Paul is on a roll. He's adding up all the things that can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ. And the total? Nothing, zilch, zero.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
Paul is on a roll. He's adding up all the things that can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ. And the total? Nothing, zilch, zero. Not death, not life, not anything in all this vast creation where good and evil coexist. This is the math of mercy. God's nothing.
But still we continue the list. What about my deepest, darkest, most shameful act? What about the years I spat in heaven's face? What about the terrible things I've done to other people? What about all the ways I've led others into iniquity? What about this, what about that? Write your list. Use up every drop of ink, cover every sheet of paper, go on and on and on with the innumerable screw-ups in your life.
When you've finally finished that exhaustive list of all the things that you think can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus, add them all up. Take that number and multiply it times God's zero. All your sins X God's zero = zero.
This is the math of mercy. God's nothing. Your everything in Jesus Christ, who is bigger than your sin, more loving than your hate, more faithful than your infidelity.
