Separation part 5
Doesn't it seem like (at least if you follow my ministry for any amount of time) it always comes back to the central truth that what is true about "us and God" is also true about "us and each other"? There's no separation between us and God. Nothing--and no one (except ourselves to some limited degree)--can separate us from the love of God. The love that IS God. And because of that great, unstoppable, consuming fire of love... nothing can separate us from each other, either. Sometimes we LET things "seem" to separate us from God, and sometimes we LET things separate us from each other, but the truth of the matter is that there IS no separation. Love is the glue that binds us and holds us together. I don't know why it seems like "human nature" is to destroy things. To tear things (and people) down. But I DO know that on this side of the cross "human nature" isn't the old man beast nature. It's the love nature of the New Man! And when we begin to understand our new nature--our new DNA, or Divine Nature of the Almighty--then we begin to understand that our default setting is not earthy soulish selfishness. Our default setting is not to try to get something that we think we don't have. Because, through the Holy Spirit--we know exaclty who we are and exactly what we have. We have been filled to overflowing with the love of God, and nothing can separate us from that love. Even giving it away can't separate us from it, but it is an abundant supply that never runs out! Let me say it like this, "And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah" (1 Kings 17:15). The barrel of meal is the bread from heaven--Jesus. And the oil is the Holy Spirit. God is our source and He gave us everything we will ever need when He gave us Himself. When, on the cross, He gave His life FOR us and He gave His life TO us. He took up abode, or dwelling, in us and He's never moving out. So we can't run out of what we've got. Which means we don't have to be afraid to share what we've got. In fact, perfect love casts out ALL fear! Fear of our love not being returned, fear of giving what we've got and being left with nothing. When we know just how loved we ARE, we can love others no matter what. Silly little things (that SEEM like big things in the heat of the moment) don't have to separate us. Theological differences don't have to separate us. We can love everyone in every situation because our Daddy loves US in every situation! That's how this whole "Christian life" works. Works don't work, but the FINISHED work works. The cross--the greatest expression of love a man can have, laying his life down for his friends--works. God reconciled us to Himself, and reconciled us to each other! We love Him, because He first loved us. We love Him BY loving each other. And that, friends, is what it's all about!