The Bible says these words in verse 38 and verse 39. “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor death, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen.

Since the love of God is the climactic conclusion of Romans chapter 8, I want us to reflect for a few moments of everything we have learned thus far in chapter 8, but I want us to look at it through the lens of God’s love. For example, in verse 1 through 4, we learned that God’s love frees us from condemnation. It sets you free from condemnation.

In verses 5 through 11 we learn that God’s love sets us free from ourselves. We learn in verse 12 through 17 that God’s love sets us free in the Holy Spirit. We learn in verse 18 through 27 that God’s love provides us freedom; listen to this, in the midst of suffering. We learned in verse 28 through 30 that God’s love sets us free with purpose. We learned last week together in what I think is one of the powerful, powerful texts in the scripture in verse 31 through 37 that God’s love allows us to live securely.

And then in verse 38 and 39 today we are going to learn how God’s love frees us to love Him through everything. Now how relevant is that? I’ll tell you it’s very relevant. The normal person that goes through any kind of level of conflict, controversy, challenge, obstacles, or problems, struggles loving God when they are in the middle of them. In fact, most of them struggle even with being faithful to various manners of church life because they may be concerned or feeling blame, or guilty, or whatever it may be, I mean Satan does a trick on our minds. But what the Apostle Paul said is there’s no reason to think that way.

Romans 8 is without any question one of the greatest and most powerful chapters found anywhere in the entire Bible. And when you look at these last 2 verses, you have to ask yourself what is the love of God? What is the love of God? The love of God is when Jesus Christ died on the cross for you. That is the greatest exhibition of God’s love given to us in our culture today. There will never be a greater exhibit of God’s love than His death on the cross for our sin. Nothing else is any greater than that.

And when you receive Him as the Lord of your life, and the Savior of your life, this love of God is referred to as your personal relationship with God. In other words, when you receive what Jesus did for you on the cross, there is a connectivity that occurs, and there’s a relationship that begins that can never be ended by anything you do, and God will always uphold His end of the deal.

You see it’s the love of God that took you when you were a spiritual orphan, and He adopted you into the family of God to the point today that you have complete, total access to God anytime, anywhere, about anything, and you also, according to the scripture, you are co-heirs with Jesus Christ the Son of God. And that love of God is so fanatical if you may; it is a finished work of God. In other words, from the way God sees it, it’s done. Now it’s in progress for us, but the way He looks at it is, it’s a done deal, and nothing can break it up. Nothing can disturb it. Nothing can lose it because when God loves you, He loves you completely, He loves you thoroughly regardless of where you may find yourself in life today.

Here’s the following truth that we’re going to learn together today. The truth is this: We are free to love God through everything because God loves us through everything. Oh friend that may seem relatively simple to you, but I want to tell you it is a powerful, powerful truth. That the reason you can love God through everything is because God loves you through everything. In other words you can love Him because He first loved you.

When I read Romans 8 from beginning to end, and I’ve done it numerous times in life, and I begin to sense the movement in the passage. I believe one of the highest moments of all of Romans 8 explodes with a testimony from the Apostle Paul that is recorded in verse 38, and 39. He uses repetition. He uses contrast. He uses various words with a purpose in mind, showing us that the love of God is so comprehensive that there is nothing that we can do that can keep us from that love of God. And that’s why he begins with this simple phrase: “For I am persuaded…”

Some translations may have it, “For I am convinced…” For I am persuaded, I am convinced, in other words He is saying I have a strong and unwavering confidence that everything I’m about to tell you that may come in your life, none of those things, my confidence is so great in God, in what God will do, and my confidence is so great in God Himself that nothing is about to take me away from the love of God. It is absolute, and it is complete, and nothing that he is about to list in verse 38 through 39 can even shout out a dare against God, or a threat against God. Why? Because His love sees us through everything.

So what does the love of God see us through? The passage here mentions several things; we’re going to simply teach the passage. The love of God sees you through:

1. Death

I wonder why he began with death? You would think he would end with death, but no, he doesn’t begin, or end with death, he begins with death. He begins with death for a purpose. He wanted to let you know right up front that he had unwavering confidence that not even your most fierce enemy, which is death, can ever keep you from loving God.

Do you realize today that your most supreme enemy in life is death? Your most fierce enemy on this side is death. I mean let’s go down further. The fear of death. Anybody here fear death? The uncertainty of death. When? The time? The torture of death? The type of death? Nor even the time of death has the power to separate you from God loving you, and you from loving God. None of those things. Isn’t that amazing? That’s what he’s telling us.

