“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger 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, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35ff
When I sin, I feel very unlovely and unlovable. And sometimes I sin because I feel unlovely or unlovable. It’s a nasty cycle that leads to despair and defeat.
But Romans 8 contains with the best news of all: nothing can separate us from the love of God. No matter how bad I’ve been, he loves me. No matter how many times I’ve failed in exactly the same way, he loves me. No matter if I am rebelliously doing my thing, he loves me. How could I fail to love him in return? And because I love him, I will try to make him happy by obeying him.
Nothing can separate us from his love. Your drugs aren’t so big that they can stand between you and the love of God. Your drink can’t. Your anger can’t. Your gossiping can’t. Your addictions can’t. Your lack of self-control can’t. God’s love is bigger and stronger and more enveloping than any of these things.
So when some sin looms large in your eyes and seems to blot out everything else and calls to you with its seductive or condemning voice … remind yourself: God loves me. And because he loves me, he’ll give me the power to overcome this. I can do it – in him. I don’t have to sin anymore. I am forgiven. I am free. I am alive. I am in Christ and in his love – and nothing can take that away from me, or me away from him.
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