It's Unloseable--the Love of God

David Zahl describes the love of God as "unloseable."  Is this so?  Can we lose the love of God?  Not according to the Bible.

Can theft separate us from God?  No--Jacob stole his brother's birth right.

Can adultery separate us from the love of God?  No--see King David and Bethsheba.

Can murder separate us from the love of God?  No--see King David and Uriah, or St. Paul and his killing of Christians.

Did Jesus say that any of these sins could separate us from God?  No.

Indeed, the only sin that Jesus seemed to proclaim that separated us from God was self-righteousness.
Jesus never said that thieves, adulterers, or even murderers were destined for Hell.  No, according to Jesus, if anyone was going to Hell it was the Pharisees--the self-righteous church people of his day.

I'm sympathetic to the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were trying to maintain order--which is no small task given the unruly hearts of men and women.  But if we are to read literally Jesus' pronouncements about Hell, and being separated from God, they point to the so-called "good" people, not the sinners.

I think Jesus was right.  If I look at my heart when I was a "good church-going person," and compare it to now, I actually love people a little more, sometimes a lot more.  Now that I believe that Jesus came for sinners, I'm free to look my sin directly in the eye.  With the grace of Christ, I can stare it down--it's not a pretty sight.  Most importantly, I can look at its impact on others.

When I was a "good church person" (a Sunday School teacher, deacon, a person there every time they opened the doors), instead of acknowledging the harmful impacts of my anger and lust on others, I simply downplayed them.  It wasn't my problem.  There wasn't anything wrong with me.  The problem lay with those around me.

Now that I truly, deeply know that God is the friend of sinners--that His love is unloseable--I'm able to look at the negative consequences of my nature and actions.  This new-found freedom to embrace the negative consequences of my sin has led to deep loving relationships.  It has led to significant "amendment of life."  I'm not bragging--it's what others have told me.  But I'm not home yet.  While I'm a member of the Kingdom, the Kingdom is not fully realized.  In this in between time, I'll continue to sin and sin deeply.  But the grace is that I can look at myself in the mirror, acknowledge these sins, repent, and seek forgiveness from those that I sin against.

My God, instead of remaining aloof, came, walked upon this earth, entered into suffering, expressed solidarity with mankind in the difficulties of being human, and let the "good church people" of his day kill him.  Had I been there, I would have joined the crowd that said:  "Crucify Him."  His words from the Cross reflects that He forgave even the "good church people:"  'Father forgive them for they know not what they do.'

So, maybe, just maybe, the "church people" will be with God in eternity, along beside the thieves, murderers, and adulterers.  If Jesus' words from the Cross mean anything then there is hope for the self-righteous, like me.