace that you've brought into my life
through your Spirit. Those controlled by the sinful nature can't please God, but
those controlled by the Spirit, that's when I please you. God, help me today to
live a life that is pleasing to you.

And I realize that I have an obligation, not to the sinful nature, to live
according to it. I have an obligation to live as your child. I've been adopted
by you.

So right now, I say to you, Abba Father, Daddy, close Father who loves me, help
me to feel, help me to sense your love. Your arms wrapped around me even in this
moment. Thank you that your Spirit within me even testifies that I am your
child.

Not only your child, but your heir. God, as I look forward to the future, I look
forward with anticipation, with eagerness and with patience to what you're going to
do in all of eternity. God, this amazing truth in Romans chapter eight that you
use even the sufferings I go through to work glory, not only around me, but in
me.

God, that's a truth that's hard to accept, but I know it's true. So help me to
live with that perspective. Looking forward to your future glory.

Lord, when groaning happens, whether it's the groaning I see around me or the
groaning I see in me, help me to remember that your Spirit is groaning for me.
The groaning's too deep for words. Lord, I do look forward with anticipation.

Not only to the fact that you have glory waiting for me, but also for all of
your creation. I can't imagine what it's going to be like to live in eternity,
where not only do you redeem your children, but you redeem all of your creation
to honor you, to praise you for eternity. God, thank you.

Thank you for the assurance of what it means to be your child. God, you are for
me. God, you do give to me.

You forgive me. You will not condemn me. And nothing can separate me from your
love.

I am more than a conqueror because of the love of Christ who's in me. So God, I
am convinced. 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, anything else in all creation will be able to separate
me from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus, my Lord.

In Jesus' name, I thank you. Amen. That really is the mountaintop in many ways
of this book of Romans.

Oh, there'll be other peaks, but that is a mountaintop. Next week, we're going to
tackle together one of the most difficult chapters in the book of Romans to
understand. It also has some truths that can make a difference in our daily
lives that are almost beyond belief.

Romans chapter nine is next week.