Nothing Fit Separate Us

Wetin be di thing wey dey make you fear pass? Now imagine say somebody write you letter wey list every fearful thing wey dey, one after another, and then talk: none of dem, not even one, fit take God love comot from you.

Paul dey Corinth, dey write to di believers for Rome. Rome na di heart of di empire, full of marble temples, soldiers and di power of di emperor. Di church there small, dem dey meet for houses. Some of dem don already see trouble. Some years before, di emperor Claudius order say make Jews comot from di city, and Jewish believers like Priscilla and Aquila pack dem things and go. Now plenty of dem don come back. But dem know say life fit turn upside down any time. For di middle of im long letter, Paul reach one high point. E don dey explain wetin God do for Jesus. Now e tell dem wetin dat one mean when life hard.

E start with one promise. We know say all things dey work together for good for di people wey love God, di people wey e call according to im purpose. No be say everything wey happen dey good. But say God dey work inside all of am, for di people wey love am. Paul talk say God get plan from di beginning: to make im people dey resemble im Son, Jesus, more and more, so dat Jesus go be di first born for one big family of brothers and sisters. Di ones wey God call, e make dem right with imself. And di ones wey e make right, one day e go share im glory with dem. Then Paul ask one question, and you fit almost hear im voice dey rise. Wetin we go talk about dis things? If God dey for us, who fit dey against us?

Di God wey no hold back im own Son, but give am up for all of us, how e no go also give us everything freely together with am? If God don already give di biggest gift, im own Son, e go hold back any other thing wey we really need? Who fit accuse God people, when God imself don declare say dem dey right? Who fit condemn dem, when Christ Jesus die, rise again, and dey for God right hand dey pray for dem? Then Paul name di dangers wey im friends fit really face. Who go separate us from di love of Christ? Na trouble, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Trouble. Hunger. Danger. Even violence. Paul no pretend say dis things no dey happen. E quote one psalm: because of you, dem dey kill us whole day, dem count us like sheep wey dem go slaughter.

And then e talk: no. For all dis things, we pass conquerors through di One wey love us. No be just survivors. We pass conquerors. And Paul finish with words wey don comfort people for almost two thousand years. Because I don sure for my mind, say death no fit, life no fit, angels no fit, rulers no fit, powers no fit, things wey dey now no fit, things wey dey come no fit, height no fit, depth no fit, and nothing else for di whole creation fit separate us from di love of God, wey dey for Christ Jesus our Lord. Death no fit do am. Life no fit do am. Nothing now, nothing for future. Nothing wey dey high up, nothing wey dey deep down. Nothing for di whole creation.

Di Roman historian Suetonius, as e dey write about di emperor Claudius, talk say e drive di Jews comot from Rome because dem dey cause disturbance all di time, as one person wey e call Chrestus dey push dem. Plenty historians think say dis na one mixed-up way to talk about di arguments about Christ. Di book of Acts tell us say Priscilla and Aquila come Corinth because Claudius don command say make all Jews comot from Rome. Di people wey dey read Paul letter know how e be when dem life scatter.

Nothing fit separate us. You go find dis words for Romans chapter eight, verse twenty-eight to thirty-nine. One letter to one small church for one powerful city, wey promise dem one love wey big pass any empire and strong pass any fear. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin dey make you fear, and how e change things when you know say e no fit separate you from God love?