Lent - Part 4

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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 8:31-39 ESV). There are many important dates in our lives. Three of those for me are July 9, 1974, April 2, 1979, and October 20, 1983. Those are the dates of the births of my three sons, Kyle, David, and Aaron. Each one was so different from the others. But, even if they had been the same, I couldn’t forget one tiny detail. It is amazing how God has shown me so many things through their lives. Family really is everything to me. That’s at the heart of Paul’s message to the Roman Christians. God’s love for His Child is no different than mine. In fact, it is deeper and greater! Yet, when it came time for God to provide the sacrifice necessary for my salvation, He was willing to give up His own Son. Thus, when, in verse 38, Paul tells us 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,” I have complete confidence that it is true. Based on the knowledge of His sacrifice, it is easy to believe these words. Just as we love our own children, God loves us, His children, no matter what. A minister one day sat in the vestry of his church to meet anyone who might have spiritual difficulties. Only one came. "What is your difficulty?" asked the minister. The man answered, "My difficulty is the ninth chapter of Romans, where it says, 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated,'" "Yes," said the minister, "there is great difficulty in that verse; but which part of the verse is difficult for you?" The latter part, of course," said the man. "I cannot understand why God should hate Esau." The minister replied, "That verse has often been difficult, but my difficulty has always been with the first part of the verse. I never could understand how God could love that wily, deceitful, supplanting scoundrel Jacob." The message of Lent is: It doesn’t matter what you may have done in the past. God DOES love you. You are His child. When Jesus began his ministry after praying in the wilderness, his mission was unshakeable because of the deep love he had for us! That took him to the cross!