The Powerful Love of Christ

Theologian Karl Barth was invited to deliver one of his distinguished lectures at a theological seminary in the East. And while he was there, a group of ministers, theologians and dignitaries sat down with him for a question-and-answer period. Someone asked the question, “What is the most profound thought that you know, Dr. Barth?” This was his answer:

“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Dr. Karl Barth

Jesus loves me! This is Paul’s testimony to the church at Ephesus. We read in Eph.3:14-21,

“14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”     

Only the believer can comprehend Christ’s indescribable love. It is because Christ dwells in the believer’s heart through faith! What a motivation for living!

This is why Paul could write in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15,

“14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”

Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so! This is not just a children’s hymn, it is a hymn for every single believer in every age category!

This week consider 5 important truths about Christ’s love realized in Romans 8:35-39.

Christ’s Love Meets Our Every Challenge!      

We see this in v.35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

Every believer is subject to discouragement and disappointment, just as anyone else. But it is Christ’s love that makes the difference!

Paul lists 7 challenges we might think could come between us and God. They are “tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword.”

Paul faced many of these challenges, if not all of them! Listen as he recounts some of them in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. Paul describes that he was…

“23…in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”

Paul testifies through his own experience, that none of these can ever separate believers from the love of Christ! In other words, there isn’t anything you are facing now or will be facing that can turn Christ’s love from you! No matter what happens…the challenges that believers face will never separate them from the love of Christ. When suffering comes, it only serves to help us to recognize His presence and identify with His indescribable love.

Believers can accept life’s challenges with the assurance that God never fails. He is wisdom. He is power. He is love. He gives us His perspective, strength, and the ability to endure any kind of hardship!

Christ’s Love Overcomes Our Every Conflict!

We see this in verse 36, “As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Paul is quoting Psalm 44:22 to remind us that people who trust in Christ must expect to face persecution, even death. The psalmist is pointing out that difficulty, and that suffering comes to believers who are being faithful.

The writer of Hebrews testifies to this truth! He tells of those who experienced the

“36…trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.” (Hebrews 11:36-38)     

Only true believers can persevere! And it’s not because of any innate ability we have, but it is simply through the power of God’s indwelling Spirit. It is because of Christ’s indescribable love that has been shed abroad in our hearts!

We can only love God because He first loved us. We can only hold on to God because He holds on to us. Isn’t that what Jesus himself tells us? Listen to His words in John 10:27-30,

“27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”

Therefore, we can survive any threatening circumstance and overcome any spiritual conflict that the world or Satan puts in our way because we are secure in Christ’ love! Christ’s omnipotent love has provided victory over every conflict we face. There is no defense against Christ’s love. Christ love for us always wins.This leads to the third truth, and that being…

Christ’s Love Has Made Us More Than Conquerors!

Read these words in verse 37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

How can sheep for the slaughter be more than a conqueror? This is one of those wonderful paradoxes of the Christian faith that can only be understood by believers. We have the assistance of “Another” who has secured the victory for us. Our victory belongs to Christ; not to us. The victorious life is not all our own. It is His life being lived through us.

Christians often go down in defeat because they try to make it in their own strength when trouble, trial, and testing strike. They fail to depend on Christ’s empowering love. Christ’s love knows no defeat. No mountain is too steep, and no valley too deep for Him. He has become to us overwhelming victory!

We are more than conquerors because we come out of the troubles of life stronger than when they first threatened us. Isn’t this what Paul is saying in verse 28? His words are

“and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

God causes everything, including the very worst things, to work for the good of His children. One writer puts it this way, “Even when we suffer because of our own sinfulness or unfaithfulness, our gracious Lord brings us through with a deeper understanding of our own unrighteousness and of His perfect righteousness; of our own faithlessness and of His steadfast faithfulness; of our own weakness and of His great power.”

We are more than conquerors because our ultimate victory and reward will far surpass whatever earthly and temporal loss we may suffer in this life. With Paul, we should view even the most terrible circumstance as “light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight in glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Christ’s Love Gives Us All the Confidence!

We find this in verse 38, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come”

When we express our opinions, we may say, “Well, this is what I think.” But when speaking of the most important matters in reference to salvation and eternity…we are to be people who are absolutely convinced.

For Paul, conviction was a matter of faith confirmed by God’s Word, personal experience, and a transformed mind. This passage communicates that His confidence was in his Savior’s empowering love. Similarly, Paul writes to Timothy,

“For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

We also must be confident of Christ’s love. If you do not have this confidence, you need to deal with it today! Because there is no better Person to place your confidence!

John tells us in his first epistle (1 Jn.5:12-13),

“12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”

Our Heavenly Father has revealed His great love for us in Jesus Christ. As the Apostle John writes in 1 John 3:1: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God…”

Christ’s Love for Us Is Always Constant!

We learn this in verse 39: “nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

People make excuses for their lack of faith, hope, and love. But God’s love for us is always constant and sure. He will never turn His face away from His children. How marvelous is the constancy of Christ’s love that nothing can separate us from the love of God, unless we ourselves allow it. But remember, it isn’t Christ’s love that wavers towards us; it is our love for Christ that breaks down because of our sinfulness and selfishness.

Friends, sometimes as believers we turn our face away from God. If you are wayward from God, turn back to Him! Don’t be a disobedient child! John tells in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Maybe you are unsaved! Why don’t you trust Jesus Christ today! His love can be trusted! Please remember that His love for you…Can meet our every challenge! Can overcome every conflict! Has made us more than a conqueror! Has given us all the confidence! And it is always constant!

Someone wrote…There is nothing you can do to make Christ love you more! There is nothing you can do to make Christ love you less! His love is Unconditional, Impartial, Everlasting, Infinite, Perfect!

Enjoy the SONshine!

Pastor