God's Everlasting Love

31 What then shall we say to these things? (A)If God is for us, who can be[a] against us? 32 (B)He who did not spare his own Son but (C)gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? (D)It is God who justifies. 34 (E)Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—(F)who is at the right hand of God, (G)who indeed is interceding for us.[b] 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

(H)“For your sake (I)we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than (J)conquerors through (K)him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 8:31 Or who is
  2. Romans 8:34 Or Is it Christ Jesus who died… for us?

More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things?(A) If God is for us,(B) who can be against us?(C) 32 He who did not spare his own Son,(D) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge(E) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns?(F) No one. Christ Jesus who died(G)—more than that, who was raised to life(H)—is at the right hand of God(I) and is also interceding for us.(J) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?(K) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?(L) 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a](M)

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors(N) through him who loved us.(O) 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future,(P) nor any powers,(Q) 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God(R) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(S)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
  2. Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom (A)every family[a] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to (B)the riches of his glory (C)he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit (D)in your inner being, 17 (E)so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being (F)rooted and (G)grounded in love, 18 may have strength to (H)comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and (I)height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ (J)that surpasses knowledge, that (K)you may be filled with all (L)the fullness of God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 3:15 Or from whom all fatherhood; the Greek word patria in verse 15 is closely related to the word for Father in verse 14

A Prayer for the Ephesians

14 For this reason I kneel(A) before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches(B) he may strengthen you with power(C) through his Spirit in your inner being,(D) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts(E) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted(F) and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,(G) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep(H) is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge(I)—that you may be filled(J) to the measure of all the fullness of God.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 3:15 The Greek for family (patria) is derived from the Greek for father (pater).

16 So (A)we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. (B)God is love, and (C)whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this (D)is love perfected with us, so that (E)we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because (F)as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but (G)perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not (H)been perfected in love.

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16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.(A) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.(B) 17 This is how love is made complete(C) among us so that we will have confidence(D) on the day of judgment:(E) In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,(F) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

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