Permanently Bonded

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)

Bonding is a popular word in our popular culture. As my grandchildren grow older, I share the story of the day that each one “bonded” with their papa. The oldest bonded in the rocking chair, the middle one bonded in a restaurant, and the youngest bonded in the hospital room. That’s one sense of the word “bond”. Another is to use it as an adjective. The construction industry uses different bonding agents to attach one material to another.
Our pain in life comes from being separated from love. We are separated from the ones we love by death, trouble, persecution, and violence. When we are torn away from that which we have been bonded to, it is exactly that…a tearing away. Something torn hurts along the jagged edges. Someone who has lived through a lot of these separations may resist bonding emotionally again. Someone who has survived the tearing away of their love may find it hard to trust God with that love. They reason, what if His love is ripped away? Our word today is a word of encouragement. Paul’s letter to the Romans shared God’s promise in the midst of great pain and danger.

THE LOVE OF CHRIST IS GOD’S PERMANENT BONDING AGENT. NOTHING IN THE UNIVERSE HOLDS MORE THINGS TOGETHER.

I. TRIALS AND TROUBLES CANNOT TEAR US AWAY FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST. Tribulation is more than petty inconveniences. Tribulation is a trial that wears us down so that we can be torn apart. Distress is more than just a little discomfort. Distress is life-threatening trouble.
II. CONDITIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES CANNOT CUT US OFF FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST. Persecution is more than a little bit of uncomfortable conditions. Persecution is a constant purging of principles. Famine and nakedness are more than adverse circumstances. Famine and nakedness are the lack of dire needs, basic to life support.
III. DANGER AND DEATH CANNOT DIVIDE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST. Peril is more than living on the edge. Peril describes an imminent threat of loss of limb or life. Sword is more than a figure of speech. Swords can sever and separate. But not even the sharpest of swords can cut us away from the love of Christ.
IV. WE ARE BONDED TO GOD THROUGH THE LOVE OF CHRIST. Only the love of Christ survives the adverse experience of living in a fallen world. These are but temporary afflictions that assault our senses. Only love survives them all in the Kingdom of God. No tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword will be found there. The love of Christ, the word of God, the souls of men, and the heavenly host will unite in one voice and one accord to proclaim to the universe that God is love and worthy of all praise, glory and honor. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!!!