Episode 68 - Secure in God's Hand

As a child, was there ever a time when you were convinced something was true, only to later find out that it wasn’t? 

Maybe like Jen, you were convinced that when you swallow gum, your insides would stick together. Growing up, she really thought that bad things happened when you swallowed your gum! Or maybe you’re like AJ who believed that it took 7 years to digest swallowed gum!

This may be a silly example, but the question is actually relevant, and ties into our topic today as we discuss another of God’s promises.

The cool thing about the promise we discuss today is that it comes with an assurance. Scripture tells us we can be convinced and absolutely sure of this promise no matter what comes our way.

We can be convinced that there is no power, nothing tangible or intangible, that can actually separate us from God’s love for us. This was foretold in Romans 8:35, where it lists all the things we might encounter, stating that no troubles, hardships, persecutions, famine, nakedness, danger, nor sword could ever separate us from the love of Christ.

But wait, you may ask, where in this list is SIN?

AJ discusses that the absence of this in the list troubled her for a long time. Everybody knows that sin does separate us from God – not necessarily from his love, but it does separate us from God as per the teachings of the scripture.

And the thing is, AJ knows that she is a sinner, and this verse didn’t clearly give her the hope that she was previously looking for. But what she came to understand is that the whole rest of Romans (and yes, all of Scripture!) addresses sin specifically. She realized that sin doesn’t have to be listed out in this very verse because in the previous chapters, sin specifically has already been thoroughly addressed!

We discuss one of the things that truly stood out to Jen – the very first phrase in verses 38-39. She was astounded at how Paul wrote that verse from a point of authority and certainty. “I am sure that I am His, and He is mine. I am in Christ; He is in me. Nothing then can separate us. Nothing can take me out of His hand.” He was clearly confident and sure that nothing can separate us from Him.      

It bolsters our soul to have that kind of certainty and the knowledge that you are kept. It gives us the strength to go on another day.

AJ also shares an interesting image that comes to mind about this promise. She imagines going on a deep dive expedition in the ocean or in outer space. Imagine you’re going into this dangerous, dark territory - going down to the bottom of the ocean, or into the vastness of outer space. And imagine that you are tethered to a station so that it doesn’t matter how far away you get. You know that you are tethered to a safety line that will remain sure and steadfast. You are not afraid because you are secured to the foundation and base you need at that moment.

This same concept can be applied in our lives. We are always tethered to the love of Christ - and that can never ever be severed! It doesn’t matter how far we go, or the darkness we enter into, be it life circumstances or our own sinfulness. If we are in Christ Jesus, we are tethered to the love of God that will always be there and that we can never escape from. 

Another analogy you can compare this with is from John 10:28. A great exchange happened on the cross where Christ took our sins and gave us his righteousness - that is something we can look forward to everyday! When we believe that we are now in the Father’s hand, we know that no one can snatch us out of His hand. No one can separate us from Him.

We live in a fallen world. Everybody surely has experienced physical or emotional loss, pain, and separation from others in this life. It can be hard to wrap our minds around the fact that we are safe in the Hands of our Father. While we may not understand life completely, we can trust that the greater context for all of life is His love. It’s just a matter of trust and, well, being convinced. This is something we can be convinced of because the Bible says it and His faithfulness to us proves it! His death on the cross proves it. 

Try looking at your past. Try to recognize and remember how He has been faithful to you. Try to acknowledge those times when you have gone through dark periods and seasons, realizing that He was there for you. He was faithful to you. He has brought you to a place of security and peace. He put people in your life to give you hope. Remembering these things and knowing that He was there in the past reminds us that He is here now, and He will always be here for us no matter what.

This is such good news, isn't it? It really is one tremendous promise to end this amazing chapter with!

We want to invite you to join us as we complete these series at sojohub.com/promises for a free challenge! It’s not too late to join!

And join us as we deep dive into Romans 8, what’s known as the highest peak in Scripture. Every believer needs to know, understand, and live from this magnificent chapter.