The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:35-38 that who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Paul answers that no, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. He says further that for I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 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.
In order to appreciate Paul’s statements, we must first understand what constitutes that love of Christ Paul talks about. We can do so by examining Christ’s exemplified love; the testimonies of witnesses; and why we cannot separate from his love. The standards for assessment are two. The first is the position of love in the hierarchy of God’s instructions. The second is when love must be prioritized. The third is to know the nature of love which made Paul to resolve never to separate from Christ.
Love is first among equals
Love is the first among other spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says that the greatest of all gifts are faith, hope and love and among the first three of equals, love is the first or greatest. Paul saw this demonstration of love in Jesus to enable him to say that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ. Paul says neither us nor Christ can separate from each other though we both have the option to do so. He then believed that Christ will not separate from us and us from Christ.
Paul elucidates what love is in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Paul had tasted the love of Christ Jesus and upon that he wanted to be like Jesus or to emulate his examples or unassailable character. Paul had tasted and known what the true love of Christ Jesus meant to him and for that matter all mankind. It is based on this fact that he said in 1 Corinthians 13:1 that if I speak with the tongues of angels but have no love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
Do we appreciate the love of Christ Jesus judging from his grace, mercy, favour, sacrifice and death for our redemption, the pain, shame and humiliation he suffered for us on the cross, his continuous intercession for us before the Father in heaven?
Prioritizing Jesus’ love
According to scripture, love must always be the first priority. Jesus said in Luke 10:27 that the greatest of the commandments is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself. Jesus taught this fact because God is love. 1 John 4:16 says God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him. If the greatest of the commandment is to love God, then demonstrating love is demonstrating God.
This is why Jesus abided in love and God abided in him. If God abided in Christ because of his love for us then Paul was right is vowing never to be separated from Christ irrespective of the circumstances. Paul knew he was secure in God in Christ Jesus, Romans 6:11. Paul said further that for you have died and your life is hid with Christ in God, Colossians 3:3. Christ was also never going to separate from us because of his mission to save mankind through his sacrificed blood and upon his promise that he will never leave us nor forsake us, Hebrews 13:5.
Jesus meant this love when he said he will be with us until the end of the age, Matthew 28:20. Jesus prioritized love because he knew that any good deed done in love to another is equally done to God. Jesus said if any one says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen, 1 John 4:20. With the love of Christ Jesus, Paul had the hope of glory which he shared with us in Colossians 1:27.
Enchantment of Jesus’ love
So what is the fascination that Jesus placed love above all? Jesus demonstrated unimaginable love and lived his statement that greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends, John 15:13. Jesus loved us as himself and thus came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many, Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28.
Jesus exchanged and sacrificed his life for us just as he wanted life for himself because love required sacrifice. He served us in love as though a servant yet he was our Saviour and heavenly king. He was not haughty but sorely humble that he counted himself as a servant, taught and lived it, Matthew 20:26; Mark 10:43. Do we do likewise for others including those who offend us or those we call our enemies?
Misconceiving Jesus’ love
We often hear people say that we cannot love a friend more than ourselves. Unfortunately, these statements run counter to the meaning of love in scripture as Jesus meant it to be. Love means a denial of self of something that we equally wish for ourselves for the benefit of others who do not have. The denial must come out of true sacrifice just as we want others to sacrifice for us. We then place ourselves in the shoes of the needy whilst they taste of our privileged exalted life.
We further misconceive who our neighbor is? He or she is any person who is created by God irrespective of religion, creed, race, gender, place of origin, nationality, social or economic status, sick or healthy. In so far as the person is needy of something we may have or possess, he or she qualifies as a neighbor. We can then share what we have with that person to the best of our conscience. It is not the quantum but the love behind it as we allow the Holy Spirit to direct us to give that matters. Jesus lived his statement to love our neighbor as ourselves in Matthew 5:43 which James 2:8 terms it as royal law.
Paul had no reason to doubt that Jesus epitomized an unfailing love considering his own past life of persecuting Jesus’ followers and how he was redeemed out of grace, mercy and love by the same Jesus he was persecuting. Paul then called Saul thought that he was rather persecuting Jesus’ followers but it was rather Jesus, Acts 9:5. Paul who knew the extent of his grievous sin then resolved to appreciate Jesus and never to separate from the love of Christ Jesus. Do we truly love Jesus as he loves us?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we have come to the truth of your love for us. Forgive us of misconceiving your love and your teachings. Help us to place our love for you above all things. In your holy name we pray, Amen!!
