12/08/11

Things in us, which can separate us from the love of Christ

Romans 8:35 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

In today's message the Lord is telling us even though His love is so great there are things which can separate us from His love. Some of these things may seem normal and we ignore their power in separating us from the love of Jesus Christ.

Tribulation: the word used here means pressure. When we come under pressure we can easily distance ourselves from the love of Christ. When we know God then pressure should not exist in our lives. We think pressure is normal because the world tells us so, but been in pressure means distancing ourselves from the power of God and His greatest power for us is the manifestation of His love.

Distress: this word literally means narrow place. People who are in distress are people who put themselves in a narrow place. They are people who make their world small so much that they live alone in their world. Rejecting the existence of God also means rejecting His love.

Persecution: means facing resistance or problems due to belief or living life as the Nature of God asks us to. People think persecution is bad but in reality is strengthens our relation with the Lord. Like Paul says when he was weak he was the strongest in faith. Not that we should pray for persecution or pursue it but when it comes we should rejoice for by overcoming it, it brings us to know the love of our Lord better. Compromising with the Lord to avoid persecution separates us from the Lord and His love.

Famine: this word has 2 meanings for it means lack of harvest.
Lack of harvest for each one means lack of Manna the Heavenly food or the understanding of the Word of God. Continually not pursuing the spiritual food which God gives great importance to, is indirectly rejecting God.
Harvest also refers to people of God. Lack of fellowship is like a famine in our lives. We have the wrong notion that being exclusive or introvert helps us spiritually and that is the lie of the devil. There is a difference between socializing and fellowshipping. Lord is telling us to fellowship not socialize. Building people and our bonds of love with the people of God reinforces our love with the Lord.

Nakedness: this does not have to do with clothes. It has to do with fleshy desires. In the book of Moses the Lord said a person showing his or her nakedness to his brother or sister would be cut off from His people. It was to do with the one's fleshy desires or lustfulness of a person. When we are deep in desire of anything earthly we stand naked spiritually. The Bible says such persons are thrown out of the Lord's Kingdom.

Peril: the word means uncertainty. Many Christians use the word ‘luck' and do not understand the danger of this term. We are people who know our God is in control of everything and when we believe in luck or uncertainty we are rejecting either God or His power or His omnipotence.

Sword: this is an interesting fact. The Word of God is called the Sword of God. His Word has 2 sides to it. It can be the Rock that saves us when we accept it or our stumbling rock when we reject it. This double edges sword can protect us and lead our way towards God or can destroy us when we come against it.

So we see many of these factors were to us not so relevant and we did not understand the danger of being in them. Today the Lord has exposed these dangers, so let us be alert and make sure we keep ourselves far from them and closer to His love. Being in the Lord meaning living His Nature helps us overcome these factors and makes us conquerors.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord Jesus, by becoming our sacrificial Lamb, You expressed your love for us. The depth of your sacrifice has been hidden from man and no man can ever comprehend it. Like John wrote no amount of books ever would able to record all that You have done. We thank You Lord for enlightening us of the dangers of these factors that can disconnect us from You. We are conquers in You and when in You these things have no power over us. Help us Lord remain in You so as to overcome these areas if we are in them and never to reject your love for your love is all that holds us to You and to our spirit life...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Romans 8:31-39
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession 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 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.



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