Chaplain’s Note
In the Bible reading which Dr Johnstone chose for her induction ceremony (Romans 8:31-39), the apostle Paul shares two precious truths which have been a bulwark for believers in Jesus since the day they were first read. God is for you, not against you. And nothing can separate you from God’s love. Both of these truths are invaluable amidst the triumphs, trials and tragedies of life and leadership.
I. God is for you, not against you (31-34)
First of all, God is for you, not against you. Verse 31: “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Notice how Paul communicates this truth through a series of questions, and how carefully he words these questions. For example, if Paul had simply asked, “Who is against us?” we would probably have come up with all sorts of responses. But instead, he asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” That frames it in a whole different light. Everything depends on whether God is for or against you. If God is for you, it doesn’t matter who is against you.
This is one of the most comforting truths in Scripture. Those three words, “God for us” – that’s the good news of the gospel in a nutshell. Paul confirms this truth that God is for us through three amazing statements that should remove any doubt.
Verse 32: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Secondly, verse 33: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.”
Thirdly, how do you know God is for you, not against you? Jesus who died for you, prays for you, and turns away any and all condemnation. Verse 34: “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Jesus is your advocate or defence lawyer. When you are in court, if there’s anyone that’s on your side, it’s your lawyer. They even sit right there by your side during the hearing. Your defence lawyer doesn’t seek to convict you in court. They speak up for you, and so does Jesus.
That’s the first truth Paul tells us in this passage. God is for you, not against you.
II. Nothing can separate you from God’s love (35-39)
And then secondly, he tells us that nothing can separate you from God’s love. This truth is one of the most assuring truths of Scripture.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35) Who will separate us whom God chose, us whom God justifies, us for whom Christ died, us for whom Christ prays – who will separate us from the love of Christ?
And then, just in case you are still not sure of the answer, he gives us a list of possible suspects, things we might think could separate us from God’s love. Back to verse 35: “Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” (Romans 8:35)
Paul picked these particular items for the list because except for the sword, he had already experienced them all! He would soon experience the sword as well, and he knew that none of these things could separate him from the love of Christ.
Finally, we come to the climax of this section and indeed of the whole chapter. Verses 38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
In other words, Paul is going to cover it all. He is out to convince us. When you are done with this list, you will see there is nothing remaining that could possibly separate you from God’s love for you in Christ.
Conclusion
Life is hard. We often feel like failures. We often feel defeated or overcome. All these things can do us real hurt. But they cannot triumph over us.
Paul’s affirmations mean that no matter what difficulties we encounter, or the complexities and challenges we face, the love of God in Christ always abides with us when we entrust ourselves into his care.
Dr Johnstone, we welcome you warmly into our community, confident that there are many joys which lie ahead.
But we are also conscious of the burdens of leadership. There is one head of a school, not just for reasons of hierarchy, but because there are few who would accept the varied and weighty responsibilities that come with the role, and few who should.
When powers beyond the school and your control beset you, when those who appeared to be angels disappoint you, when pressures of the present appear to imperil your plans for the future, when the school reaches new heights or plumbs unexpected depths…
May you remember the words which you chose for today. May the love of God in Christ be a steadying force in the midst of any present adversity. May these words also be your hope for the future. A future with a God who was for you before you were for him, and from whose love you can never be estranged. Amen.
Reverend Farraway
Chaplain
