Inseparable Love

Scripture - Romans 8:26-39

Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan

The letter of Paul to the Roman church was what a few people asked to read and talk about last year in our Tuesday evening Bible study. Together we learned how sometimes St. Paul can make the oddest statements – like about women in worship or circumcision or Jews. When we read some of those passages in Romans, we want to close the book and never listen to Paul again. But then without any preparation, Paul can open a window and drench us with descriptions of the glory of God that transport us right into paradise. The ending of the eighth chapter of Romans is such a passage, so give a big exhale and let each of us bask in the magnificent promises of God, as we listen for the word of God. 

Romans 8:26-39

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that 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, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

On any Sunday we can pretty easily expect talk about how God loves us unconditionally. We say our Heavenly Parent delights in being connected with us, listening to us pray, watching us grow and enjoying life. We get all warm and fuzzy inside listening to Paul tell us that nothing that happens would make God reject us, because after all, if God is for us, what else could possibly matter? We bask in that – right up until something really terrible happens. We screw up bigtime, or the roof inexplicably comes crashing down on us. Then in those moments, most of us feel ourselves standing in the middle of whatever the horrible thing is, looking around in panic, because we really, really feel completely alone. Where is God then?

At any time, circumstances can threaten our relationship with God. Events in life can seem to break whatever connection we feel we have with the Almighty. Sometimes we seem to sever the link all by ourselves. We make verbal commitments to live in a particular way, but then we find ourselves doing unholy things. Everyone does. Like when someone confides in us, as her closest friend, that she had a baby in high school, which her parents raised as their daughter. And then at some gathering, when she makes a comment we take as an insult, we respond, “Well, at least my baby sister is my sister and not my daughter.” Oh God! How could we say such a heartbreaking, confidence breaking thing? Why didn’t God reach down and strike us mute for one minute?

Other times, we don’t do anything wrong, but some calamity comes crashing into our well-ordered life. The spot in the backyard that stays wet for days after a thunderstorm suddenly gives way, taking the back portion of our house with it. The insurance agent sympathizes, but explains we aren’t covered. Not covered? Really God? Is this some cosmic joke?

Or when some personal health crisis hits. We pray for healing; we read scripture; everyone we know promises to pray for us. And the test results still come back grim.

Where is God when something awful crashes into our well-planned lives? In the midst of such calamities, the whole universe suddenly seems against us. Even God. Miraculous stories appear in Guideposts every month. But when it comes to our situation, God can seem really, really far away. Biblical stories about the compassion of Jesus suddenly seem cold, almost as if they are mocking the reality of 21st century crises. Into every life, circumstances enter which derail any relationship we might have with God. Things we do and things that just happen can result in our feeling infinitely far away from God.

Yet God is always reaching toward us. Our Heavenly Parent is always initiating contact with us. No matter what we do, or what happens to us, God is always seeking to connect with us. It’s like when we are children who had a terrible day and one of our loving adults sits next to us on the couch and puts their hand over ours. And we push it away. And they put it back. And we push it away. And they put it back. And we push it away. And they put it back, because they know we are desperate to be comforted. Always reaching out to us.

Three times in the passage, Paul tells us intercession is taking place. He says: “the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with sighs beyond words”; “the Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints (us) according to God’s will”; and “Christ Jesus intercedes for us.” A lovely picture of the divine Trinity. The Spirit and the Christ whispering into God’s ear, interceding for us. But we need to remember, God is not divided. It doesn’t make sense to imagine Jesus’saying, “Come on. Let’s not make Walter suffer so much,” as if God the Creator were going to say, “No, Walter needs to suffer.” And the Holy Spirit’s saying, “No, let’s heal him.” That is not how God works. Paul says, “the Holy Spirit intercedes according to God’s will.” So those who are interceding must not be arguing with God, trying to convince God the Parent to be nicer.

Instead, I think the intercessory conversation going on within the Trinity is to help us know God’s desire to communicate with us. For God is One, and the three persons of the Trinity are united in love for us. God searches our hearts and minds; knows us better than we know ourselves. When St. Paul quotes from the Psalm, that we are led like sheep to the slaughter (Psalm 44:22), he reminds us that people of faith have never been protected from the hardships of the world. Our ancient Jewish ancestors were conquered, enslaved, ridiculed by nations all around them. They felt abandoned by God at times, yet Paul claims, because of God’s faithfulness to us, we are “more than conquerors.” We are victorious in spite of calamities, because God is always reaching out to us.

So nothing can separate us from God. Divine love is the strongest power in the universe, and it will not let us go. Nothing is powerful enough to cause a rift between us and the One who created us. Fortunately, the effort is not ours. As one scholar says, “…it is not through any courage, endurance, or determination of our own, but through Christ, and not even by our hold on Him but by His hold on us, that we are victorious.”[1]

Obviously, Paul does not mean disasters are “good” for us. But he says, even the worst calamities cannot separate us from God. We are victorious over our hardships and crises because Christ is with us; because God’s love binds us to all that is holy. A 19th century hymn sings: “Let me no more my comfort draw from my frail grasp of Thee: in this alone rejoice with awe, Thy mighty grasp of me.”[2]

If we lose our house, or go under anesthesia, or bury a loved one, does God make the crisis go away? No. But God’s love can animate this community of faith, so no one faces a crisis alone. And anytime we feel overwhelmed, we can pause and take a breath, knowing that with that breath, the Holy Spirit indwells us. We are never abandoned. Evil does not win. Even though we will experience human tribulations, God’s love always holds us, fills us, and triumphs. Death does not have the final word; nor do the hardships of life. Not spiritual powers or human social forces. Things we did in the past or ways we mess up now. Nothing in the entire universe can sever the cord between our Heavenly Parent – and us.

There are stories, lots of stories, of people’s surviving the very worst, sensing the empowering presence of God through some event. But those stories don’t mean much – unless they happen to us. So stop and take a moment to remember a time we survived. Think of a death. Or an illness. Or a loss. We survived. We survived, because we cannot be separated from the all-surpassing love of God in Christ Jesus. And the next difficulty we face? God will be there, too. And the next. And forever. 

Romans 8:35, 37-39

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that 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, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[1] CEB Cranfield, Romans: A Shorter Commentary (Eerdmans, 1987), 211.

[2] John Campbell Shairp, 1871, “From noon of joy,” quoted in Swallow’s Nest, Marchiene Vroon Rienstra, 213.