the commanding power of love
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Romans 8:35)
The eighth chapter of Romans includes a proclamation of eternal security foreshadowing what was to come. Under Emperor Caligula, Christians throughout Rome were introduced to increased persecution with martyrdom becoming a present reality and risked consequence for walking in The Way; the brutality of Christian persecution, however, would not reach its height until near the end of the reign of Emperor Nero. Paul wrote his letter to the church in Rome near the beginning of Emperor Nero’s political tenure with Paul perhaps beginning to see the writing on wall. This section of his correspondence appears to be written as preparatory security to withstand the horrors that manifested approximately eight years later—Nero’s Reign of Terror. Paul made references to combative opposition, death, accusations (likely both legal and social), tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness (perhaps even being displayed naked publicly as a means for social shame), general danger, and execution.
To prepare the church for such an onslaught, Paul provided the eternally secured promise of the commanding power of the love of God.
Again, Paul has already stated that there is no condemnation for those secured in Christ, that we are His children and heirs of His righteousness, that we are called to be the firstfruits among many, that we are the righteously restored, and that we are now the chosen dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Here, Paul moved into an announcement of the character of God. He will not abandon us; through the worst, through more than we could possibly imagine, Christ holds us unwaveringly, undoubtedly, unquestionably.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
It cannot be stated with certainty that Paul was speaking to future events, but he was clearly speaking prophetically; it is easy to imagine a church in hiding, a gathering of those hoping to survive the Reign of Terror, desperately clinging to the idea of a “God for us.” And, Paul invited us to consider what power could possibly make a claim contrary to the will of God. In fact, because of the faithfulness and might of God, to say that we may conquer and triumph through thick and thin was not enough for Paul; instead, we are to know ourselves as even more than that.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
Then, as more than conquerors, we can learn to see ourselves as celebrating in the reign of Christ instead of being led as if in chains through tribulations. Within His reign, we are celebrated as the righteous, holy, justified, sanctified, children of God. With this knowledge, Paul even asked the question as to who has a rightful claim to make an accusation against us.
“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?” (Romans 8:33-34a)
A worldly perspective suggests an obvious retort: many. Many will bring charges. Many will condemn. But, Christianly understood, all accusations hold no merit for the Kingdom of Heaven does not tolerate condemnation for those who bear His name. C.S. Lewis potentially alludes to this truth in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe when Edmund stands accused of treason and deserving the penalty of death; throughout the public trial, Edmund refrained from giving the white witch his attention and instead kept his eyes firmly fixed on Aslan, the Great Lion—while the charges were laid bare and Edmund’s shame made public, the Lion, likewise, kept his eyes on Edmund. So it is within the reign of Christ; He is not only Emmanuel, God with us—He is also God within us. And, against His home, no charges will be heard, no condemnation will be tolerated, and no accusation will have merit. We are His, and He is for us! He is our God, and we are His people—nothing will separate us from His 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)
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