Romans 8:31-39 Explained — Why Nothing Can Separate You From God

Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Okay, we're going to go right back where we just left off in our last half hour, and that'll be back once again, this will be the last one though, in Romans chapter 8. And then the next program I want to be ready for chapter 9. So those of you here in the studio, you can be finding Romans chapter 8 again, and we'll go back to those last 6 or 7 verses and pick out some of the things that I neglected to bring out in the last half hour. Again, we like to always welcome our television audience and how we appreciate your phone calls and your letters. I guess it's basically mostly why we just carry on, we just love to hear from you, and we like the idea that many of you are sharing it with others, and again, we want you to know that everything is available on the videotapes and on the printed page, and if you have loved ones, kids, others, why send them the tapes or the books, and a lot of times you can get them interested. I think maybe we should always put the picture on the screen of the little books that are available. We don't promote them to make any money, we just get what they cost us to get printed, but we do appreciate a little help in return so that we can send them out free to missionaries and prisons and so forth. Now let's get back into Romans chapter 8, because after all that's why we're here is to teach the Word, and to hopefully help people see what does the Book say. Not what you think it says, maybe not what somebody you heard say, but what does it say. It's not gobbledygook, it's written by the hand of God so that anybody can understand. I always use the example, and I hope I'm not giving the statement to the wrong person, but it was one of the Reformers as he was being burned at the stake. His whole reason for living was to get the printed Scriptures into the hands of everybody in England. England of course was on his heart, and he made the statement that he wanted the Word of God in the hands of every plowboy in England. Now what does that mean? The plowboys were probably the least educated of any part of the English society, and if they could comprehend the Scriptures, then anybody can, and I'm of the same impression. You don't have to be highly educated, you don't have to have a great theological education to comprehend the Scriptures. Now of course that's what precipitated the Dark Ages, when the church had gotten so powerful that they had pulled the Scriptures away from the common man and brought it into the monasteries because they felt only the monks and the educated could discern the Word of God. But that's not what God intends. He wants every one of us to become students and to study, not just read, that's not studying, but to learn how to study this Book. In fact I think that's what Paul meant when he wrote to Timothy, that we are to study, to show ourselves approved unto God, and rightly of course dividing the Word of Truth. Now I'm going to come back and cover some of these verses that we just went over in the last half hour because I didn't have time to finish it appropriately, and at break someone has just asked that I go back to verse 31 in particular, and we're going to do that. Because here is a verse that is so paramount to our Christian experience as a child of God that we have to understand that those of us who have been called, we've been elected, we've been justified, we've been glorified, in God's eyes at least, and that being the case, what shall we say then to these things? Now what's he talking about? That we've been justified, glorified, forgiven, and all these things that Paul alone teaches. How can we say that? Well we can come to the conclusion if that's all true then, if God for us, who against us? And that's where God wants us to rest. There is no one that can condemn us, because now what's the next verse? Verse 32, and here's the reason for it, because God did not spare His Son, but let Him be crucified, let Him be mishandled and misused by the powers that were at that time in vogue, and He gave Him up. And as we saw in Philippians, the Lord Jesus Himself was obedient unto that kind of a death. Like Isaac of old, see now a lot of those things back in the Old Testament were just a preview of this that took place in the New, as Abraham laid Isaac upon the altar. Is there anything in Scripture to indicate that Isaac struggled? Did he fight back? Did he try to lay old Abraham low? No! But in complete obedience he let Abraham lay him upon that altar. Well that was just a preview of how God the Son would react to the same situation that He gave Himself up of His own volition and became obedient to the death of the cross. Then let's move on, we're just reviewing a little bit now. Verse 33, so then who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Now I stressed a little bit in the last half hour that these verses just absolutely hammer home the whole idea that once God has put the finger on us, has elected us, we have responded of course, and we've entered into His tremendous salvation, then who in the world can touch that? Nobody can touch it, because it's all what God has done. And don't let anyone ever tell you, well how can you be so puffed up? How can you be so conceited as to tell me that you know you'll go to heaven when you die when no one can know? Now listen, when someone talks like that, they themselves are totally unaware of true saving faith. Because if you've got enough faith to believe the Gospel, if your faith is sufficient to bring you into that salvation mode, then you should have enough faith to take God at His word and the rest of it. And that is, you're His. No one, we're going to see that in just a little bit, no one can take us out of His hand. And so he says, who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Now again, I'm going to make the point, would God elect someone who somewhere down the road would choose to reject Him? I can't see it happening. And the reason I'm using that example, I had a fellow tell me that one time. I said, look, the Scripture says that God will never cast us out. Oh, he said, I know that. But he said, I could cast myself out. I said, how? Oh, he said, by committing some horrible sin. I said, look, you can't touch yourself so far as being in that position in the body of Christ any more than someone else can. We are totally, and I can't emphasize this enough, we are totally under the control and the power of the sovereign God. And nobody can supersede His power. And that's what Paul is just literally screaming. In fact, this is the word I wanted to use last half hour, and I didn't get to it. These