Six Vital Questions of Life—Part 6
Six Vital Questions of Life—Part 6
Originally published in Issue 37 of Calvary Chapel Magazine
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? … 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 be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35, 38-39
In answering the question, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Paul addresses the “who” by talking about the unseen, spiritual realm.
Spiritual Warfare
When Paul writes nor angels, this is no doubt in reference to fallen angels. In the Book of Ephesians, Paul told believers, We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities [and] powers (verse 6:12a)—speaking of supernatural forces. Consequently, he says in the next verse that we need to put on the whole armor of God so that we may be able to stand against these adverse forces.
From Scripture, we know that angels are divided into two categories: those who are loyal to God and are sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation, and those fallen angels who kept not their first estate (Jude 1:6) but instead joined Satan and his rebellion against God, as spoken of in Isaiah 14:12-14.
The Bible says: For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11-12).
There have been occasions when people have seen angels who appeared either as men or as heavenly beings. For example, when Peter was in prison, the angel of the Lord came and delivered him out of the prison (Acts 12). The angel woke him up and said, “Put on your garment and follow me.” The doors of the prison opened, and the angel led Peter out into the streets. Peter thought it was all a vision until he started to get a little chilly, and then he realized that he was really free!
The Bible recounts several times when an angel appeared as a heavenly being, often to deliver a message from God to a person: to Mary in Luke Chapter 1, to Zacharias in Luke Chapter 1, to the shepherds in Luke Chapter 2, and to the women at the tomb in Matthew 28.
I am also convinced that there are fallen angels opposed to us, and that we do face these angels in spiritual conflict. The question is: Can these fallen angels separate me from the love of God in Christ? The answer is no!
Nor principalities nor powers Romans 8:38b
Principalities and powers seem to describe a ranking of angelic beings, according to authority, who are good or bad. You might say they are like lieutenants and captains. Paul said in Colossians 2 that Christ disarmed [the] principalities and powers that were against us, triumphing over them through His death on the cross (from verse 15).
Time and Space
Going back to Romans 8:38, when Paul says, nor things present, he means there is nothing presently, in our lives today, that can separate us from God’s love. When he goes on to say nor things to come, he means there is nothing that can happen in the future—no sorrows, difficulties, or problems we might face—that can separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus.
Nor height nor depth Romans 8:39a
These could be astrological terms. Astrology was used in ancient Babylon, and later became very popular in ancient Rome. Even today in this enlightened age, people still believe that the stars have some kind of mystical power, so that your birth date determines which stars influence you. Some people believe that while your star is “rising,” you must take action, but when your star is “setting,” you should close your doors and stay inside. The idea that the stars exert some kind of mystical force over us is foolishness. Paul may be referring to this notion of stars rising and falling when he said, nor height nor depth—these things cannot affect God’s love for you.
No Other Creature
Nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39b
We have been talking about spirits, which are a realm of beings created by God. They can’t separate us from the love of God in Christ, nor can any other created thing. There may be other created things that we don’t know about, things that God has not mentioned in the Bible. But if there be any other created thing, whatever it is, it can’t separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you can be reassured and secure knowing that nothing can separate you from His love.
All verses above are quoted from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
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