God’s Unbreakable Love: Romans 8:31-39 Sermon
A Word About This Message
This sermon was originally delivered on July 5, 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown when our church building was closed and we gathered for worship through recorded services. It was a time of isolation, uncertainty, and fear for many.
But the truth we explored that day transcends any specific moment in history. Romans 8:31-39 has been a source of comfort and strength for believers facing persecution in ancient Rome, pandemic anxiety in 2020, and personal trials in every generation.
Whatever challenges you’re facing as you read this—whether in 2020 or years later—the message remains urgently relevant: God’s love for His people is unbreakable, unconditional, and eternal. Nothing—not even a global pandemic, personal crisis, or spiritual doubt—can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We invite you to watch the original service video below, then continue reading for a deeper exploration of this life-changing truth.
Love That Holds Fast in the Storm
Hello everyone, and welcome. It’s good to be with you, even in these unusual circumstances where we’re meeting through screens rather than sitting together in our church building. I hope you’re keeping safe and well during these challenging days.
Over the past week in our daily devotions, we’ve been walking through what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit. You know the list—it’s found in Galatians chapter 5, verse 22:
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
We’ve been focusing particularly on that first fruit—love. And today, we’re going to close our thinking on this subject by exploring something absolutely foundational to the Christian faith: God’s unbreakable love for us.
Some of you watching this are probably feeling isolated right now. The coronavirus lockdown has stretched on longer than any of us expected. Some of you are worried about loved ones. Some of you are facing financial uncertainty as businesses struggle. Some of you are simply exhausted from the weight of it all. And in moments like these, we need something stronger than positive thinking or self-help strategies. We need an anchor that holds.
That anchor is the love of God—a love that isn’t dependent on our circumstances, our performance, or our feelings. A love that has dealt with our past, secured our future, and sustains us in the present. Today we’re going to discover what it means to live confidently in God’s unbreakable love, especially when life feels fragile and uncertain.
The Context: When Following Christ Cost Everything
Let’s turn to Romans chapter 8, verses 31 to 39. Before we read this magnificent passage, we need to understand who Paul was writing to and why these words mattered so much.
The Christians living in Rome—the very center of the mighty Roman Empire—knew that following Christ in the midst of that pagan culture would lead to hardship. This wasn’t theoretical for them. Roman emperors would soon begin systematically killing Christians. Believers would be arrested, their property confiscated, their families torn apart. Paul quotes from Psalm 44 in verse 36:
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
Can you imagine receiving a letter with those words? The powers of Rome felt great and oppressive, stifling, killing. These early Christians were fragile, vulnerable, surrounded by a culture that viewed their faith as dangerous and their Savior as a criminal.
But Paul reminds these believers—and us—of something greater and mightier than anything human power could devise. Something greater than any natural force or spiritual power. Something greater even than death itself: the all-conquering, invincible, and eternal love of God.
Listen to Paul’s words. Let them wash over you:
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What a passage. Let’s think about what this means for us today.
God’s Love Has Dealt with Our Past (Romans 8:31-34)
No Condemnation, No Accusation
Here’s the first thing Paul wants us to grasp: God’s love is shown in what He has done for His people. The first half of our passage—verses 31 to 34—reminds us that our sin and the punishment we deserved for it was carried by Jesus on the cross.
Think about what this means. If you’re a Christian, your sin has been dealt with. The guilt that should rightfully condemn you has been removed. God Himself is the judge, and He Himself has dealt with the punishment in Christ. There is no condemnation.
This actually connects back to what Paul says at the beginning of Romans chapter 8. In verse 1, he writes:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Our faith is in Christ and what He has done for us. There is no condemnation facing us. Our sin is dealt with.
As a result, our future is secure. That “no entry” sign in front of the gates of heaven has been removed. Past dealt with. Future secured. And all of that done because of God’s mighty love.
The Logic of Grace
Look at the logic Paul uses in verse 32:
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Paul is saying: If God was willing to give His most precious gift—His own Son—to die for you while you were still a sinner, still His enemy, how much more will He now care for you as His beloved child? If God didn’t hold back when it cost Him everything, why would He hold back now?
This is the heart of the gospel. This is grace. Not a love that we earned or merited, but love graciously laid upon us by a God who simply loves to love. A love that no barrier can ever stop.
Some of you might be thinking, “But what about my failures this week? What about the sin I’m still struggling with?” That’s where verse 33 comes in:
“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”
The accuser—whether that’s Satan, your own conscience, or other people—has no ground to stand on. The verdict has been pronounced: justified. Made right with God. Not because you’re perfect, but because Christ is perfect and you’re in Him.
God’s Love Secures Our Future
An Advocate in Heaven
Verse 34 gives us this beautiful picture: Christ Jesus “is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Right now, at this very moment, Jesus is praying for you. He’s your advocate, your representative before the Father.
When I feel weak in my faith, when I’m grieved by my own failings, it’s such a comfort to know that Jesus is praying for me. He’s not wringing His hands wondering if I’ll make it. He’s not disappointed or surprised by my struggles. He’s interceding—bringing my case before the Father, based not on my merit but on His finished work.
This means your future is rock solid. Not because of your faithfulness, but because of His. Not because you’re strong enough to hold onto God, but because God is strong enough to hold onto you.
