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.
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature - rather, 'created thing,' any other thing in the whole created universe of God,
Shall be able to separate us. 'All the terms here (as Olshausen says) are to be taken in their most general sense, and need no closer definition. The indefinite expressions are meant to denote all that can be thought of, and are only a rhetorical paraphrase of the conception of allness.'
From the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thus does this wonderful chapter, with which the argument of the Epistle properly closes, leave us who are "justified by faith," in the arms of everlasting Love, whence no hostile power or conceivable event can ever tear us. " Behold what manner of love is this!" And "what manner of persons ought we to be," who are thus "blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ!"
Remarks:
(1) How ennobling is the thought that the complicated movements of the divine government of the world are all arranged in express furtherance of the "good" of God's chosen! (Romans 8:28.)
(2) To whatever conformity to the Son of God in dignity and glory believers are or shall hereafter be raised, it will be the joy of every one of them-as it is most fitting - "that in all things He should have the pre-eminence" (Colossians 1:18), and be recognized as "the First-born among many brethren" (Romans 8:29).
(3) As there is a beautiful harmony and necessary connection between the several doctrines of grace, so (to use the words of Hodge) must there Be a like harmony in the character of the Christian. He cannot experience the joy and confidence flowing from his election without the humility which the consideration of its being gratuitous must produce; nor can he have the peace of one who is justified without the holiness of one who is called.
(4) However difficult it may be for finite minds to comprehend the emotions of the Divine Mind, let us never for a moment doubt that, in "not sparing His own Son, but delivering Him up for us all," God made a real sacrifice of all that was dearest to His heart, and that in so doing He meant forever to assure His people that all other things which they need-inasmuch as they are nothing to this stupendous gift, and indeed but the necessary sequel of it-will in due time be forthcoming. In return for such a sacrifice on God's part, what can be considered too great on ours!
(5) If there could be any doubt as to the meaning of the all-important word "JUSTIFICATION," in this Epistle-whether, as the Church of Rome teaches, and many others affirm, it means 'infusing righteousness into the unholy, so as to make them righteous,' or, according to Protestant teaching, 'absolving, acquitting, or pronouncing righteous the guilty' - Romans 8:33 ought to set such doubt entirely at rest. For the apostle's question in this verse is, 'Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?'-in other words, 'Who shall pronounce' or 'hold them guilty?' seeing that "God justifies" them: showing, beyond all doubt, that to "justify" was intended to express precisely the opposite of 'holding guilty;' and consequently (as Calvin triumphantly argues) that it means 'to absolve from the charge of guilt.'
(6) After the same unanswerable mode of reasoning, we are entitled to argue, that if there could be any reasonable doubt in what light the death of Christ is to be regarded in this Epistle, Romans 8:34 ought to set that doubt entirely at rest. For there the apostle's question is, Who shall "condemn" God's elect, since "Christ died" for them: showing beyond all doubt (as Philippi justly argues) that it was the expiatory character of that death which the apostle had in view.
(7) What an affecting view of the love of Christ does it give us to learn that His greatest nearness to God and most powerful interest with Him-as being 'seated on His right hand'-is employed in behalf of His people here below!
(8) What everlasting consolation and good hope through grace arise from the fact, as variously as it is grandly expressed in this section, that all that can help us is on the side of those who are Christ's, and all that can hurt us is a conquered foe.
(9) Are we who "have tasted that the Lord is gracious" both "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation' (1 Peter 1:5), and embraced in the arms of Invincible Love? Then surely, while "building ourselves up on our most holy faith," and "praying in the Holy Spirit," only the more should we feel constrained to "keep ourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 1:20-21).
In opening up so thoroughly the way of Salvation by Grace-alike for Jew and Gentile-through Faith alone in the Lord Jesus, the far-reaching mind of our apostle could not fail to perceive that he was raising questions of a profound and delicate nature, as to God's elect nation, which had rejected Christ, as to the promises made to them. and what was to become of them; also, whether all distinction of Jew and Gentile was now at an end, and if not, what might be its precise nature and future development. In preaching, or in less elaborate Epistle, a glance at the principles involved in these questions might be sufficient. But this great Epistle afforded just the appropriate occasion for handling them thoroughly and once for all; which, accordingly, he now proceeds to do in three chapters, as remarkable for profundity and reach as any of the preceding ones.