Romans 8:31-39 NKJV
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare 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 bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes 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 Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All of God’s Holy Scripture is meant to be comforting, because all of it points to God’s love through Christ Jesus. But these specific verses of Romans are some of the most confronting words of Holy Scripture that all Christians should carry around within themselves at all times. Honestly, these inspired words of Paul are meant to reveal how all Christians have an unconquerable God Almighty. Who, in there right mind, wouldn’t want Him on their side, right? By ‘right mind’ would only mean the mind of the New Man, for man’s old man will always chose to reject Him and go it alone. Crazy.
When shepherding to hurting and ailing Christians of any sort, these verses are easily turned to for comfort. And to take it up a notch and bring the ailing person to truly connect to these comforting words of God… slide into the midst of these tribulations written in Holy Scripture the very thing that has the Christian caught in their suffering. For example: if a Christian is suffering because of a recent diagnosis that has been given to them, read God’s Scripture in this way: “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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Then add, “And dear believing/baptized Christian, nor can a diagnosis!”
The same can be done with any health ailment, or life tragedy. Because of God’s love through Christ crucified and risen, He has truly given man the way of rest, forgiveness, life, and salvation. Thanks be to God, indeed!
Let us pray: Almighty God and Lord, grant us to ever-know that Christ alone is the way, the truth and the life — and that it is only through faith in His fully atoning merits alone that You account us as conquerors over whatever is ailing us. Bring us to rejoice and be glad through His wounds. Amen.