Nearly Nothing

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 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. Romans 8:38,39

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

In one case, nothing can separate us from the love of God, and in the other verse, we are to be disciples of love for each other. I see a clear link between God’s love in our heart, and the fact that this love will remain constant between God and us. Of course you can be forgiven for thinking that chapter 8 of Romans finishes prematurely. Cut me a bit of slack here, and allow me to make a modern day ironic meaning to verse 39.

Nothing will “separate us from the love of God”, except that we maybe let those really big, important things like music, dress, colour, politics, beliefs, denomination, or theology. It seems we don’t go to church to worship, but choose a church that suits us. I am reminded that when Paul wrote to several of the churches of his day that they had problems, really big problems, he didn’t separate himself from them. He tried to help by preaching the truth of the gospel, but he didn’t disown them, or suggest others do the same. No, he let the love of God shine through him in the belief that it would win over anything in all creation that might be able to separate him (or us) from Christ Jesus.

Why do we let some minor differences get between us and God? We recite Romans 8:38,39 so easily as it talks about the big things, while letting some of those smaller, petty, earthly thoughts and feelings get between us and the love of God. Truth is, it’s not God who puts the barriers up to His love, it’s us! When God seems so far away, ask yourself who moved? According to this text, it certainly wasn’t God!