Does Romans 8:38-39 Apply To Salvation?

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

Does Romans 8:38-39 apply to the believer's salvation? Yes, absolutely! Romans 8:38-39 applies to born-again believers. Proof is found in Romans 8:33-34, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." The whole world can condemn a Christian. A believer may even be convicted in court and receive life in prison, but in God's sight that saint is “JUSTIFIED from all things” (Acts 13:39). Also, Romans 5:20, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” The Bible says where sin did abound, GRACE DOTH MUCH MORE ABOUND! I love that. These verses clearly teach eternal security; once saved always saved. 

I recently heard Pastor Phil Kidd errantly say that the Bible does not teach the eternal security of the believer. As much as I love and admire Pastor Kidd, he is very wrong theologically on this vital issue! I say that respectfully, but truthfully. What I just taught you from Romans 8:34-39 is 100% eternal security my friend. Nothing shall separate any believer from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! 1st Peter 2:7, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,” There is no such thing as a believer who doesn't love Jesus. You may not love Him enough to keep His commandments (John 14:15), but you still love Him as your Savior. 1st Corinthians 16:22, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”

A man may not love his wife enough to be faithful only to her, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love her at all. In the Old Testament book of Genesis, Jacob had multiple wives, but he loved all four of them. The Bible says he favored Rachel, but that doesn't mean he didn't love the others too. So it is possible for a man to love multiple women at the same time. Granted, God's original intent was for one woman and one man to get married, and be together for life. That is why God created one wife for Adam, not two. My point is that a child of God can still love Jesus, but have his or her priorities wrong in life. 

This was the case with king Amaziah in the Old Testament. Although he did right in general, Amaziah brought pagan idols into the land (2nd Chronicles 25:14-15). 2nd Chronicles 25:1-2, “Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem.  And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.” For example: A man can place his lust of the flesh as a higher priority in his life than his love for God, and that is when he gets into trouble. Proverbs 14:14, “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.” Every believer backslides at times. We all do! The Bible says a good man lives for principles and truth, and not for his own pleasure and desires.

The Bible teaches in Romans 8:33-34, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” And on what basis does God justify a man? Romans 4:5-6, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,” Repeatedly in the Scriptures we are clearly taught that a person is justified solely BY FAITH. 

That is why I make such a big fuss over the popular heresy of Lordship Salvation. This Devil's lie is preached in most churches today, which says that to be saved you must repent (turn) from your sins. Proponents of Lordship Salvation require people to follow Christ as Lord to be saved, and to surrender to live for Him. Yet these deceivers still claim to believe that salvation is wholly by God's grace. May I please point out that the advocates of Lordship Salvation are teaching the same Satanic false gospel as the Jehovah's Witnesses:

“Jehovah's Witnesses teach that salvation is possible only through Christ's ransom sacrifice and that individuals cannot be saved until they repent of their sins and call on the name of Jehovah. Salvation is described as a free gift from God, but is said to be unattainable without good works that are prompted by faith.” —Jehovah's Witnesses And Salvation

Ladies and gentleman, that is EXACTLY what Dr. Steve Pettit and Bob Jones University are preaching today! They have sinfully moved away from the hope of the Gospel. I hope you understood what I just showed you dear friend. BJU on their website, in their Statement of Faith, teach that you must repent of your sins to be saved, which is EXACTLY what Jehovah's Witnesses teach. In case you don't know, JW's are a demonic religious cult! You cannot show me one verse in the Bible that teaches to repent of sin to be saved. Repentance is toward God (Acts 20:21). Repentance is acknowledging the truth (2nd Timothy 2:25).

You are a needy sinner dear reader. That is the truth you must first realize to be saved (Romans 3:23). Christ died on the cross in your place, to pay for your sins and mind (Romans 5:6-9). If you will simply embrace the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God, believing that He died on the cross, was buried and resurrected three days later, you will be immediately and forever saved (John 20:32; John 19-20; 1st Corinthians 15:1-5). By faith, simply receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins. That is all God requires of you to be saved, your truth in His dear Son. Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) explains it this way:

“Dear sinner, do not make this a difficult matter. There is one simple step between you and Jesus. When you trust Him, everything else is settled, and you have repented, you have come to Christ, you have received Him, you have done everything necessary to be saved.” —Evangelist John R. Rice, a great quote from his tract titled: “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”

I love that. There is no need to mention repentance when witnessing to someone. God Himself didn't mention the word “repent” even once in the Gospel of John, the purpose of which book is to get men saved. John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” We are saved by believing, not by repenting. Repentance simply facilitates (makes possible) believing. Repentance is a change of mind. I don't have to tell you to change your mind to be saved—you do that when you hear the truth of the Gospel and believe it to be saved. Dr. John R. Rice has it right!

Dear friend, NOTHING shall ever separate any child of God from salvation. 1st John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” This Bible verse explains the meaning of Romans 8:38-39. What is the “love of God” that we cannot be separated from? Why, it is the same love of God that compelled Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Nothing shall ever separate us from the love of God that made redemption possible! The same love of God that redeemed us, is the same love of God that sustains us daily in our Christian walk.