From Wretched to Convinced

Romans 8:38-39 (CEB)I'm convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.Romans 8:38-39 is one of the most beloved passages in Scripture, but I think we lose some of its power when we read it by itself.Just one chapter earlier, Paul wrestles with a painfully familiar frustration. He knows what is right. He wants to do what is right. Yet he keeps falling short. Finally, at the end of Romans 7 he cries out, "I'm a miserable human being. Who will deliver me from this dead corpse?"That is not the triumphant voice we hear at the end of Romans 8. It is the voice of someone who has reached the end of his own resources.Maybe that's why Romans 8 feels so powerful. Paul doesn't write from a place of self-confidence. He doesn't claim he finally figured everything out. He isn't saying, "My faith is strong enough to hold onto God." Instead, he has become convinced that God is strong enough to hold onto him.As Romans 8 unfolds, Paul works through every fear he can imagine: suffering, hardship, persecution, danger, even death itself. Then he reaches his conclusion: nothing that happens can undo what God has already done.That is why Paul can say that neither death nor life, neither things present nor things to come, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.He doesn't mean we will never struggle. Paul certainly did. The good news is that God's love is more persistent than our failures, our fears, and even our worst days.PrayerFather, thank You that Your love does not depend on our ability to hold everything together. On some days, we are pretty sure we couldn't hold a paper clip together. Thank You for holding onto us even when we feel weak, uncertain, or overwhelmed. Remind us today that nothing can separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus. Amen.This devotional was written and read by Donn King.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.