AT A GLANCE

Suffering is a normal part of the Christian experience. But there is hope for us because nothing can separate us from the Lord of God! As you enter the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, you might feel more intensely the dichotomy of emotions – joy of the season mixed with pain, sadness, confusion, frustration of normal life. It’s ok to feel them both, but what you do with them and where you let them take you matters.    

INTRODUCTION

This weekend has been somewhat of a spiritual and emotional climax for me. On Saturday I got to be part of the wedding of one of our young couples. It was genuinely a worship service. They wanted to put Christ at the center of their wedding, and I believe they will put Him at the center of their marriage. This afternoon I’m going to officiate a vow renewal ceremony where we’re going to look back and celebrate 50 years of putting Christ at the center of a marriage. And this morning with our youth band, I was blown away and incredibly proud! We have tremendous talent and devotion in this church. 

Yet even in the midst of a spiritual climax, I am not far from the reality of suffering. Between the wedding and reception yesterday I fielded a pastoral call from a woman at her whit’s end because her husband had a set-back with his health. They’ve struggled with this for eight months and you can tell she hurts for her husband and is totally stressed over this. 

That’s the world we live in as Christians. We can have these emotional and spiritual mountain top experiences but we’re never far from the reality of suffering. This is exactly what we find in Paul’s mountain peak passage. Even in this lofty praise report of God’s goodness, Paul doesn’t let us wander far from the truth that suffering is a normal part of the Christian experience. Nevertheless, there is hope for us because nothing can separate us from the Lord of God!   

ROMANS 8:31-39

can you buy accutane over the counter in canada 35  where buy Seroquel Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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.

Verse 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? One of the threats of our accuser is that we do not really belong to God; to deny that we have any right to enter God’s presence. He uses our sin as justification. Perhaps this failure will be the final straw that causes you to be rejected by God. Our human accusers would also seek to separate us from the love of Christ; either by condemning us or by denying Christ altogether. 

MORE THAN ACCUSATIONS 

Accusations can be devastating, but Christians face worse things than accusation. Paul raised the temperature of what we might face from those who “stand against us” (8:31) when he asked, Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Shall these separate us from the love Christ? Hardly!

If there is anything that solidifies Christ’s love for us, it is that He is with us in these things. Far from removing us from His love, these things become the proof of His love. Next week we begin our advent series with John 1:1-14, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” 

God became like us, dwelt among us, suffered with us, and died for us to give us eternal life. He walked through these same things and He can relate to us in our suffering. So, far from separating us, these things actually unite us to Him.  

While Paul’s list is not exhaustive, it is representative. He categorized several forms of suffering common to Christians. Tribulation and distress are broad and seem to refer to general suffering in a broken world. Persecution is more pointed and deliberate. Often persecution leads to famine, nakedness, danger, & sword as persecuted Christians lose their jobs, their homes, their land, their ability to provide for themselves and meet their basic necessities. They become destitute. 

Sadly, persecution is elevated for many Christians beyond destitution, and they are subjected to danger or sword. In Paul’s day Rome preferred the sword for execution. Christians have suffered unspeakable atrocities over the last two millennia. But these things lose their power when a person places their hope in the love of Christ.  

The original readers had likely already experienced the first few of these hardships (tribulation, distress, & persecution) and some would soon have to endure them all. Emperor Nero burned Christians at the stake less than a decade later in what would begin nearly 300 years of systemic Christian persecution by Rome, including being tossed to the lions in the infamous coliseum for public entertainment.  

LIKE SHEEP FOR SLAUGHTER

Here is what Paul knew was true for Christians elsewhere, would be true for the Romans, and has now been the lived experience for more Christians in the 20th & 21st centuries than all 19 centuries prior: verse 36, As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

Paul’s list of sufferings is not merely theoretical. Believers really do suffer persecution. Jesus warned us. Peter warned us. Paul warned us. Paul quotes a line from Psalm 44, a psalm of lament that God had evidently abandoned His people even though they had not abandoned Him. It’s a raw appeal to the Lord to act on their behalf. That’s the psalm Paul chose to quote as he’s encouraging Christians on this spiritual mountain peak! 