We’re reminded of these words. Psalm 116, verse 15, “The death of His faithful ones is valuable in the Lord’s sight.” Psalm 23, verse 4, I think today about a friend of mine who lost on Friday is 32-year-old daughter when I read these words. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for You are with me.” I think about 1 Corinthians 15:55, “O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?” Again the reason he can say those words is because he knew Romans 8:38 and 39 were true, that not even death can shatter his love for God. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 8, “Yet, we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.” We see that translated sometimes to be absent from the body is to be present from, or with the Lord. So be rest assured today the love of God will see you through death, the trauma, the tragedy, the type, the time, none of it has the power to separate you from God loving you and you loving God. None of it, he says. And God’s love, when that time comes, will escort you into the presence of God. You will not go alone. You will be escorted into the presence of God by God Himself. Are you getting it today? For I am absolutely convinced, I have an unwavering confidence that consumes me, that not even death has the power to keep me from loving God, and to keep God from loving me.

And then he uses the contrast:

2. Life

Not even life can keep me from God’s love. Life, oh it’s referred to over in Romans 8, verse 35. We talked about this passage last week if you were not here I hope you will get a copy of the message. I think it’s one of the most powerful passages we’ve dealt with. What are those elements of life? Affliction, suffering, anguish, remember hemmed in in a corner when life simply squeezes you, persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword. Those are all things that life throws at us from time to time.

So let me put it to you in perhaps a little more contemporary manner where you can understand. The challenges of life. The blessings of life. The offers of life. The tragedies in life. The losses in life. The joys of life. And even the love of life itself cannot separate you from God’s love. Why is that? Because His love is permanent! His love is fixed. His love is unable to be broken by anything you do, by any response you give to God, and God is not about to break His end of the bargain whatsoever at all. So be encouraged today, whatever you may be facing in this life, it does not have the power to separate you from God and His love in Jesus Christ. Whatever you may be facing…

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels…I call it:

3. Angelic forces

In verse number 38 he’s saying not even those angelic

forces can keep you from God’s love. Now in Holy Scripture there are angels from heaven, and there are angels from hell. In fact, if you know the scripture some you are aware that there was a battle one day that went on in heaven many years ago, and God kicked out of heaven one-third of His angels because they wanted to unite behind Lucifer, and bring worship to Lucifer, and Lucifer wanted to be like Jesus; he wanted to be Jesus, and God does not share His glory with anyone, and in that raging battle one-third of the angels were kicked out of heaven, and hell was created for them.

So there are angels from heaven, and angels from hell. I identify those angels from hell as demonic forces of which I’m going to talk about in a moment. But there are angels, listen to this, that fight for you, are you listening? And there are angels that fight against you in your life. So what is Paul telling you? Paul is telling you that there is no angel that can keep you from loving God, and there is no angel that can keep God from loving you! There’s not an angelic force capable, nor has the power, to keep God from loving you! Why is that? Because listen, your relationship is fixed. It’s permanent. It is sure! And it is absolute, and it is external, and nothing can keep you from God’s love.

And then the scripture says:

4. Demonic attacks

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers…sometimes that word rulers is translated as principalities. It is a referenced to evil beings. I believe demons themselves. Are you listening? Demons are real. Demons are personal. Demons are powerful. Yet, the most powerful and strongest demon of hell, and the most powerful, strongest demonic unit from hell does not have the power to keep you from loving God, and from God loving you. That’s what he’s saying.

Therefore, when I hear those words, and I say those words I am reminded of these words, every demonic force bows to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, every one of them. And we need to understand the truth and the reality of that today. For I am persuaded, I am convinced, I am assured, I am convicted that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come…what’s that word? I just call it:

5. Circumstances

Cause you see in life there are circumstances that we all face. That’s why he mentions in verse 38 the word present. In other words, what is going on in your life today. Things present, and then he says, “things to come…” So what will go on in your life in the future, those things to come. Well listen, things in the past, things in the present, and things in the future, those are what we would call circumstances of life, experiences if you may. Experiences that we’re going to go through today, experiences that we are going through today, and experiences that we know not of yet that we are going to go through today and tomorrow, and the future. And what he says is, it doesn’t matter what those experiences may be, whatever those circumstances may be, none of them have the power to keep you from loving God, and God loving you.

I came across a study by a man named Dr. Richard Lucas, who is a psychology professor from Michigan State University. He did a study on the relationship between happiness and circumstances. He determined that major life events like illness and divorce, or financial problems can have major impact upon a person’s happiness. In an official report, this is what he said, and I quote, he said, he said, “I learned in my study that an appreciable degree of instability (that instability meaning with our happiness) might depend on contextual circumstances.” Meaning what? Meaning that his study concluded that scientific study concluded that great instability, or a lack of happiness occurs when people’s context of circumstances change.

