Nothing Can Separate Us: Romans 8:28-39

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

We know. Not we hope, not we suspect, not we wish. We know. Certainty grounded in God's character.

All things. The Greek is emphatic. All. Not some things. Not most things. Not the good things only. All things—the cancer and the promotion, the wedding and the funeral, the answered prayer and the silence.

God works. Present tense. Continuous action. He doesn't wind up the universe and walk away. He works. Actively, intentionally, unceasingly.

For the good. Not for our comfort necessarily. Not for our ease. For our good. And God defines good—conformity to Christ, eternal weight of glory, the Father's purpose accomplished.

Of those who love him. The promise has an address. Those who love God. Those who have been called according to his purpose. This is not a universal promise—it is a covenant promise for covenant people.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

The golden chain begins. Foreknew—known beforehand, loved beforehand, chosen beforehand. Not mere awareness but relational knowledge, electing love.

Predestined—the destination set in advance. And what destination? Conformed to the image of his Son. Christlikeness is the goal. Not wealth, not health, not worldly success. Christlikeness.

That he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. The purpose: a family resembling Jesus. Many siblings sharing the family likeness.

And those he predestined, he also called.

Called. Effectually, irresistibly, savingly. Not just an invitation but a summons that accomplishes its purpose. The called come.

Those he called, he also justified.

Justified. Declared righteous. The courtroom verdict rendered. Every called one—justified. No exceptions. No failures.

Those he justified, he also glorified.

Glorified. Past tense—though glory is future. So certain is it that Paul speaks of it as already done. The glorified ones were once the foreknown ones. The chain is unbroken.

Foreknown. Predestined. Called. Justified. Glorified. Five links. No one drops between them. Every foreknown one will be glorified. Every single one.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things?

Paul pauses to let it sink in. What do you say to that? What can you say?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

The logic is crushing. If God—the Almighty, the Sovereign, the Creator—is for us. On our side. Fighting for us. Committed to us. Then who can stand against us and win?

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

The argument from the greater to the lesser. If God gave the greatest gift—his own Son—will he withhold lesser gifts? If he gave him up for us all, how will he not also give us all things?

All things. Everything we need. Everything that serves our good. Everything that accomplishes his purpose.

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?

The courtroom challenge. Step forward, accuser. Bring your charge against God's elect. Let's hear it.

It is God who justifies.

The Judge has already ruled. God himself has declared them righteous. What prosecutor dares appeal that verdict?

Who then is the one who condemns?

Who condemns when God justifies? Who overrules the Supreme Court?

No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Christ died—the penalty paid. Christ was raised—the payment accepted. Christ sits at God's right hand—the position of authority. Christ intercedes—ongoing advocacy for us.

The accuser faces not just our Advocate but our Brother, our King, our Priest who ever lives to intercede. Condemnation is impossible.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

The question shifts from condemnation to separation. Granted we're justified—can we be cut off from Christ's love?

Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

The list of possible separators. Trouble—affliction. Hardship—distress. Persecution—for Christ's sake. Famine—lack of food. Nakedness—lack of clothing. Danger—peril of life. Sword—violent death.

Can any of these separate us from Christ's love?

As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Psalm 44 quoted. The people of God have always suffered. Always been targeted. Sheep for slaughter. Death all day long.

But does suffering mean separation?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

In all these things. Not despite them—in them. More than conquerors—hypernikomen—super-conquerors, overwhelming victors. Through him who loved us. The victory is not our achievement but his gift.

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.

The final catalogue. Paul ransacks the universe for possible separators.

Death? No. Life? No. Angels? No. Demons? No. Present circumstances? No. Future threats? No. Any powers? No. Height? No. Depth? No.

Nor anything else in all creation.

He's covered everything. Scoured every corner of reality. Searched heaven and earth and hell.

Nothing. Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The love has a location: in Christ Jesus. The love has a character: unstoppable, unbreakable, unconquerable.

Nothing can separate us.

Not our failures—he died for those. Not our weaknesses—his power is made perfect in them. Not our doubts—he holds us, not we him. Not our enemies—he is for us. Not death itself—he conquered it.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is how Romans 8 ends. This is the summit of the epistle. This is the mountain peak from which we see the landscape of grace stretching to every horizon.

Nothing can separate us.

Nothing.