February 2, 2020 Sermon Notes and Slides

Sermon Notes & Slides

Death Will Not Separate Us from the Love of God
Romans 8
Tony Chute, Interim Pastor

Overview: The Christian claim that God is love seems to go against our human experience in a world where suffering is a present reality. Yet, the Bible reinforces this truth by claiming that nothing—not even death—can separate us from the love of God. Due to the conflict between such a marvelous claim and our genuine fears, it is entirely appropriate to question how we can be assured of God’s love. The Apostle Paul provides this assurance by reminding us that our present circumstance in a fallen world does not compare to the joy we will share in the world that is to come. We can also be assured of God’s love by relying on the work of the Spirit and believing the promises of God. Moreover, God demonstrated his love for us by giving His own Son to clear away any obstacle that would result in permanent separation from God. This supreme act of sacrificial love secures our eternal union with God and opens the path for present fellowship with God.

01. The fallen world in which we live is not the final world we have from God. Take heart, because death cannot prevent us from entering the presence of God.

02. The fact that we are weak does not forfeit the work of the Spirit or the plan of God. Take heart, because death cannot deny us from receiving the grace of God.

03. The finished work of Christ on the cross is the fullest proof of the love of God. Take heart, because death cannot keep us from knowing the heart of God.

Questions for Discussion and Discovery

1. Consider Paul’s comparison of this world with the world to come (Romans 8:-23). In what ways does the glory to come overshadow our present sufferings? In what ways does present suffering compel us to long for a better world?

2. Explore the biblical teaching on our adoption as children of God (see Romans 8:15, 23; 9:4; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). What was our status before being adopted as children of God? What benefits are included as we are brought into the family of God? What promises can we now claim because we are children of God?

3. Discuss how our prayers are helped by the Spirit of God and the Son of God interceding for us (Romans 8:26-27, 34). Could we truly pray without the Spirit’s help or the Son’s intercession? What confidence should we have in prayer, knowing that we are not simply approaching God on our own?

4. Unpack the process by which God claims us as His own and completes the work He has begun using Romans 8:29-30. How does each aspect of God’s work contribute to the whole of our salvation? What assurances of God’s love can we derive from this golden chain of God’s promises?

5. Having read through Romans 8, do you share the same confidence as the Apostle Paul when he states, “For I am sure” that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (8:38-39)? If you are not yet convinced, what else do you think is necessary to demonstrate God’s eternal love for His people?

For Further Reading: D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans 8:17-39: The Final Perseverance of the Saints (Banner of Truth, 1974).