God’s Love Sustains Our Present (Romans 8:35-39)
When Life Feels Overwhelming
But what about now? What about today, when the coronavirus numbers keep climbing and the lockdown keeps extending? What about when you’re anxious about your job, or you’re lonely because you can’t see your grandchildren, or you’re grieving someone you’ve lost?
That’s what Paul addresses in verses 35 to 39. In the present, we’re told that nothing can separate us from God’s presence and nothing can separate us from His love.
Paul asks:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
Then he lists the hardships that might make us feel abandoned: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword. In our context today, we might add: pandemic, isolation, unemployment, sickness, fear, uncertainty.
Notice Paul doesn’t say these things won’t happen. He doesn’t promise that following Jesus means you’ll avoid suffering. Think about those Christians in Rome—they were about to face terrible persecution. But Paul says something even better than the absence of suffering: he says that in the midst of suffering, God’s love remains with us.
More Than Conquerors
This is where Paul makes that famous declaration in verse 37:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
We are more than conquerors. Not because we don’t face battles, but because the war has already been won. Not because we’re strong enough to overcome, but because Christ has already overcome on our behalf.
When the darkness of the coronavirus weighs thick and heavy, God’s love is still there. When we’re grieved by our failings and our sin, God’s love hasn’t diminished. When we feel like we’re hanging on by a thread, God’s love is holding us secure.
The Comprehensive List
Paul then gives us this magnificent, sweeping list in verses 38-39. He’s making absolutely sure we understand: nothing—and he means nothing—can separate us from God’s love.
“For I am sure,” Paul writes. This isn’t wishful thinking. This is rock-solid confidence. “I am sure that neither death nor life”—whether we’re facing death or living through hardship, God’s love holds. “Nor angels nor rulers”—no spiritual powers, no human authorities can break this bond. “Nor things present nor things to come”—not today’s troubles or tomorrow’s uncertainties. “Nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation”—literally nothing in the entire created order can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It’s as if Paul is building a wall of protection around us, brick by brick, declaring: “This love cannot be broken. This love cannot fail. This love will not let you go.”
Reorienting Our Thinking Around God’s Love
The Daily Battle
Here’s what I’m learning, and what I need to hear as much as anyone: we must continually reorient our thinking around the love of God.
It’s so easy to let our circumstances define our sense of God’s presence. When things are going well, we feel close to God. When things are hard, we wonder if He’s abandoned us. But Paul is telling us: turn that thinking upside down. God’s love isn’t controlled by your circumstances. God’s love controls how you interpret your circumstances.
A love that has dealt with the past. A love that has secured our future. And in the present, a love that will never leave us.
Lifting Our Eyes
So let’s lift our eyes to our God whose love overcomes everything. Let’s place our faith in Him today, tomorrow, and every day.
When you’re anxious about the future, remember: the God who didn’t spare His own Son will graciously give you all things. When you’re burdened by guilt, remember: there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. When you feel alone, remember: nothing—absolutely nothing—can separate you from the love of God.
This is not a love we earned. This is not a love we can lose. This is the unbreakable, eternal, all-conquering love of God, demonstrated at the cross and secured by the resurrection.
Practical Application for Today
What does this look like in real life? How do we live in light of God’s unbreakable love?
First, when anxiety rises, preach the gospel to yourself. Remind yourself of what God has done. Say it out loud if you need to: “There is no condemnation for me in Christ Jesus. Nothing can separate me from God’s love.”
Second, fix your eyes on the glorious future that is yours in Christ. This present darkness isn’t the end of your story. Heaven is real, and it’s secure for everyone who trusts in Jesus.
Third, help others know this love. As we remember those Christians two thousand years ago in Rome, let’s pray for Christians around the world today who are suffering because of their faith. Let’s also pray for those we love who don’t yet know Jesus and don’t see their need for Him. Let’s ask God to open their eyes and bring them to faith.
Finally, keep placing your trust in God. Every day, in every circumstance, choose to believe that God’s love is greater than your fears, stronger than your struggles, and more enduring than your failures.
Closing Prayer
Let me close with prayer, and when I say “Lord, in your mercy,” please feel free to add “hear our prayer.”
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, thank you for your great and eternal love for us. Thank you that in love you have dealt with our past and secured our future, and thank you that in this life nothing can separate us from your love. Please help us every day to know your love and to know your presence and your peace. Please help us to keep placing our faith in you. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, as we remember those Christians living two thousand years ago in Rome, we pray for Christians around the world today who are suffering because of their faith in you. Please help them in a very special way to know and feel your loving presence. Please help them to hold fast to you, and please bring their persecutors to faith in the Lord Jesus. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Saving Lord, we pray for all those dear to us who do not yet know you and your love and who do not see their need for Jesus. Please open their eyes and bring them to personal faith in Him. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we pray for ourselves, our society, and our world in these dark and challenging coronavirus days. Thank you for everyone who is doing so much to help us find the right way forward. Please give wisdom and humility to the leaders of the world. Please continue to help those working in the NHS and in care homes and all key workers. Please help businesses and the economy to recover well and quickly, and please, may no more people lose their jobs. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Finally, Father, we pray for all our friends from church. We miss one another, Lord, and in these moments of quiet, we remember them before you. Father, please be near to each one and help them. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and our minds in the knowledge and love of God and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always. Amen.
This sermon expands on themes from our Sunday service recorded on July 5, 2020. You can watch the original service video above, which includes liturgy, prayers, and hymn recommendations. Whether you engage with the video or this written message, our prayer is the same: that you would know deeply and personally the unbreakable love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
