Guilty!? The Awesomeness of God’s Grace in the Letter to the Romansნიმუში

Your guilt does not separate you from God’s love

“For I am sure 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.” Romans 8:38-39 (ESV)

Paul’s opening to Romans 8 is joyfully solemn. He concludes from the gospel that God in Christ is on our side, and He is there to rescue us. God in Christ is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1.23 ESV). If God is for us, who can be against us?

The reality is that believers are confronted by antagonistic forces. We are constantly tempted to sin and to experience guilt again. Can we still be sure we are saved? Will we lose God’s love if we fail as believers?

A Christian is in a battle of faith, and Paul is well aware. The enemy is unable to steal the believer’s hope of eternal bliss and future glory (Matthew 10:28 ESV). God is on our side. He will make sure that nothing will separate us from His love. Paul is definitive; our hope will not disappoint, God lives up to our trust if we share in the death of Christ.

Who can be against us? No-one. Would He who spared His own Son not give Him everything?

Who will accuse us? No-one. God has declared us innocent.

Who will judge us? No-one. Jesus Christ died, arose from the dead, and has ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God to plead for us.

What shall separate us from His love? Nothing. If there were an enemy army, nothing and no one in the entire creation could separate us from God’s love in Jesus Christ. He is our king and He has rescued us.

Paul’s words are an exuberant cry of triumph. Think of what Christ has done and what He continues to do. The cross and resurrection demonstrate God’s love. If you glance around you and you see disaster and chaos, know that those enemies have already been conquered. Let the truth of the gospel sink in, and you can be sure of God’s love for you. The God who calls you to believe in His Son declares that we are members of His family through faith in Him, and He will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus has freed you from guilt -- forever.

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