Romans 8:31-39

sitting on our bed
about to get in the shower
just had a shot of honey for some energy and to get rid of morning breath a little--that stuff is gross

Romans 8:31-39

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but 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? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 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,

'For your sake 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 conquerors through 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.

These are difficult passages for me considering I am Arminian. Not that I think these verses prove Calvinism, just that I have never had these verses explained to me fully from an Arminian perspective.

Surely though, Arminianism never states that Christ decides to give someone up because of anything. Rather there are those who once received Christ who choose to ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit in his or her life. After time, this results in a rejection of Christ. This passage is not saying that the love of Christ fails us. For it never does. Arminianism says that it happens the other way around--we reject Him.

The separation the Apostle Paul are referencing goes back to suffering. He is saying, "Will any of this persecution make the love of Christ null-in-void?" By no means! We are His because of what Christ has done. The one who did not spare His own Son is the one who is on our side. So what kind of persecution is going to cease that from happening? None!

The passage points out that persecution is part of life.
The passage points out that through Christ, persecution is overcome.