Really Think It Through

Paul asks the question of the Romans: "Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" Interesting that he even had to ask the question. What do you think?

What about tribulation?
How about distress?
Do you think persecution could get it done?
Can famine, nakedness, peril, or sword?
According to Paul - NOTHING!

This should be easy theology. Something that grips our hearts and gives us incredible confidence. However, if you were to listen to some preachers and teachers you would think that faith in Christ is a crap-shoot. Just a roll of the dice. Why haven't we grasped this incredible concept?

The god of our vain imagination is tricky. Rather than seated confidently in his love for us, it seems as though he sits in a swivel chair. One day his face is toward us. The next all we can see is his back. Usually based upon something we have done or not done. Fickle. Disinterested.

The only answer to this problem is when we truly begin to see our Heavenly Father through the same lens that Jesus does.
A Father who loves without condition.
A Father who knows our needs.
A Father who is willing to go to any length, mine any depth, and scale any height for us.
A Father who was willing to take our scorn, ridicule, and rejection just to redeem.
The more we see Him though the lens of Jesus, the more secure we become in our relationship.

Usually the first question is: "Does that mean I can do ___________________ and God is still going to love me?"
I believe He will and He does.
He may not agree with our choices. He doesn't bless our poor decisions. He is not obligated to change what we have sown so that we will only reap good things.
I believe He will loves us all the way down. Doing all that He can to get our attention.

To place a limitation upon the love of God is to place you in control of the heart of God. In other words, you get to decide whether He loves you or not. You get to decide which depth is too great, which length is too long, and what it is that determines His nature towards you. This is not the God that Paul speaks of.

Paul was convinced that...
Neither Death nor Life
Neither Angels or Rulers
Neither Things Present nor Things to Come
No 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.

Can you believe that?
Can you live with that?
Take a deep breath and enjoy the goodness of your Heavenly Father.
Really think it through.