9. Romans 8 : 28, 31, 35, 37-39 (to 4th ,)
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
Coming to Plainfield, learning a bit about Christian Science and then given the opportunity to demonstrate first over the smallest of things, and then progressively larger, has shown me both the value of living this Science and the fact that trust in God is never misplaced.
Through that same time, each demonstration has been accompanied by false beliefs and fears that need to be handled. At first, they took me by surprise and felt insurmountable. By working with a practitioner, the obstacles became stepping stones to grow spiritually. As time went on, through the teaching here and more practitioner support, I began to say to myself at each stage, “Okay, I feel I am being led by God to do this. How would animal magnetism like to derail my usefulness to church? Let me work to handle this now by knowing error cannot stop this work.”
As I read this citation, it’s obvious Paul had overcome quite a bit of opposition to his demonstrations, and he – out of all people! – knew exactly what the enemies of Christianity would do to him if given the opportunity, so he took this moment to state the honest level of his resolve: Not one ungodly thing could dissuade him from his mission, because his previous demonstrations had persuaded him fully that God’s Word can be trusted and we can never be separated from the love of God.
So I must honestly ask myself now: Is there any argument of error that would be able to get me to “forget [or] neglect [my] duty to God, to [my] Leader, and to mankind” (Daily Duties) ?
God has already brought me from the brink of death; from a useless life; from false religions; from what was certainly not my place; from those who I allowed to have power over me; from being unable to see beyond that dark moment; from the anxiety of imagined futures; from the dangers I put myself in; from feeling I have personal responsibility toward others; and into this church, only to find all those things were counterfeits of what God had waiting for me here: A place, purpose, peace, blessings, lots of work, and plenty of opportunity to grow. What a good God He is!
Thank you for this lesson, for this church, for practitioner support, and for Christian Science!