We Are Not Condemend, but We Are Conquerors

     35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or
     famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
    Romans 8:35

One of the greatest joys of being a Christian is knowing that we cannot be separated from the love of Jesus Christ. Whether you are a long-time believer or have freshly come to know Jesus, this passage is, indeed this whole section of Romans (Romans 8:31 – 39) is reassurance that in Christ we are assured God’s great love.

The most poignant piece is that nothing can separate us. Nothing. No matter how bleak thing may seem, there is nothing that can keep us from the saving grace of our Lord and Savior and therefore, nothing that precludes us from the love of God. As we read through this list in verse 35 we see that it does not matter where the threat comes from, whether it is the circumstances of life, the government or even the enemy that wishes our demise, there is nothing that can stand up against the love of our God.

And as if that is not enough, in verse 34 we read:

     34Who then is the one who condemns? 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.
     Romans 8:34

So not only do we have nothing to fear from this world, but we also have nothing to fear from those who would drag us down. “Who condemns (us)? No one.” There are so many who have self-appointed the right to tell us whether we fit in, but right here in this passage God is telling us, NO! No one can condemn us, for Jesus is the grace we need to live, and He is the promise of God’s undying love. This is incredible news!

No longer do we need to live in fear of what others think or say about us. Jesus has said “Come to me all of you…” Not just the self-righteous. Not just the “super Christian”, not just the clean and perfect, but all of you. When we give ourselves over to Jesus’ great love, there is no one who can condemn us for He knows our heart and He has given us the right to a full relationship with God.

In a world where it is so easy to become distracted and to fall victim to the attitudes of those around us, Jesus offers us hope. Hope that no matter our situation, no matter our status, no matter what our lives look like, God’s love for us endures and grace has been provided for us to come to the Father without fear of rejection.

For us, as Christians, we must remember this scripture. How easy it is to look down our nose at others. How easy is the trap of self-righteousness. It is so easy to determine someone is not good enough, but Jesus has called us to a better way. He has shown us that we do not stand in the role of condemner, but that we are to be like Him and give grace and love to all those we meet.

When we accept the grace of Jesus we are no longer living under the threat of condemnation. We become conquerors, because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

     37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
     Romans 8:37

As proof, Paul tells us he is convinced, and we need to be convinced as well. For it is the love of God that has set us free.

     38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the
     present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither 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.
     Romans 8:38 – 39

Lay your worries down. Let go of the doubt of whether you will ever be good enough. The answer is clear. We are loved beyond compare, no matter what the world may say or do to us.
​
Kathy Hendrix