Now I realize today that for most of us in this room, we did not need a scientific study to tell us that circumstances of life affect and impact our happiness! Right? Right. We’re all smart enough to realize we didn’t have to have a scientific study for that, but it helps back up what we already know in our lives! Now let me ask you a question today. As a Christ-follower should it be that way? Should it be that your happiness is determined and navigated by your circumstances? Should it be that that is what happens? The Apostle Paul said no, time out, our circumstances cannot keep us from loving God, or God loving us. And some of you are going through hell, but they cannot keep you from loving God, and God loving you. And if any voice appears in your ear and tells you you can’t, that voice is a demonic voice, and that voice is under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Your circumstances cannot keep you from loving God. And you know what? I think America needs to get a grip on this; happiness is not the real issue anyway, but joy is the issue. Happiness is determined by your circumstances, but inward joy is not. Inward joy does not mean you walk around with a silly grin on your face saying praise the Lord every 30 seconds, but inward joy walks with a peaceful confidence with the words, “All is well,” written by the signature of God on your heart, even though you don’t like where you are, or you’re struggling with where you may be in your life at the time.

And you listen very carefully, because some of you are walking through some stuff, your circumstances do not have the power to keep God from loving you, or you loving God. Get a grip. Take a breath, and let God’s signature write those words on your heart, “All is well,” even when it seems that all hell is breaking lose in my life.

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor my circumstances, nor what? Nor:

6. Powers

Verse 38 he talks about those powers. What are those powers? Powers can mean many things in the New Testament. The word can refer to the miracles of the mighty deeds that occur. The word powers can refer to spiritism, or magic. The word powers can refer to evil in society, or excuse me, evil and sorcery. Or the word powers can refer to people who hold positions of authority. Over all, Paul was saying do not fear that any power, whether that power be good, or that power be bad, whether that power occupies a position of authority over you, or that power does not occupy a position of authority of you, no power is able to separate you from the love of God.

Let me put it another way, with a simple application for life, the love of God will see you through evil leadership in your life, evil leadership at the job, evil leadership in the home, evil leadership in world affairs. We need to understand that God’s love is greater than any power in this world, period! And it’s a force that keeps you together in the midst of the most difficult challenges in your life.

For I am convicted, persuaded, convinced of, assured with an unwavering confidence that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor my circumstances, nor any power, nor, listen, listen to this next one, the:

7. Highest moments in life

The highest moments in life can separate me from God’s love. He talks about in verse 9, “…nor height, nor death, nor any other creative thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What is the height referring to? It’s referring to the highest moments of life. Now you sit up and you listen very, very carefully, and don’t let the devil steal this word from you today.

What are some of those highest moments of life? Prosperity. Prosperity’s a high moment of life. You say, “Oh I’m not prosperous.” Let me tell you something, how many of you have your needs met, plus you’ve got a little bit? You’re prosperous. You’re prosperous, I mean you are so prosperous compared to the world it is sickening. All of us are. Prosperity is simply your needs met plus some.

Well not even your highest moment in prosperity should ever keep you from loving God, or God loving you. Nor any honor that you receive, nor any reward that you’re ever given, or any elevation in job, or status, or promotion, or rank, or office, or blessings, God says. So let me turn it, and let’s look at it this way today, and I ask you, I dare you to sit up and answer this question in your heart. Has your success; has your honor, or your financial blessings kept you in any way from loving God with all that you are? Have they?

Let me go deeper if you want, if you don’t want, let me go deeper. DO you love Him more since you have it? Or did you love Him more before you ever got it? Hey, hello, are you out there? Somebody shake a head or a hand, or just kind of grunt out an Amen. The rest of you, hm, but do you love Him more since you have it? Or now that you have it? Or did you love Him more before you ever got it? Why is that so important to answer? I’ll tell you why, and if you have the guts, write this down. Because success can ruin your affections for God. That’s why. Success can ruin your affections for God.

Why? Because pride kicks in. Self kicks in. Independence kicks in. Oh I’ve got it together. I’m here. I’ve got it going on. Boy this is good! Oh boy, I tell you what, for every one thousand men and women who can handle adversity, there is only one who can handle success. The highest moments in your life do not have the power to alter your relationship with God, so do not let them. They are blessings from God, keep your perspective friend, you’ve got it because He gave it to you. That’s it! It’s all grace, freely given as we talked about last week. Don’t think you’ve got it because you look good, or you work hard. There are people who work harder than you, and look better than you. Right? Amen. But you got it because of grace.

