Plumbing the Depths of the Love of God

Plumbing the Depths of the Love of God

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: Plumbing the Depths of the Love of God ------------------- Date: 3/1/2001
Keywords: "unconditional love"
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Passage: Romans 8:31-39*

31. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

32. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

33. Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

34. who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36. Just as it is written,
"FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."

37. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

38. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

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.

Questions

1. The apostle Paul gives two lists in the verses above (v. 35 and vv. 38-39). What is the function of each list?

2. After reading the above passage, what would you say is Paul’s "main point"?

Practical help

The love of God is unconditional, no strings attached and irrevocable. Once a person has received the love of God by placing his or her faith in Jesus Christ (to experience God’s love first hand, click here), that love will continue flowing, uninterrupted, NO MATTER WHAT. In Romans 8, Paul lists a few things that some people might suggest would potentially separate them from God’s love. Paul says, "Nope, none of those things will." In fact, the New Testament shouts that not only will the specific items in Paul’s list not separate someone from God’s love, NOTHING will separate us from God’s love. Period. That includes sins that you or I might fall into. That includes even a long-standing struggle with pornography! That’s right - sin does not separate the child of God from God’s love. He continues to love you even when you sin. He loves you so much He will initiate loving discipline to help you break sin’s stranglehold on your life, but His love never ceases. The next time temptation to view porn rears its ugly head, let the love of God wash over you. Bask in it. Find strength to resist in the knowledge of His perfect love.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."