By Odon Bulamba (summary only)
Romans 8:35 35, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Can anguish (or distress) separate us from the love of God? When people are anguished they completely forget about God. This is especially true after losing loved ones, they will even say that God is not good. They will ask, “Why did God take my mother when there are so many old ladies in the world?” This creates anguish and resentment, which can separate us from God’s love.
The verse also speaks about persecution; can persecution separate you from God’s love? Some people are persecuted physically and spiritually but never accept that this might separate you from God’s love.
Acts 7 speaks about Stephen. Stephen was a believer and because the spirit of God was working in him the Sadducees became jealous. They were against the miracles he performed and the wisdom he had, so they decided to give people money in order to give a false testimony against Stephen. Stephen was arrested and condemned. He saw heaven open and the Son of God, but the Jews closed their ears and thought Stephen was talking rubbish. Others thought he was mad and had lost his mind. Imagine speaking to someone and they close their ears on you, wouldn’t it be humiliating? While they were stoning Stephen his eyes always looked towards heaven, and he asked God to forgive them.
This is a man whose eyes stayed on the Lord even through this difficult time, and not to mention he was praying for his persecutors while being stoned. The Bible doesn’t say that Stephen took a stone and threw it at his persecutors, nor does it mention that he answered back, but with love Stephen asked God to forgive them. So persecution never separated Stephen from the love of God and one day we will see him. To die is to gain for Christians.
One day I went to a school and there were children outside a church. I asked them if they wanted to go to heaven and they all said, “Yes”. Then I asked them if they wanted to go today but they said no, maybe when I’m old. Everybody wants to go to heaven but at the moment people are quite happy to stay here on earth where there is suffering, anguish, persecution and no peace, but when we are invited to go to heaven we say we need more time, and this is because we fear death. If we didn’t fear death we would tell Jesus to come back tonight. Beyond anguish is fear. Fear makes us lose our peace and respect towards God.
SUMMARY
Don't allow anguish (distress), persecution or fear separate you from God
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