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nakedness, or peril, or sword." And to enforce his argument, he appeals to the recorded
experience of the O.T. saints:
"As it is written, For Thy sakes we are killed all the day long: we are accounted as
sheep for the slaughter" (Psa. 44: 22).
Could any quotation from the O.T. appear less likely to afford comfort and strength?
Yet the Apostle does not hesitate to use it. It is not an act of faith to shut one's eyes to
trouble and suffering. The Apostle has written lists of perils and sufferings, but he was
never in danger of being separated from the love of Christ. That is the issue, not
exemption from trial.
"Nay, IN ALL THESE THINGS (not exempt from them) we are super-conquerors
(hupernikomen) through Him that loved us" (Rom. 8: 37).
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 refers to all time, "present" and "to come", and "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 so absolutely on our behalf.
"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" (I Cor. 3: 21-23).