Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” – Romans 8:35-36
God’s people around the world and through history have faced danger and persecution for the sake of their Lord. Because they belonged to and stood for the Truth, worldly powers have sought to silence and eliminate them. In these verses, Paul quotes from Psalm 44:22 which speaks of the plight of the faithful. They are being persecuted for their faithfulness to Yahweh. They live in disgrace, they are slandered, disdained. The Psalmist cries out to God to rescue them because of His unfailing love. Despite their disgrace and humiliation, and despite feeling that God had sold them out and scattered them, the Psalmist calls out to Him because His love does not fail.
Our culture is growing increasingly hostile towards Christians. It isn’t a matter of simple disagreement, the Christian worldview is considered dangerous and harmful, even evil, by many. It is becoming increasingly difficult to admit to being a Christian in the public square, at school, at work. Ascribing to a Biblical understanding of sexuality, sexual behaviour and gender is particularly fraught with danger. We are accused of bigotry, hate speech and generally hateful behaviour. You may feel like you are being asked to compromise your faithfulness to Christ to retain your job, your friends, the regard of your neighbours, your standing in society. Perhaps you feel the sting of disdain and rejection. It is hard to remain faithful in these situations. It is sometimes hard to know what it looks like to be faithful.
We may well say with the Psalmist,
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
As sheep, with little power or agency; thought of as perhaps useful but with no intelligence or real contribution to make, we may face the situation with despair and despondency. Why do others turn on me with such hostility? Why does this affect my employment when it doesn’t impact my ability to perform my duties well? Why can’t I control the ideas being taught to my children? Why has God allowed this to happen? Why is He not protecting His people who just want to live faithful lives?
But hopelessness and despondency are not the response of children of God who can never be separated from His love. We face these questions and difficult times with absolute certainty that His love will carry us through to glory. Nothing that we face here can derail God’s plan for our final destination. We can face these questions and difficult times with the love of God, not just to lean into it, but to be powered by it.
When faced with hate and vitriol, mockery and derision, we have the power of God’s love to respond with grace and forgiveness. Our identity is not based on others thinking well of us. We know that not even a true charge, much less a false one, can stand because we God has justified us. We know that in the only court that matters, the Judge of all the earth has acquitted us. We know that Jesus Christ was hated, had insults hurled at Him, was mocked and derided, and did nothing to deserve such treatment, and He did it all for us. Can we not forgive and grant grace?
When faced with hardship and uncertainty, we have the power of God’s love to be filled with gratitude and generosity, to be still at peace. This world is not our home, we are sojourners passing through. There is no need to accumulate wealth or to live our best lives here. The best is yet to come. We can say with John Newton, “Everything is needful that he sends; nothing can be needful that he withholds.” We know that our only certainty is immovable, and that nothing is truly in our control. We know that our Father is in control of all.
There is nothing that can separate us from God’s love.
It is for His sake that we face death, but it was for our sake that He died, because He loved us. Let His love compel you, move you and power your life. Let His love for you melt your heart and shape the way you respond to others.
Prayer focus:
- Praise God that His love transforms our hearts
- Pray that when we face opposition and hardship, our responses would be shaped by His love.
- Pray that we would grow in wisdom as we face hostility and are tempted to compromise. Pray that we would recognise areas of compromise, repent, and return to God’s way
