We come to the last two verses of Romans eight, verses thirty-eight and thirty-nine. He ends this the way he started this portion of the epistle, strongly positive about all the word of God in the life of a believer. All of His works are marvelous and you can be fully confident in the greatness of your God and what He has provided for you in Christ.

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Romans 8:38–39 (NKJV) 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Persuaded: the Only Way to Live

• Paul ends this portion of the letter with a strong confession of his belief in God.
• He says, ‘I am persuaded.’
• The Greek word persuaded means to be convinced, confident, and to be certain.
• The four words persuaded, convinced, confident and certain are descriptors of real faith in God.
• Faith is an essential component in your walk with God.

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

• If you desire to be pleasing to God, get persuaded.
• You must be persuaded by the Word of God concerning the things written in the Word.
• Do you find yourself in that place?
• Are you convinced of Jesus as your Savior because of what the Word said?

Romans 10:9–10 (NKJV) 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

• Paul was so convinced of his relationship with God, he was so secure in the Father’s love for him, that he was absolutely convinced that nothing could ever cause them to part ways.
• You can have the same bold confidence Paul had.
• You can have it for your place in God but you can have the same certainty in God’s promises.

Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

• Are you persuaded that every spiritual blessing is yours?
• Healing is one of those blessings.
• Are you convinced that healing is yours today because the Word declares it?

1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV) 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

• Your faith will make you whole.
• Your faith and confidence in God’s love (1John 4:16) for you, will enable you to overcome.

1 John 4:16 (NKJV) 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

• Faith confessions, like the one Paul makes here, are not ‘make believe’ statements.
• They are actually a ‘you can take it to the bank’ reality.
• God loves you too much to leave you.
• He cares too intently to allow you to get your head beat in.
• He will bring you through.
• How different is this then the confidence which King Agrippa exhibited?

Acts 26:26–29 (NKJV) 26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” 29 And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”

• Paul was fully persuaded. Agrippa was almost persuaded.
• When it comes to receiving Jesus in your life, almost doesn’t net the prize.
• Agrippa was close but he wasn’t close enough.
• In all your walk with God make doubly sure you are fully persuaded.
• Be fully persuaded of your salvation.
• Be fully persuaded of your calling.
• Be fully persuaded of your hope.
• If you’re not that way today, you can become that way if you will diligently, reverently, and intently, get into the Word and applying it to every situation in your life.

Be Fully Persuaded about the Worst of the Worst

• Paul gives to us the extent to which he was confident.
• Paul was fully persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come could separate him from God.
• Look at the worst of the worst in this list Paul gives.
• He says neither ‘death, nor life.
• Death and life pertain to all which happen in everyday life on earth.
• Death is pretty final, don’t you think?
• But it falls short.
• Angels, principalities, and powers are next up.
• They pertain to things which have their origins in the spirit realm.
• Yet, the worst of the spirit realm is unable to deter your destiny.
• What about things present, or things to come?
• They pertain to the time dimension on earth.
• Time is not a worthy opponent, Paul was sure of it.
• Going on to verse thirty-nine we have more opponents.
• ‘Height, or depth’, referencing the space dimension that is, all of heaven and all of earth, high and low, fall and bite the dust.
• Lastly, there’s ‘any other creature’ existing in any form and in any dimension left out there.
• None of these can sever the union between you and heaven.

Call to Action:

All of this seems like outstanding news and something to shout about. And it is. So, be convinced of it. Be fully persuaded that at the end of whatever road you walk on today, there is God.