But I love what he said, “For I’m convinced that even not only the highest moments can’t keep me from God, but even my:

8. Lowest moments in life

Height, nor depth. What are those lowest moments in life? Oh man, depression can be a low moment in life. You do realize that from about the middle of November to the middle of December depression kicks in to a whole different level in the lives of people unlike any other time of the year. Be sensitive to people. Depression can lead to things that are way beyond our own imagination, that we can make ourselves do, or force ourselves to do, or we basically we end up just being a result of where we are which can sometimes be very, very pitiful.

Disappointment. Anybody here ever been disappointed in a person? Disappointed in a situation? Boy I tell you I have. But I’m telling you some of the lowest moments in your life can be disappointment. Some of the lowest moments in your life can happen because you get discouraged. There’s not one of us that has not faced a point in life where we were so discouraged. We didn’t know how we were going to go on. We did not, did not understand how things got to where they are, and we cannot see our way out. The low moment of discouragement.

The low moment of poverty. The low moment of grief. I tell you there are people in this room today going through their first Christmas, their second Christmas, their third Christmas without their loved one that they were so committed to for all those years, and there’s nothing, I do not think, any greater than the, the tough trauma, the ongoing sagging in your heart of loss and grief over someone you’ve loved so much. You say not even those lowest moments of grief should keep you from loving God.

Those lowest moments of ridicule, those lowest moments of abuse, and we live in an abused culture. Who would have ever thought things would be coming out that are coming out in our culture today? And abandonment, families are being abandoned by their dads, and families are being abandoned by their moms, and parents are abandoning children, and children are abandoning parents. We’ve got a sick, dysfunctional, sinful culture that is dominated by the depravity of man, and the depravity of our choices. Yet I’m tell you the great news is today is even in your lowest moment in life it will not keep you from loving God, and God from loving you.

Some of you may be like ol’ Elijah where you crawled in a cave this week, and you cried out to God why isn’t anybody else loving God, serving God like me? Look at all I’ve done for you, and here I am, look at all that’s going on thereafter my life. God knows we’ve all been in those caves. But I want to, I have some great news for you today, even at the lowest moment of your life, that should never keep you from loving God, or God from loving you.

You need to stop blaming God. You need to understand God’s your friend. He’s not your enemy. God’s for you, He’s not against you. And then he just threw this last phrase in:

9. Anything else that exists or occurs

In other words, in case I left anything out, anything that exists or ever occurs in your life cannot separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. God’s love is able to see you through it all! God’s love is able to see you through it all! God’s love is able to see you through it all! And nothing can separate you. Remember the word from last week? Separate, it’s the word put asunder? Remember who used that first? Jesus Christ when He was talking about marriage, talking about the permanence of marriage, the unity of marriage, the tied connection of marriage? Listen even as great as that is, it’s even greater than that. Nothing can separate you from God’s love because God is permanent with you, and you are tight with God, and you are fixed with God, and God is fixed, and He is tight, and He is permanent with you, and nothing can take Him away from you, and nothing can take you away from Him.

Because we know this, the love of God sees us through everything from death to life, from angelic forces to demonic attacks, from circumstances to powers, from the highest moments in life to the lowest moments in life, and if we’ve left anything out, His love sees us through anything that ever exists or ever occurs on this side of life. I’m telling you He’ll be seeing you through.

But if you have a pen I want you to notice a phrase from the text. Put the phrase in parenthesis, or underline it today, “Christ Jesus our Lord.” And circle those two words “our Lord.” Because you see our Lord does not simply exist in this text, because He thought about something, no, He, He did it strategically, and it is very significant the way He used it in the text. It is not here by accident, but by the providence of God authoring the text through this man named Paul. Why? Because He is highlighting Christ Jesus as Lord, meaning He is overall, through all, in all, He is Lord!

Why? I’ll tell you why! He did Christ Jesus the Lord. Are you listening to me today? Why? Because Jesus is Lord over death. And Jesus is Lord over life. And Jesus is Lord over angelic forces. And Jesus is Lord over demonic attacks. And Jesus is Lord over all circumstances. And Jesus is Lord over all powers. And Jesus Christ is Lord at the highest moments of your life, and Jesus Christ is Lord at the lowest moments of your life. And Jesus Christ is Lord over all, and through anything else that would ever exist, or ever occur, count it out, shout it out, give God the glory for it, make no mistake about it my friend, Jesus Christ is Lord! And that’s why he said it because everything falls and bows one day to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

I tell you today His love has no limits. Did you hear me? His love has no limits. And you know what else this passage will teach you? His love has no suitable opponents. Neither death, nor life, death nor life, angelic forces or demonic attacks, circumstances or power, highest moments, lowest moments, or anything else cannot separate you, and separate God from loving you. Why? Simply put, because Jesus Christ is Lord over it all.

Would you bow with me today?