Read Romans 8:26–39
Church!
Today, we are going to reflect on the love of God from Romans 8:26–39. This passage reminds us that God’s love is not just something we talk about; it is something God shows us every day. God helps us, forgives us, and Christ intercedes for us. Most importantly, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When we read Romans 8:26–39, we may notice that this entire passage is about the love of God. We see God’s love through:
- God’s Spirit helping us in our weakness (in verse 26)
- God working for our good (in verse 28) (even in difficult circumstances)
- God choosing and justifying us (in verse 29–33)
- Jesus Christ interceding for us (in verse 34)
- Christ’s love that cannot be separated from us (in verse 35)
- God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord (in verse 39)
These words come from the Apostle Paul, who experienced suffering, hardship, rejection, and danger. Yet through it all, he discovered that God’s love never failed him. Today, as we reflect on this passage, we are reminded that God’s love is greater than anything we may face. No matter what happens in our lives, God’s love is always with us. Sometimes, when we are going through difficult moments, we may ask, “Where is God?” We may feel weak, afraid, forgotten, or alone. And sometimes we may not have words to pray. Even when we cannot find the words to pray, the Spirit helps us. Even when we cannot understand what is happening, God is working. Even when we feel condemned, Christ intercedes for us. And even when the world seems to be falling apart around us, God’s love remains strong.
Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to pray– but you did not know what to say? You had the pain, but you could not find the words. You had the questions, but you did not have the answers. You had the tears, but you could not explain why you were crying. The Bible does not pretend that we are always strong. There are moments when we are weak. There are moments when we are tired, discouraged, and overwhelmed. There are times when we do not know what to say or even what to pray. Sometimes the pain is too deep. Sometimes the situation is too confusing. Sometimes the tears come before the words. Maybe you have experienced a moment when the only prayer you could say was, “Lord, help me.” And maybe there were moments when you could not even say that.
But the good news is this: God understands us even when we cannot find the words. When you don’t know what to say, God understands your heart. That is why the bible says in verse 26: “likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” This means that when we reach a place where we are unable to pray or carry our burdens on our own, the Holy Spirit comes alongside us and helps us. This is the love of God. Because the love of God does not require us to be strong all the time.
We see the love of God through The Holy Spirit who meets us in those moments when our words fail, when our hearts are heavy, and when our pain is deeper than our understanding. The Spirit comes alongside us and helps carry what we cannot carry by ourselves.
There are times in life when we experience isolation or rejection from others. It is often in those moments that we discover a deeper dimension of God’s love.
And Paul is reminding us that, God’s love is at work even before we know how to pray. In fact, God’s love began working in our life long before we ever knew Him. Before we became Christians, His love was already there. The Bible tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God’s love was already upon us.
God’s love did not begin the day we first walked into a church. God’s love did not begin the day we said, “Lord, we love You,” No. God’s love began long time before we even knew His name. When I was still ignorant and lost, when I did not want anyone to speak to me about God, His love already existed. God’s love was there even when people looked at you and said, “God has abandoned you.” And I always tell people: “If someone reminds you of your past, remind them of your future. Your past is what God has forgiven, but your future is what God has prepared. Never let someone’s opinion of who you were keep you from becoming who God has called you to be.
And the question to ask is: Can God truly abandon a person? No.
God’s love is not based on our past. When we look at the life of the Apostle Paul, who could have imagined that he would become one of God’s greatest servants? Yet God loved him just as he was and transformed his life.
There are many situations in life where God protects and preserves us, and when we look back, we cannot even explain how we made it through. That is the love of God. Perhaps you once suffered from a serious illness, and God healed you. Perhaps you were unemployed, but now you have a job, and your husband or wife and your children are healthy.
When we reflect on all these blessings, we can all agree that the Apostle Paul was right when he declared, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Every one of us has benefited from God’s love. That is why, as long as we are alive, we should never stop thanking God for His unfailing love. Every time we experience His goodness and His grace, our hearts should be filled with gratitude.
This is also why we should continue to come to church, not out of obligation, but as an expression of thanksgiving. Because The church is a place where God calls us to be still, to worship Him, and to recognize the greatness of His love for us.
When we look at Romans 8:38–39, Paul says, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So, Paul does not say, “I hope.” He does not say, “Maybe.” Paul says, “I am convinced.” This is the same Paul who had experienced suffering, rejection, and persecution. Yet, after everything he had been through, he could still say, “I am convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God.” And this morning I come to remind you of this truth: “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.”
The love of God does not mean that we will never face problems. The love of God means that we will never face our problems alone. Life may be difficult. We may face challenges. But the question is: Who has the final word? And the answer is: God. If God is for us, then nothing else has the final word. Our failures do not have the final word. Our past does not have the final word. Our mistakes do not have the final word. Our fears do not have the final word. God has the final word. Because He loves us. And when God loves us and He is for us, we don’t have to live in fear. We can face tomorrow. We can face uncertainty. We can face difficulty. Not because we are strong enough by ourselves, not because we have the power to overcome every challenge on our own, but because God is with us and He loves us. And the greatest truth we can hold onto is this: nothing can separate us from the love of God.
When we lift our eyes toward heaven and when we look around at the earth, when we think about everything we face in the present and everything that is yet to come in the future, when we consider the realities of life and even the certainty of death. Can any of these things separate us from the love of God? Nothing.
Can our struggles separate us? No.
Can our fears separate us? No.
Can our failures separate us? No.
Can life itself, or even death, separate us from Him? No
Nothing in all creation has the power to pull us away from the love of our Father. And this is not just something we hope for. This is something we can trust. This is something we can live by.
May we leave today convinced that we are loved by God, and may we share that love with everyone we meet.
Amen.
Prayer:
Loving and gracious God, we thank you for your unchanging love. We are grateful that your love remains constant and faithful in a world where so many things change. Thank you for reminding us today that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus. Not our struggles. Not our fears. Not our failures. Not our past. Not life, and not even death.
Lord, when we feel discouraged, remind us that we are loved. When we are afraid, remind us that you are with us. When we fail, remind us that your love has not changed. Help us to trust your love, not only with our words, but with our lives. And because we have received your love, help us to share that love with everyone we meet.
May our words, our actions, and our lives reflect the love of Christ. We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Amen.