Nothing can separate a believer from the love of God, because that love is in Christ Jesus and rests on His finished work, not on the believer's performance.
In Romans 8:35-39, Scripture asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" and answers emphatically that death, life, angels, powers, things present or to come, height, depth, and every other creature cannot break that bond. Les Feldick teaches that believers are "under the blood" of Christ, and no power on earth or in heaven can remove them from that protection. This security is guaranteed by the cross, not by anything the believer does or fails to do.
Romans 8:35-39 — The key passage where Paul asks who can separate us from the love of Christ and answers that no created thing can.
Romans 8:1 — Les opens his teaching on Romans 8 with this verse, which declares no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:35 asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" Verse 36 acknowledges the believer's real experience: "As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet verse 37 declares, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Verses 38-39 give the definitive answer: "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The Bible itself therefore states that no created thing in any realm — death, life, angels, powers, present or future circumstances, height, depth — can break a believer's union with the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.
Les Feldick treats Romans 8 as "that tremendous chapter of our great salvation, not based on what we have done, but what Christ has done on our behalf." He reads the closing verses, Romans 8:35-39, as promises of absolute security, beginning with the question "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" and emphasizing that nothing can. [Clip 0][Clip 1] Les explains that believers are "under the blood" of Christ, and "no power on earth or in heaven can take us from under that blood protection," just as the Israelites were safe in Egypt. [Clip 2] He says the phrase "any other creature" covers all of creation — "whether it's on the demonic side, or even if it's on the righteous, angelic side, nothing, nothing, Paul says, shall be able to separate us." [Clip 3] Les uses Paul's own life to show that hardships like famine, nakedness, peril, and the sword do not sever believers from the Lord. Paul was beheaded — "he wasn't spared the Roman sword" — but that did not separate him from Christ. [Clip 4] Les says these verses deliberately confront anyone who insists a believer cannot be sure of salvation: "Who shall separate us? That means just tribulation." [Clip 5] Even persecution cannot force a believer out of the body of Christ, "because God is guaranteed because of the work of the cross we are secure" — not because of anything we are or have done. [Clip 6] Finally, Les reminds believers that even if they go through these things, it will never separate them from Christ's love, and this life is short compared to eternity. [Clip 7]
No. Les emphasizes that Romans 8 concerns "our great salvation, not based on what we have done, but what Christ has done on our behalf." He is equally clear when answering the question of security: "We never maintain our assurance of salvation and our security because of who we are or what we are. That is never part of the picture." The believer's security is guaranteed "because of the work of the cross."
Paul lists specific hardships in Romans 8:35: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword. Les points out from Paul's own experience that believers may actually endure these things — Paul experienced famine, cold, thirst, and nakedness, and he was finally beheaded. None of these, Les says, separate believers from their Lord.
Scripture lists death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth, and "any other creature." Les says this covers everything that has ever been created — "whether it's on the demonic side, or even if it's on the righteous, angelic side, nothing, nothing, Paul says, shall be able to separate us."
No. Les is explicit: "that's not license. Oh, I always have to follow that right up with that. Grace is not license." He acknowledges that sin is a possibility under grace, because "God does not hamstring us," but he insists the promises of security never make grace a license for sin.
Salvation Based on Christ's Work
Les introduces Romans 8 as the chapter of great salvation that rests not on what we have done but on what Christ has done, and he points to verses 35-39 as the promises he will unpack.
Grace Is Not License
Les reads Romans 8:35 and stresses that while believers can trust in these promises, grace never becomes a license for sin.
Under the Blood
Les teaches that believers are under the blood of Christ, and no power on earth or in heaven can remove them from that protection — pictured by Israel's safety in Egypt.
Nothing in All Creation
Les explains that "any other creature" includes all of creation, whether demonic or angelic, so nothing can take a believer out of the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Suffering Cannot Separate
Les uses Paul's own hardships — famine, nakedness, cold, thirst, and the sword — to show that suffering never separates believers from the Lord, and notes Paul's own beheading.
Assurance of Salvation
Les says Romans 8:35 directly confronts the teaching that believers cannot be sure of their salvation; the question "Who shall separate us?" assumes a settled security.
Secure Through the Cross
Les explains that no persecution can force a believer out of the body of Christ because God's guarantee comes from the work of the cross, not from who we are or what we do.
Eternal Perspective
Les reminds believers that hardships will never separate them from Christ's love, and this life is short compared to eternity.
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Les opens his Romans 8 teaching with this verse, which establishes the believer's security from condemnation.
Romans 8:35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
The rhetorical question at the heart of the passage on the believer's unshakable security.
Romans 8:37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Scripture's declaration that believers emerge as more than conquerors through Christ, who loved them.
Romans 8:38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
The opening of Paul's conviction that no realm of existence can break the bond.
Romans 8:39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The definitive conclusion: nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love in Christ.
Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Les quotes this verse as background to Paul's teaching in Romans 8 — living by the faithfulness of Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us.
No. Romans 8:35 lists tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword, and verse 39 concludes that no created thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Les points out that Paul himself suffered these things and was beheaded, yet he was still secure in Christ.
No. Les teaches that Romans 8 describes salvation "not based on what we have done, but what Christ has done on our behalf." He says believers never maintain their assurance because of who they are or what they are — security comes only from the work of the cross.
No. Les explicitly says "grace is not license." While God does not force believers to obey, the promise of security never turns grace into permission to sin.
Les says the word "creature" refers to all of creation. Nothing God has ever created — whether on the demonic side or the righteous angelic side — can separate a believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
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