Romans 8:35-39
The Message (MSG)
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus has embraced us.
These are, maybe, the most radical words in the Bible -- which is itself a very radical book. We have read them and heard them so often that they appear 'tame", and we have lost the ability to truly hear what they are saying.
"... absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love." And that 'nothing' means just that -- nothing -- not even a small something. There is no P.S., no asterisk, not "except for the following ..." -- the words mean just what they say. All of our rules, all our 'shoulds,' all our theories on who 'deserves' reward or punishment -- have no place between us and God's love.
We continually and instinctively 'grade' people's worthiness - completely overlooking the fact that Jesus tells us explicitly that it is none of our business. We are, in fact, commanded not to judge each other, but still we soldier on deciding who deserves help, who deserves favor, who deserves punishment -- and often seeing ourselves as moral agents while we do so.
If nothing can come between God's love and you -- then my opinion means absolutely nothing -- it cannot come between God and you. Nor can your opinion of me come between God and me. So why do we keep judging as if it mattered?
And maybe most important of all, I can't affect God's love for me -- even I can't come between God's love and me. What a relief! What a burden lifted! None of us are responsible for the world -- just relax,and let God love us.
What do you think?
"... absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love." And that 'nothing' means just that -- nothing -- not even a small something. There is no P.S., no asterisk, not "except for the following ..." -- the words mean just what they say. All of our rules, all our 'shoulds,' all our theories on who 'deserves' reward or punishment -- have no place between us and God's love.
We continually and instinctively 'grade' people's worthiness - completely overlooking the fact that Jesus tells us explicitly that it is none of our business. We are, in fact, commanded not to judge each other, but still we soldier on deciding who deserves help, who deserves favor, who deserves punishment -- and often seeing ourselves as moral agents while we do so.
If nothing can come between God's love and you -- then my opinion means absolutely nothing -- it cannot come between God and you. Nor can your opinion of me come between God and me. So why do we keep judging as if it mattered?
And maybe most important of all, I can't affect God's love for me -- even I can't come between God's love and me. What a relief! What a burden lifted! None of us are responsible for the world -- just relax,and let God love us.
What do you think?
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