Romans 8:35-36, Resting in Christ’s Love
Romans 8:35-36 (KJV) 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 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
The Christian living in an unchristian world upholding an eternal value system according to God’s Laws will often find himself being persecuted because he tries to live righteously as a just man before God and man! If Jesus, the perfect Man, the living and true God had to suffer such persecution and humiliation by wicked men who reject God, realize as Jesus said, “You are sent as sheep among wolves.” The believer must be prepared to endure hardship because he loves God and want to live a Christ honouring life before God and man. Quoting Psalm 44:22, the Apostle Paul described the believer’s identification with Christ as a cause for a troublous life.
At the beginning of the New Testament church, persecutions were so severe against the believer that being a Christian often involves losing one’s home, livelihood and even life. But the Apostle Paul tells us it is worth it all. God’s love that binds the believer to Him is stronger than the severest persecution. And persecution can only cause the believer’s faith to be stronger to experience Christ’s love in a fuller measure.
This is the testimony of the believer throughout the ages. We have an omnipotent God in Jesus Christ who loves us with an everlasting love. We can rest in His ability to take care of us. Amen.