Paul wanted them to know they were not exempt from suffering, and it wasn’t punishment. This is inevitable for Christians. It is the path of sonship. I appreciate R.C. Sproul’s perspective, “Our Lord, the great shepherd, became the sheep, the docile one who went willingly to the slaughter. We participate in that vocation by participating in his humiliation, his tribulation, and his death.” 

We become like Him in suffering. It’s the reality of following Jesus. Jesus warned us that if the world hated Him, it’s going to hate us. In fact, He warned that it’s a problem if the whole world thinks well of you. You’re obviously not taking a stand on anything if that’s the case because the world is diametrically opposed to God. So, this is simply a fact of life as a Christian, we are regarded as sheep to the slaughtered. This is such a raw statement, because the psalmist is not saying that the world regards us as sheep to be slaughtered, but God. He’s vocalizing the overwhelming feeling that God seems to be indifferent to the sufferings of His people. “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?” Psalm 44:23

DO NOT BE SURPRISED

We should not think it is strange to face trials of various kinds, Peter says. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12

The stark reality that you and I need to come to grips with now before we endure persecution, famine, danger, or sword, is that this is normal in a world that hates God. We need to not lose heart when it comes! That’s why Paul is warning them and us.  

It should not be lost on us that Paul is speaking of persecution during this emotional and spiritual climactic moment. This is a mountain peak experience and Paul highlights the sober reality that Christians are persecuted. 

SUPER-CONQUERORS

The faithful Christian does not deny this. We do not live in delusion and denial. We live sober-minded lives. Our hope is not contingent upon the absence of suffering. Our joy is not tied to ease in this life because as Paul says in verse 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

The Greek word translated more than conquerors is hupernikao. Literally, hyper-conquerors and in Latin, super vincemus, super-conquerors. 

There is reason for us to rejoice in the sober-minded reality that suffering is part of the Christian life. It is this, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Robert Mounce comments, “It is the love of Christ that supports and enables the believer to face adversity and to conquer it…They are victors who have found from experience that God is ever present in their trials and that the love of Christ will empower them to overcome all the obstacles of life.”

LESSONS LEARNED THE HARD WAY

But how do you suppose that lesson is learned? It is not learned in bible study. It is learned in hardship. It is learned in spiritual battle. Bible study prepares you; spiritual battle convinces you.  

Our victory is in Christ, not in being warmly embraced by the world that is perishing in its rejection of its Creator. If there ever was a Romans 1 world, we’re living in it now: a world that has unhitched itself from truth, logic, & reason; a world that has utterly embraced the cult of self.  

Our victory is not found in being whimsical, though many Christians have used this as an excuse to cover their fear of man. We are not victorious because we have found a way to make everyone who hates God be fond of us. 

No, we’re victorious through Him who loved us. We do not seek to avoid these things. It is in all these things that we are more than conquerors, not in the absence of these things. 

Christians need to gain some resilience and resolve. We’ve grown soft and we’ve become complacent, and our culture shows for it. The social-political temperature is rising in America, and it will not be long before Christians learn by experience what they have been taught by scripture. 

“For everyone will be salted with fire.” Mark 9:49 In this peculiar statement of Jesus, recorded only in Mark, Jesus indicates that every Christian is going to endure the refining process. We’re going to be purified and the biblical picture of this is fire. 

So do not be anxious, do not fear, do not grow weary, do not fret, do not get discouraged, but rather rejoice for your salvation is at hand. “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28

LONGING FOR JESUS’ RETURN

It is our desire to be found faithful at His return and we long for His return. We love His return. And we love His return only because He loved us. If He did not love us, we would be terrified of His return. 

Likewise, we are only conquerors through Him who loved us. His love for us is what we owe all of this to. God is not compelled to save us. He’s not compelled to rescue us. He did all of this for one reason: God loves His people. And it is upon the basis of His love that we stand in the face of opposition and even persecution and death, knowing that God has received us into His family, and He will receive us into His home in Heaven.   

