I have become absolutely convinced that neither death, nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch on earth, neither what happens today nor what happens tomorrow, neither power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God’s whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Romans 8:38-39
While this would hardly fit on the door frame of most of our houses, it so perfectly frames our understanding of the love of God. In this passage, Paul touches on every fear, every question we might have as to whether God’s love is there for us.
How can we comprehend a love so inclusive, so powerful and so available? He has separated us from that which would destroy us - apprehension about tomorrow, remorse from the past, power from without, weakness from within - nothing can separate us from God’s love. Did He not sacrifice His Son for our salvation? “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Our salvation comes not from anything we have accomplished but what has been freely promised to those who believe. God’s love is not just for the “perfect,” for those who do not stray. Paul says, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The love of God testified on the cross and provided through the empty tomb defies death. This is our destiny through Christ.
The question to us is how do we respond to so great a love? Is it enough just to accept it, to bask in the beauty of salvation? Or does it carry an obligation to share this news? To the young, to the disappointed, to the downtrodden, to the disillusioned, to the frightened, to the disconnected… It is the bugle call of Christianity, yet if the sound of the trumpet is not clear, will anyone respond?
God commanded the Children of Israel to put His laws on the doorframes of their homes to remind them of who they were and Whose they were. As Christians, we are the doorframes. We are what our neighbors, our co-workers, our children, our grandchildren see each day. We are the reminders of the love of God and His desire that none should perish but that all might come to repentance. It’s not a sign we hold but the life we live and for some, eternity is at stake.
A special thanks to all the women who participated in this series, for sharing your understanding of our obligation to doorframe evangelism.
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