Let's do a word study today.
Convinced/Persuaded - induced to believe is good but I love the subtle nuance of this Greek word. Peitho can also mean to tranquillize. So Paul is saying that he is comforted by the following fact, God's love is unstoppable. He is not only persuaded to believe but he finds the fact that we can't be separated from the love of God a calming realization.
Death - No this is does not mean just dying. Thanatos is the word in Greek. It means the future misery of the soul being separated from the body to be punished in hell. Yikes! So not even the fear of punishment for our sins should cause us to be separate from God's love.
Life - Zoe is the greek which means...well...life. But not just any life, true life. We can all agree that just the act of living seems to pull us from our devotion to God. So we can rest in this fact: the life we are leading or being led by in no way can separate us from the love of God.
Angels nor Demons - Paul is relating that nothing unseen would hinder God's love. But why use the word angel? Well we know that Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. Things in our spiritual journey may come to draw us away and may even succeed in having us fall, but even that will not separate us.
Powers - Dunamis, where we get the word for dynamite. This word is referring to anything exerted against us or the power held by armies or even governments. So nothing "that is formed" can keep us from God's love.
Present or Future - nothing throughout time. What's really cool is that God knows that nothing in the future with separate you because he's already been there. He's knows what's heading your way.
Height - this does refer to a spacial relationship but again the beauty of the Greek language is the underlying meanings not seen in the English translations. The word is Hupsoma and it can also mean "an elevated structure or barrier". So no constructed barrier or maybe obstacle placed in your way. Believe me, their are people that want to build walls between you and God.
Depth - Bathos - yes it's where we get the word for bath. I wouldn't want to take a bath like this though. Bathos is the deepest something can get. It's an unknown depth. A depth that you don't come back from nor escape. Ever felt like you've been drowning in something? Some of you know a depth like this. Well if you don't ... you will...make sure you look around at that point. You'll most likely find God's love at it's most intense and most real than you've ever experienced it.
Creature/Creation - ktisis - all things created. We serve the creator not the creation. Be in love with the creator not the creation. Praise the creator not the creation. The rocks and the trees know that God made them and acknowledges it everyday...it's troubling that we don't. This is the nail in the coffin for all things that could separate us from the love of God. He created everything, so He conquers everything. You are loved by the Creator.
So all of this....everything becomes nothing. Nothing can or should separate us from his love that found us through Jesus Christ. If any of these "things" are separating you from the love of God, God wants you to know you've bought into a lie. You're imagining things...God's love is a fire, a jealous fire that comes after His children. Destroying and consuming everything in its path. Let us all continue to fall deeper and deeper in love with God through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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