Who Can Separate Us From the Love?
Jackson Snyder, November 21, 1993

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INTRO: Beloved, we must come to an understanding about God - that we as God's children and Jesus' brothers and sisters are unconditionally loved and cared for. Being thus favored by God - being "liked" by God - we cannot be justly condemned by others, and shouldn't be condemned by ourselves. Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing in creation that can stand between us and God's loving favor. Let's explore the deep, deep love of God; the love that will never let you go.

A. What is "the good"?

1. "All things work together for good" - all things are not good, but evil things work for the good when one a) loves God, and b) is living purposefully for God. These are two conditions for this promise of all things working together for good.

2. What Paul means by "good" is found in v 29: the good is that one who a) is "conformed to the image of God's son" and b) thus has been adopted into the universal family of God.

In other words, Paul is saying that all circumstances and events in the believer's life serve to help God mold and form the believer into an imitation of Jesus Christ. And this is the good of which he speaks - so that we might become family not only in promise, but in fact.

3. For those called to the family, God "foreknew" and "predestined" for this good - God knew each one he was to call before that one was even conceived, and God fitted each one with potential to become a member in God's family; a) that each might be "justified" (justification is "God's pardoning and accepting love made available through belief in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus"), and b)that each might be "glorified" ('raised to a new order, level, and dimension of existence') - and Paul actually speaks as though glorification had already happened! c) If he gave his son for us "while we were yet sinners," won't he then bless us and protect us all the more as saints?

4. In summary, all things that happen to us in our lives, good and evil, serve to help mold us into the image of Christ and make us fit for his family. Becoming molded into the image of Christ a) acquits us of offences against God and b) leads us to be exalted as a son or daughter of God. Then in this life, c) we receive blessing upon blessing as we make doing the will of God top priority in our lives.

B. In the family of God, we might think of God as a loving parent, the Holy Spirit as a nurturing mother, Jesus as the the firstborn son, and you and I as the brothers and sisters of Jesus. God knew his children before we were born, God called us so that we might know of our sonship /daughtership, God justified us so that we might have full access to the throne of grace, and God glorified us that we might have power over our difficulties.

C. Family images

1. God loves as a compassionate father loves: A Father that I know went through a divorce made more difficult by the existence of a young child. After a court custody battle, the judge determined that that she would be better off with her mother.

It wasn't long before the daughter, having known her father's closeness and affection, began to doubt his love because of their separation. Although there were visits as often as possible, the little girl became hostile, saying things like, "You never loved me or you wouldn't have left me!" Finally, the girl wouldn't speak with her father at all, but complained to her friends, "He doesn't love us now, and never did."

The Father's heart was broken over the attitude of his daughter, for he loved her more than his own life. Yet, because of the girl's age, immaturity, fickleness, and lack of understanding, the relationship was broken, and both suffered for it. The father realized that he could do nothing else but pray for reconciliation. "Like the non-custodial father, God continues to love despite the attitude of his children"

2. God loves like a nurturing mother: In a seminary class a few years ago, there was a discussion going on about the students' mental images of God. Several of the men in the class described their mental images of God as a Father-figure.

One young female student shocked the class by saying that she could never see God as a loving father. She said, "I grew up in a church where family members were taught that it was God's will that we submit to the will of our father. This gave my father a theological basis for being abusive to my mother and myself. My mother protected me from his brutality as often as she could, and actually took many blows that were meant for my sisters and me. My mother was as saintly as my father was brutal. So you can understand why I see God as a loving mother rather than a father. I could never worship a God that I had to call 'father.'" Friends, Is it so hard to imagine God as a loving mother?

3. Another family image is the idea of God as "Lover of My Soul." For more than 40 years, a shy but persistent man slipped a weekly love letter under the neighbor lady's door. But she continually refused to speak to him and mend the spat that had parted them years before. She didn't believe that her suitor really loved her.

After writing 2,184 love letters without ever getting a spoken or written answer, the single-hearted, 74-year-old man eventually summoned up enough courage to go to her door in person. He knocked on the door and asked her for her hand in marriage. To his delight and surprise, she accepted.

Imagine God as this man. Time and time again God tries to get the message of love through to his lovers, who often don't accept his love because they don't believe in his love! How many love letters have you received? Have you opened your door to your lover? If so, you can resonate with the question Paul asks us in verse 35:

A. The love, care, and concern of Father God through Jesus Christ can't be overcome by any obstacle. What can separate us from the love of God? Hardship (having difficulties), distress (physical or mental illness, or bad attitudes), persecution (others giving you problems), famine (not enough to eat), nakedness (shame), peril (general danger), sword (violence), life or death, demons, governments, any present situation, the future, the stars in the sky, the oceans, or anything in the world? Nothing has the power to separate us from God's love, not even self-hatred or suicide. His finger always points to love, and if you love him and are called according to his purpose, then all things will work together to your glorification and recreation in his image.

The Father's family-style love is a perfect love. It is the love that dwells and courses through us. It is the force that is sensitive to our needs, and makes us sensitive to the needs of others in need.

"It is a motivating power that enables us to give strength and peace. It is 'you' love before 'me' love. With a child, it says, 'I love you as you grow older; I will constantly be loosening the apron strings so that you can develop into your own person.' With a parent it says, 'I love you and will try to act in a way to make you proud of me.' With a spouse it says, 'I love you and I want you to be happy and achieve the fullest stature of your being.'

"Love is not primarily a result of [God's feelings] toward you, but a cause. It causes people to grow in happiness and produces fulfilled and whole people." It overcomes incredible barriers. It loves in spite of our capacity to love. And it seems that, if we will open ourselves to it, God's love gets greater the more we need it.

[The Father's] love is flowing through us [now] if we love him and are fulfilling his purpose for our lives. And that's the secret to receiving and enjoying perfect love -- developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Brother Jesus Christ, in whom "the fullness of God lives." And who can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ? Friends, absolutely nothing and nobody. Amen.

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