Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

truths all of which enforce and emphasize these two wonderful guarantees of God for all those who rest in Jesus Christ as their Saviour from sin. All who have studied the Book of Romans carefully are well ready to join with the apostle Paul in his declaration, "I am persuaded." We are fully prepared to accept and rejoice in this Holy Spirit inspired conclusion :

"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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39).

First of all, let us identify the "us" in this passage. To do this we need only to turn to the first chapter of Romans, verses one and seven. The "us" plainly refers to the apostle Paul and the "saints" at Rome. All are believers in Jesus Christ.

Then, let us consider that "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" is more than the general love that God has for all the world. God loves the world, but those who are in Christ Jesus have come to know a love, and the depth and power of that love, which the lost world does not know. It is the love of God in taking a poor, lost,

condemned and hell-deserving sinner and settling his sin-debt through the substitutionary work of the Son of God, "the just for the unjust" (I Peter 3:18), and giving him eternal life and a place in the family of God. It is this love that we have before us in this passage.

Now, we have the Holy Spirit's guarantee, through Paul, that death cannot separate a believer in Christ from that love of God which is in Him. There are many kinds and means of death, but no qualification is made here- It is death in whatever form it may come. Death can separate us from our loved ones and friends. It can separate us from this world and all that is in it. But, it cannot separate one of God's children from this love of God manifested in Jesus Christ to the salvation and security of those who believe in Him.

The same thing is said about "life". There are many kinds of lives. There are what we call "good" lives, and there are bad lives. There are long lives and short lives, worthy and unworthy, beautiful and ugly, etc., etc., but no life, regardless of what one may say about it, is able to bring about a separation of God's child from that wonderful expression of God's love in salvation through Christ Jesus.

Angels are more powerful than man, and governmental powers are able to transcend any and all individuals, but neither are able to come between God and His child. None can separate a believer from this love of God which may be known only in Christ Jesus.

There are many, bad things in the world today. There is much evil and distress- As the last days sweep on there will be, no doubt, more and more of these things of evil, but it is glorious to know that there is nothing "present" and nothing "to come" that can separate even the weakest of God's saints from this immeasurable and indescribable love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord-

The mighty telescopes may sweep the skies and search out the hitherto uncharted heavens and we may lose ourselves in wonderment as to what may be out there in the vastnesses of limitless space. But, one thing we need not do, and that is to fear that out there somewhere in the "height" there may be some mysterious power that can in some way and at some time break the union that exists between God and those who rest in Jesus Christ for salvation. There is nothing above us that can separate us.

many wild things about the "depths" of the oceans and of the bottomless pits of the earth. We read in God's Book of the awful 'abyss" into which Satan is cast, and we may wonder about what fearful forces may lurk in these gruesome places. But, we need never fear that out from any of these will ever come any one or anything which can steal, break or force us out of the love of God which is in our Saviour, Christ Jesus.

Then, if anything may be imagined which has not already been covered, the Holy Spirit takes that in with the expression "nor any other creature (created thing)". All but God has been created, and all the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, are on our side. Therefore, we have the guarantee of God, the Holy Spirit, that there is absolutely no possibility of anything ever coming between the believer in Jesus Christ and this unfathomable salvation that was conceived in and wrought by the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord

Oh, my reader friend, can it be that your eyes are shut so tight against the plain and unbreakable "Word of God that you cannot see and rejoice in this glorious salvation? Jesus Christ is a wonderful Saviour! He is no weakling. Re is well

able to keep that for which He died to save. That He commits Himself to do this His Word repeatedly declares.

To those who do not know this wonderful truth of the eternal security of all who believe in Jesus Christ, this truth appears dangerous. They reason that if one does not have the fear of hell always before him he will not live as well or do as much for the Lord as he would otherwise do. Of all arguments in the world this is the most foolish-Does it make a man more careless in the handling of his financial affairs if he knows that his money in the bank is guaranteed by the United States government?

Does it make a son less thoughtful of his parents if he knows they are his parents and that they will never disown him regardless of what he may do ?

Does it make a wife less true to her husband if she knows that she is his and his alone, and that nothing can ever come between them?

It is a well known fact that fear never serves as well as love. The man who refrains from robbing and killing simply because he is afraid of the law of the land is a poor citizen and a constant liability

to his country. He will give just as little obedience to the law as he thinks absolutely necessary to "get by".

No one can know God's truth of salvation by grace through faith, and learn from God's Word that he is saved and safe without being moved with love, appreciation and gratitude to God for such a glorious Saviour and such a wonderful salvation. This will impel, propel, and compel him to a degree of obedience that no amount of fear of hell can ever do. Those who know this truth serve the Lord because they love Him, because of what He has done for them. They care nothing for reward. Their joy is to serve Him. They want nothing better than the privilege of slaving for the One Who gave Himself for them.

This truth of salvation and security in and through Jesus Christ alone magnifies Him and His grace. Likewise it minimizes man and his works. Naturally this does not please the old corrupt human nature. This explains the studied, deliberate and sometimes bitter opposition we frequently hear to the glorious truth of the eternal security of all who believe in Jesus Christ as the one, only and all-sufficient Saviour from sin.