closing verses of Romans 8 are like the crescendo of a great orchestra. Now I don't claim to be a musician, but I know a few of the words in music, and I think you're all aware of what crescendo is. It's when that sound just builds and builds and builds, and then you get the clashing cymbals and, boy, I mean, they got your attention. That's crescendo. And that's what these closing verses are. Oh, it's been building throughout these first eight chapters of Romans, but now here we come to this crescendo that I think Paul, if he could have verbalized it, if we could have heard him say it, he would have just shouted it at the top of his lungs. Look, nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, the love of God. All right, let's come back in then, verse 35. So then he goes over all these things, shall tribulation or distress, and we covered all these in the last half hour. Verse 36, again, yes, we're like sheep accounted as the slaughter, but yet, verse 37, in all these things we are more than conquerors, oh, not of what we have, not through any ability that I or you have, what makes us conquerors, Christ Jesus. And see, He becomes everything. What does Colossians say? Whatsoever you do in word or deed, what? Do what is unto Him, see? And that's where we live and move. And there is nothing, and oh, I can't stress this enough, there is nothing in us that can merit any favor with God. It is all of His grace. And remember that grace could never have happened if it wouldn't have been for mercy. But you see, I've said it before and I'll say it again, we no longer have to cry for mercy because God poured out His mercy on Christ there on the cross. And so His mercy has already been poured out. Now since His mercy has been poured out, now what can He give? Grace. Grace. Unmerited favor. We don't deserve any of this. Now then, let's move back into verse 38. Here's where I didn't really have time to do it justice. For I am persuaded, Paul says, that neither death nor life, we covered that, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers. Now let's go to Ephesians chapter 6, and here's where I felt we had to do this over. Ephesians chapter 6, starting at verse 12. Ephesians 6, verse 12. You all know the verse, I'm sure. You've certainly heard sermons on this. And he starts there with verse 12, for we wrestle, or we aren't fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities, and against ours, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness, where? High places. Not down in the gutter, not on skid row, not out amongst the offscouring of humanity, but in high places. Now that should wake us up. We're up against something that is beyond the normal. It's up here with tremendous power, and I said last week, position. These powers are in high positions, and the principalities, and the powers, and let's just make a comparison, the same Greek word back in Matthew chapter 10. So we get an idea of what Paul is really driving at, when he says that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but we are up against principalities and powers. Matthew 10, verse 1. I don't give my little wife much time to find all these, and then the camera gets on her. But we do want these on the screen, because I want people to be able to read it right along with us. Matthew 10, verse 1. And when he had called, that is the Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry now, and when he had called unto him his 12 disciples, he gave them power. Now that word power is the same word in the Greek as you found back in Ephesians, and it was authority. So these principalities and powers have authority. And don't you ever think twice about it. Don't you ever forget that Satan is powerful. My, he can transform himself into what? Angel of light. He is the one who has the lost people of this world totally blinded, 2 Corinthians says. For it's through the power of Satan that they cannot comprehend the gospel. And so this word is designated authority. All right, another one is in Acts chapter 26, and we see that same kind of a meaning. Acts chapter 26, and this is going to be with regard to Paul. Acts 26, and drop down to verse 10. Same Greek word again, same Greek word. Acts 26, verse 10. Now let's just drop up and read verse 9, so we pick up the meaning. I verily thought with myself, Paul said, that was back in his pre-salvation experience when he was persecuting those believers at Jerusalem, I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, which thing I also did, now in verse 10, which thing also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. What does that mean? He was put in a position where he could do what he was doing, authority. All right, now bring that back in again to what Paul said in Ephesians, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers who have authority, and that authority is Satan, and he is doing everything that he can to not only frustrate the life of you and I as a believer, but to keep the lost humanity in darkness, and he has the power until God breaks it. Here again is why we have to come back to the very fact that God is the One who opens our hearts, God is the One through the working of the Holy Spirit who gives us an understanding. Now back to chapter 8 for a little bit, and then we're going to look at a couple of verses in John, and then I imagine this half hour is going to be gone again. Romans 8, so neither principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature. Now that word creature of course refers to all of creation. There is nothing 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 or take us out of the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Well, somebody said, well that's Paul, I don't have any time for Paul. Well, let's go back and see what Jesus Himself said. Come back to John's Gospel, John's Gospel chapter 6, verse 37, John's Gospel chapter 6, verse 37, all with me? John's Gospel chapter 6, verse 37, and Jesus is speaking, if you happen to have a red letter edition, why it will be in red, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Oh boy, what's that telling us? Who is making the first move? God is, God is, oh listen, don't you ever believe anyone when they say, oh seek this, seek after God. It's impossible. You and I can't seek God, it's not in us. No unbeliever is going to go running after God, it's not in him. If he suddenly has an appetite for the things of God, God put it there first. And the same way what Jesus is saying here, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Who made the first move? God did, even during His earthly ministry. And now read on, and him that cometh as a result of God's moving him, and he that cometh I will in no wise, what? Cast out. Jesus said it, in His earthly ministry, that anybody that God has chosen, that God has elected, that God has sent to Him, would in no wise ever be cast out. And that means what it says. All right, let's go to another one, John chapter 10, verse 28. John 10, verse 28. I ordinarily don't like to raise my voice, but once in a while, you know, when I find out that there are people who just totally can't understand this, they think I'm way out in left field, and that's why I have to show you what the book says. This is what the book says, in what I think. All right, John's gospel, chapter 10, where did I say, what verse? 