'Nothing, not even coronavirus, can separate us from the love of God'
'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Romans 8v35, 38-39 (NIV)
One of our struggles with COVID-19 is the Isolation and Separation. We can't meet with friends and we must keep our distance from colleagues. We all have to self isolate and we all find that really hard. We miss the warm embrace and the friendly handshake. There is however another kind of separation that we were all born with - Separation from our loving creator God. The bible tells us that we were made for God. As Saint Augustine put it: 'You made us for yourself and our heart is restless until it finds it's rest in you.' Yet Christ has dealt with our separation from God so that we might never be separated from the love of God.
First Christ deals with our separation from God. Our separation from God is our sinful rejection of God's loving rule over our lives. Through faith in Christ, he takes our sin on himself and is separated from God for us, so that we might enjoy the safe and secure embrace of the Father.
Second Christ secures our reconciliation with God. Christ lives the perfect obedient life for us so that we can experience an eternal relationship with God. You see if we are in Christ there is nothing and no-one that 'will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' We might not be able to avoid contracting COVID-19 but if we are in Christ we can say will absolute confidence: nothing in all creation, not coronavirus, not even death itself will be able to separate us from the safe and secure love of God.
Prayer
Thank you Lord Jesus that you have dealt with our separation from God so that we might never be separated from the love of God. Thank you that in this time of self-isolation you do not isolate yourself from us - but are present with us through your word and by your Spirit. Thank you that we are eternally secure with you.
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