“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 created thing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
When the apostle Paul wrote the above verses, he had been facing grueling times because he was a Christian. He had suffered rejection from friends, persecution from the government, and had spent many months of his life in an isolated prison cell. But regardless of what people or the circumstances of life did to him, Paul had discovered a vital truth: Nothing that occurs in this life has the power to separate a believer from the love of God.
It is a statement of ultimate assurance and security, emphasizing the enduring and powerful nature of God’s love despite any hardship, tribulation, or circumstance. This message provides hope and a deep sense of spiritual security to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. The verses assert that God’s love is constant and will not change, regardless of a person’s life situation or struggles.
It lists a wide range of potential threats including spiritual powers, powers of the present and future, and even dimensional forces to show that none of them have the power to break the believer’s connection to God’s love. The promise is for those who have a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, providing confidence that this is a truth they can rely on
Paul said, “For I am persuaded.…” The word “persuaded” is the Greek word peitho. It means to be persuaded, to be convinced, or to be swayed from one opinion to the opinion held by another. This word describes a person who has been coaxed from a particular conviction to embrace a different one. Furthermore, the Greek tense implies that this was a persuasion that had occurred to Paul in the past but is still so strong that it continues to be his conviction in the present. He was persuaded, and he continues to be persuaded. It could therefore be translated, “For I have been persuaded, and I remain convinced.…”
The word “death” is the Greek word thanatos, the Greek word for physical death, but it can also be used to depict mortal danger or a dangerous circumstance. In this case, Paul’s primary meaning is that the love of God is so strong, even physical death cannot separate us from His divine love. Death may separate us from the earth and from people we love, but it is impossible for death to separate us from the love of God, for God’s love doesn’t stop with the cessation of life.
It is a fact that many believers feel overwhelmed by the situations they face in life. In fact, they often feel so confused and weighed down that they wonder if God is still near to them. This is precisely why Paul adds that even life cannot separate a believer from the love of Jesus Christ.
Paul lets us know that no spiritual being, good or bad, has enough power to separate us from God’s love. The word “angels” is the Greek word angelos, which refers to brilliant, spiritual, angelic beings. Such angelic beings are extraordinarily strong, as is evidenced by hundreds of scriptures in both the Old and New Testament.
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The word “principalities” is from the word archai. This is the same word that Paul uses in Ephesians 6:12, where he describes the rank and file of the devil’s kingdom. The word archai is the plural for archos, the Greek word for a ruler or one who has long held a lofty position of power. The plural version of this word depicts an entire group of high-ranking demon spirits that have held their positions of power since the most ancient times. Although angels and demonic powers are indeed strong, they are not strong enough to disconnect a believer from God’s love.
Paul also mentions “powers.” This is taken from the word dunamis, which is the Greek word that sometimes depicted the powerful governments of men. Certainly Paul had been arrested, bound, and restricted by evil governments on many occasions, but none of these actions were ever sufficiently powerful to separate him from the love of God. A jail cell may have separated Paul from other believers but he kept his love for God. However, even in the deepest, darkest, most gruesome prison cell, Paul tangibly felt and personally experienced the love of God.
In addition to these points Paul has already mentioned, he uses the phrase “things present” to let us know that nothing that currently exists is able to prevent a person from experiencing God’s love. The words “things present” are derived from the Greek word enistemi, a compound of the words en and histemi. The word en means in, and the word histemi means to stand. Thus, when these two words are joined to form the word enistemi, the new word describes something that is presently standing in its place. In this case, it means nothing presently existing or nothing that currently stands is sufficient to separate a believer from the all-powerful presence of God’s love.
Paul doesn’t stop with the things that presently exist. He goes on to say that “things to come” are also not able to separate a believer from the love of God. These are things that haven’t happened yet, but will take place in the days and years to come. Paul has already said that nothing currently existing is strong enough to separate a believer from the love of God. Now he boldly declares that nothing will ever happen in the future that will contain enough power to hinder a believer from knowing and experiencing God’s love.
As he continues, Paul also declares that neither “height, nor depth” shall be able to separate us from the love of God. The word “height” would include anything that is lofty, such as the sky and the heavens above.
The word “depth” is the word bathos, the Greek word that expresses the notion of something that is exceedingly deep, like the deepest, darkest parts of the sea. Now Paul uses these illustrations to say that nothing in the sky or in the deepest parts of the earth has the power to keep one of God’s children from knowing and experiencing His love.
To make sure absolutely everything is included in this comprehensive list, Paul adds “any other creature” to the list. The word “creature” is the Greek word ktisis, and it categorically refers to all created things in both the physical and spiritual worlds. Absolutely nothing in either of these spheres “…shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The words “shall be able” is from the word dunamai, which describes strength, capacity, or ability.
The word “separate” is the Greek word choridzo, meaning to sunder, to sever, to disunite, to tear apart, to disconnect, to cut off, to disengage, or to withdraw. Paul says that nothing is capable of tearing a believer “from” the love of God. The word “from” is the Greek word apo, which means away and implies distance. This clearly means that there is nothing that can put distance between a believer and his Heavenly Father.
Nothing in this world has enough power to disconnect you from the love of God. No angel, no demon, no government, no creature and no mistake of your own making will ever be capable of cutting you off from the love of God. God’s love is greater than man will ever be able to comprehend. It reaches to the highest mountain, and it penetrates to the lowest parts of the earth. Regardless of what you are facing in your life today, God’s love is with you and nothing will ever be able to disconnect you from this awesome, powerful, all-consuming love.
While the passage emphasizes that external circumstances cannot separate you from God’s love, it is not a guarantee against the consequences of willful sin, which can create a distance in a relationship with God.