28. Wasn't seeing it, okay. Verse 27, so we pick up the flow again. My sheep hear my voice. Now remember, he's dealing here especially with the nation of Israel, and that's why I think he uses the term sheep. And I know them, and they follow me. Now verse 28, and Jesus said, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and neither shall any, now the word man has been added again by the translator, so I prefer to leave it out, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. Now compare that word, any, with what Paul has just said in Romans 8, and what do you also include? The whole sphere of creation, not just man, but neither the angelic powers, the satanic powers, nothing can pluck them out of his hand. Now can you believe that? Well if you can believe that God in Christ died and rose again for your salvation, then you should be able to believe these things, that you're His. No one can take you away from Him. Now you see the first thing these people are going to accuse me of, well you're going to tell people that they can do whatever they want to do, just because they will never be lost? Never! How have I always put it? Some of you have been hearing me teach for 20 years, that grace is not license. Don't ever get the idea that the Scripture teaches that since we're safe, that since we're secure, we are free to do what we want. And so we as believers live in constant awareness that we don't want to fall, we don't want to commit a sin, but we're also commonsensical enough to know that we could. I hope I never fall into any great sin, we're all guilty of course of these mundane sins of everyday living or thoughts, I know that. But so far as falling into a great sin, such as David, did David fall into sin? You better believe he did. Was he a believer? Yes. Did he lose his salvation? No. But oh, what did David know how to do? Beg for forgiveness, and of course he was back before the age of grace, but if you want to see a man, and David to me again was a man's man, David was as manly as any person that could ever live, and yet as a man's man, after he was convicted of his sin of adultery of Bathsheba, of murdering Uriahs, oh, have you ever read the Psalms where he pours out his heart in sweat drops, begging for forgiveness? Why? Because he was a true child of God, otherwise it never would have bothered him. And you can go all the way up through Scripture, all these people failed miserably. Abraham, my, you all know the account of Abraham with that beautiful wife Sarai, and he gets down into Egypt, and what happens? Sarai, as beautiful as you are, they're going to want you in their harem, and there's nothing I can do to stop it unless they kill me. So for goodness sakes, don't tell them you're my wife, tell them you're my sister. Well what was that? That was sin. Did God kick Abraham out? No. Abraham had to come to the place of recognizing his sin as a believer, and we find, Peter, let's get in the New Testament. My, in fact, I had the question from a listener the other day, what did Jesus mean when He said to Peter there in Matthew, Peter, I have prayed for thee, lest when Satan sifts you like wheat, that your faith fail not. Well, what did Jesus know was just down the road in a matter of hours? The denials, and great old big Peter to a little old, probably a teenage girl, cursed and swore that he didn't know Jesus, he didn't have a thing to do with Him, and what happened? The cock crowed, and what happened to Peter? He wept bitterly, bitterly, why? He was convicted of his sin. Did it throw Peter out? No. But he regained, he was reconciled immediately when he confessed his sin, and so it is with a believer in Paul's doctrines of grace. Paul never gives us license to sin. John's little epistle way at the back says, John's little epistle, oh my little children, I write unto you that you sin not, but if we sin, what does that mean? We're going to, and if we sin, then we have what? That advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And then you remember that verse that we've looked at back in Revelation, I think we've that time. Go back and look at it, chapter 12. My, don�t you ever think for a minute that believers aren�t subjected to sin. Revelation chapter 12, but I�ve never known a true believer yet that just makes up his mind that he�s going to go out and get drunk. I�ve never known a true believer that just makes up his mind that he�s going to commit adultery. I don�t know of a believer that makes up his mind that he�s going to go out and default somebody, but it can happen. But a believer has to be constantly on guard. You have Revelation chapter 12, verse 10, And I heard a loud voice saying, In heaven now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brethren, the believers, is cast down, speaking of Satan, who accused them, the believers, before our God, day and night. Now if it�s impossible for a believer to sin, Satan wouldn�t have had anything to accuse them of, but he did, and he does, and he will, until we�re in the Lord�s presence. Because as long as we�re in this body of flesh, we are going to be prone to fall. But again, I always like to use simple analogies if I possibly can. Most if not all of you have raised children, and when they were little and learning how to walk, did they just pick up and walk? No, they fell. And what did a good mom or daddy do? Kick them in the rear and say, what�s the matter with you? No, we pick them up, we lovingly set them on their feet, and get them started. He�s waving. It�s all done. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a weekly Bible study. If you would like more information about the Les Feldick Ministries, a Bible study in your area, or about this program, write to Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, OK, 74552. That�s Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, OK, 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported, and your gift is appreciated. Thank you, and be sure to tune in next time for Through the Bible with Les Feldick.