Romans 8:38=39

Italics = actual King James Version scripture

Bold = My explanation ( not that I’m an expert, but I think I understand enough to explain)

Well if you look at the scriptures (and even the whole chapter of Romans 8) you’ll get a better understanding of that scripture. Look at the preceding scriptures which are:

33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who has the power to judge God’s people? He justifies them.

34 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. Who has the power to condemn God’s people? Christ is currently at the right hand of God interceding for us because He already died for whatever sin we are being condemned for, so there’s nothing for God to judge us for.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Being persecuted for being a Christian doesn’t mean God has forsaken you, and Christ can bring you through all persecution and you’ll have peace and joy throughout. Paul, the writer of the book, went through all of these things and he wasn’t upset or horrified. It was expected because he knew that if the ‘world’ loves you, it’s because they can see themselves in you, but if they reject you and hate you because you act like Christ and not them (the two are opposite)than Christ will bring you through the persecution with peace and joy.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 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.

Nothing that any creation can do to your past, present, or future, even unto death, will be able to separate you from the favor and peace of God if you live like Him and love Him. The worst that anyone can do is kill you, which means you get to live with the One that loves you the most anyway, so how bad is that really? God can sustain you and hold you so even the worst won’t feel as bad as it really is.

The whole chapter is about living like Christ and killing the base, crass things in your life that would displease Him because He is able to sustain you through anything, even up till death. Paul was writing to the new Christian church who were facing horrible persecution and death because of their beliefs. He was encouraging them and comforting them to hold to their faith in Christ and endure because God has their back (so to speak). It has real-world application today too, for those who are facing literal torture and death for their faith, as well as those who are ridiculed, hated, and despised for their faith in Christ.

P.S. I find that when studying scripture if you look at the scriptures before and after the verse you are looking at, you can get a much better understanding of what the scripture means.