Stepping into deep waters? Let Romans 8 be your lifeline

I have a dear friend whose son went to be with the Lord recently. It was sudden and unexpected. He found himself looking over Romans 8, and it brought comfort to his soul in his deepest moment of undoing.

Some have called it the greatest chapter in the whole Bible. I agree.

Here are four threads that weave the fabric of that beautiful tapestry of love in Romans 8:

“No condemnation”

The chapter begins with that critical piece. When we experience heartbreak, we always get reflective. We want to add up the numbers to make it all fit. We wonder if our past failures or our personal sins had anything to do with it.

In Christ, we know that it didn’t.

Condemnation means “judgment.” It is a decree of “guilty” from a judge. Thank God, our failures and sins are under the blood of Jesus. He took our condemnation and our guilt. He delivers us from the guilt, the shame, and the blame.

“Adoption”

With that out of the way, the Spirit speaks to us of “adoption.”

Historical Context: Roman adoption was very serious and permanent. Seven witnesses had to verify it. A judge had to perform it. It gave a non-family member child an equal—and sometimes higher—status and privilege than the natural children.

Paul said that we are adopted children of God the Father. He chose us. He has given us family status as His sons and daughters. We can call Him, “Abba, Papa.” We can never be disinherited or lose our status with Him.

You belong.

“Intercession”

The next lifeline is about our two Intercessors: the Holy Spirit and Christ. The Spirit will actually pray through you with “groanings too deep for words” (prayer in the Spirit).

Jesus, our High Priest, picks up the mind of the Spirit. He then prays that perfect prayer to the Father! Two members of the Godhead joining together to pray about things you can’t even express in natural words.

You can rest knowing that even when you cannot find the words, your deepest pain is perfectly understood and carried straight to the throne of God.

“No separation”

The last lifeline is the best:

“Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.”

It relies on the New Testament word for divorce, choridzo, which means to “depart.” The most intense pressures in the world cannot pry us apart from Christ’s love:

“...tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword, death, life, angels, rulers, things present, things to come, height, depth, or any other created thing.”

Christ and you are “one.” Nothing that has happened or ever will happen to you can separate you from Christ’s love. That one fact makes you “MORE THAN A CONQUEROR through Him who loves us.”

Even in the deepest, darkest waters, there is no condemnation, full adoption, perfect intercession, and no separation.

In seasons of the deepest waters, hold on to the lifeline.