Romans 8:31-39
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
33Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
34who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36Just as it is written,
“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
37But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hallelujah! I try to remember this verse when things seem bad, but I don’t. I need to do it more often. Something that caught my attention in this message today is something we forget the most. Christ didn’t only save us from the world, but also ourselves.
Ourselves? Yeah. Remember, the sinful being, born into sin, condemned to eternity in hell…that’s who He redeemed us from. Paul says that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God. What then of when we talk about “being closer to God”? Ahh.
I had a conversation about this with a dear friend of mine once. It’s a situation where we try to humanize God. God is always right there with us. Ever see/read the footprints in the sand story? Just because we don’t feel Him there, doesnt mean he isn’t. It means we closed off our hearts, turned our backs, however you want to word it, BUT GOD is constant, He’s consistent, He’s always there.
The song “Two Steps Behind” just popped into my head. It’s a song I sent to my wife when we were dating. You see, I wanted to tell her I would always be there for her, right where she needed me. God is the same way. He’s always right there where and when we need Him, even though we reject Him from time to time. Sometimes we get caught up with “life” and forget about Him, but He never forgets. Then we’re humbled back into His arms.
So, next time you don’t feel “close” to God, don’t blame Him for it, He’s still right there waiting for you (ahem, sorry for the constant song references). Look at yourself and why you’re denying or ignoring Him.
How IS your relationship with Him today?
