Can anything separate us from Christ’s love?
Apostle Paul asked this question in his letter to Christians in Ancient Rome.
He wanted to assure them that their salvation was secure.
He wanted them to know beyond any doubt that the security of their salvation was not based on the circumstances of their lives, on what they did or did not do.
Their salvation was based on the unchanging love of Christ, and the fact that nothing in heaven or earth, or under the earth, could separate us from that love.
Paul said the following …
What should we say then? Since God is on our side, who can be against us?Who can separate us from Christ’s love?
Can trouble or hard times or harm or hunger?
Can nakedness or danger or war?
No! In all these things we are more than winners!
We owe it all to Christ, who has loved us.
I am absolutely sure that not even death or life can separate us from God’s love.
Not even angels or demons, the present or the future, or any powers can separate us.
Not even the highest places or the lowest, or anything else in all creation can separate us.
(For our 21st century readers I include… not even depression, despondency, disillusionment, nor suicide).
Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done.
(Romans 8:31,35,37-39 NIRV)
Brothers and sisters, we want you to know what happens to those who die. We don’t want you to mourn, as other people do. They mourn because they don’t have any hope.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again. When he returns, many who believe in him will have died already.
We believe that God will bring them back with Jesus.
This agrees with what the Lord has said. When the Lord comes, many of us will still be alive. We tell you that we will certainly not go up before those who have died.
The Lord himself will come down from heaven. We will hear a loud command. We will hear the voice of the leader of the angels. We will hear a blast from God’s trumpet.
Many who believe in Christ will have died already. They will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them. We will be taken up in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with him forever.
So encourage one another with these words of comfort.
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIRV)