In justification of the thought that we are not only 'conquerors' but

'super -conquerors', the apostle takes a further step -- into the unknown and

unseen.  He first refers to the two extremes of human consciousness, 'death

and life', and then turns his attention to the invisible powers of the spirit

world, 'angels, principalities and powers'.  He then surveys both time and

space, 'present' and 'to come', 'height' and 'depth' and in all creation,

high or low, visible or invisible, he fails to find anything that can by any

possible means separate us from the love of Christ.  He now takes one more

step and includes 'any other creature', any other possible creation; for,

however different and unexpected it might be, it would still come from the

same Creator, Who has already manifested Himself to be absolutely on our

The love of Christ of verse 35 is seen to be 'the love of God, which is

in Christ Jesus our Lord'.  What a 'persuasion'!  What a call to stand fast,

to manifest that we belong to such a Saviour, that we are loved by such a

God, that we are saved with such a salvation; no condemnation, no separation.

Safe here, and safe for ever hereafter:

'Therefore let no man glory in men.  For all things are yours; whether

Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things

present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and

Christ is God's' (1 Cor. 3:21 -23).

The reader will find a fuller exposition of the glorious theme set out

in the volume The Just and the Justifier, extracts from which have provided

the bulk of the present study.  While Romans 8 is the classic on the subject,

this portion is part of an epistle, and the teaching already given in the

preceding chapters is most vitally linked with the theme of Romans 8 as one

logical and organic whole.  In an analysis like this we can at best but point

the way.

Conscience.  While in common usage conscience is limited to the realm of

morals, in early English it was not far removed from the idea of

consciousness.  Milton uses the word in Paradise Lost, 'conscience of her

worth', where modern usage would demand 'conscious'.  In Othello, Shakespeare

uses the word to indicate the inmost thought or feeling, the real sentiment,

when he writes, 'Doest thou in conscience think?', or again in Timon of

Athens he uses the word 'conscience' for common sense.  'Doest thou the

conscience lack, to think I shall lack friends'.  The following definition is

taken from Lloyd's Encyclopaedic Dictionary.  'Mental philosophy and ethics:

The moral sense, the internal monitor which signifies approval when we do

well, and afflicts more or less acute and lasting pain when we act sinfully.

It is generally held to be the Vicegerent of God ... letting us know what the

Divine judgment on our conduct is; but here the difficulty arises, that the

indications of conscience are often wrong.  Saul was conscientious when he

took part in the cruel martyrdom of Stephen'.

Conscience is no substitute for revealed Truth.  Because a pagan

idolater is conscientious in his worship, that does not mean that idolatry is

not an abomination in the sight of God.  Conscience is like the index finger

on a pair of scales.  If the weights are just, the index will be a true and

safe guide, but, if the weights employed are false, the index finger will

appear to justify the deceit.  Conscience cannot decide what is Truth.  It

can only urge one to act in conformity with what one believes the Truth to