That’s the premise, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. That’s what is true about us. This is true of born-again believers. It may be latent, but it’s there. 

I’m studying the story of Gideon right now. What struck me when I was reading through it most recently is the Lord calls Gideon a “mighty man of valor” just after Gideon is described as beating out the wheat in hiding for fear of the Midianites. 

“BUT I WILL BE WITH YOU”

Then Gideon responds that he is the least in his family and his clan is the weakest of the tribe of Manasseh. He’s the weakest of the weak. That’s how he feels. And that might be true. But here’s the difference maker: God said to Gideon, “But I will be with you.” 

That’s why the story of Gideon is such a powerful story. God loves to use the weakest of the weak to do the most powerful work. You may feel like a weakling, but if you’re in Christ, the Holy Spirit is in you and with you and for you!  

That’s why Jesus said to His disciples about persecution, “When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.” Matthew 10:19 

You have the same Holy Spirit dwelling in you that Peter and John had dwelling in them when they confounded the Jewish council. They were uneducated fishermen and they and their fellow first century Christians turned the world upside down. Why? Because the Holy Spirit led them and they followed, confident that “…He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 

Christian, stiffen up a little. Straighten up, raise your heads. You are a super-conqueror through Him who loved you! That’s the premise. 

NOTHING IN ALL CREATION

Now here’s the promise, 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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. 

I am sure represents a certainty that you and I need to embrace in our theology. Are you sure about anything? Well, you can be sure about this because the messenger of Jesus, the Apostle Paul, was sure about this. 

Nothing – 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, – nothing. This is all encompassing. This is exhaustive. 

What is included in powers? Governments. Municipalities. Armies. Social-political movements. Dictators and tyrants and dominating leaders. But also, principalities and powers of evil in the spirit-realm, evil spiritual forces in the heavenly places described in Ephesians 6:12. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

None of these, whether human authority or spiritual authority, has the power to separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nor does anything in all creation. How many ways can Paul express the span of this promise? How many ways do you need to hear this to put your hope in it? 

FAITH OVER FEELINGS

We may walk through extremely trying experiences and we may feel at times that God has departed from us. That feeling of “we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered” may take on new meaning in your lifetime. You may cry out, “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?” 

But as much as you may feel this, you must put our faith in God and believe the truth of this text over your feelings. You must be sure of God’s love and you can be sure of this because, “…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Daniel Doriani offers great advice as we close this morning, “Every story is unique, but everyone faces the sorrow of dashed dreams, senseless sorrows, or irrational animus. What happens next is the measure of our faith. We should draw on the psalms of lament, pouring out our sorrows without yielding to despair. God’s goal in every trial is to make us more like his son. We should watch and pray until we discover how that may be true in our case.” 

God is for you, who can possibly be against you? He will give you everything you need to do everything He has called you to do. Jesus is our proof. God justifies you, clothes you in the righteousness of Christ. Who could possibly condemn you? Jesus is our defense. You are more than conquerors and nothing can possibly separate you from God’s love. Jesus is our strength. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruce, F. F. (2008). Romans: An introduction and commentary. Inter-Varsity Press. 

Doriani, D. M. (2021). Romans. P&R Publishing. 

Hughes, Kent R. (1991). Romans – Righteousness from Heaven. Crossway. 

Kruse, Colin G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans. W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Longenecker, Richard N. (2016). The Epistle to the Romans. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 

MacArthur, John. (1991). Romans 1-8. Moody Publishers.

MacArthur, John. (1991). Romans 9-16. Moody Publishers.

Moo, Douglas J. (2018). The Letter to the Romans, Second Edition. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Mounce, Robert. (1995). Romans. B&H Publishing.

Schreiner, Thomas R. (2018). Romans, Second Edition. Baker Publishing Group. 

Sproul, R. C. (2019). The Righteous Shall Live By Faith – Romans. Ligonier Ministries