And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
Jesus has a firm grip on those who were baptized into him. Everyone with faith in the Son has the possibility of eternal life. In his promise not to lose any who were given him we should find great comfort. It does not mean he will force us. We are free to come to him and even to leave him if we choose. But as long as we do come to Jesus when the Father calls us he will not reject us. If we remain with him he will guide us safely home.
Sin divides and separates. The ultimate physical manifestation of this fact is death itself. But in Jesus even death has been defeated.
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
Our union with Christ is not broken even by death. This is precisely because when we die we are now united to the death Jesus died for us all. This death motivated entirely by love reverses the normal separation that is the consequence of sin.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
Yet our union with Christ is not perfect. In this life we do not often allow his death to transform us as much as he intends. Even then he does not let us go. We choose to reject the fullness of perfection that is offered to us. Even then he holds us firmly.
The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
We may still need the furnace of God's love to prove us before we are ready to shine in heaven. But in the end, it is enough to want it, to not turn from it, and to throw ourselves upon God's mercy. The transformation not yet done is work he is willing to do. The more freely we can involve our will in this transformation the more we are going to enjoy the process. To the degree to which we don't do so we will experience the pain of the contrariness of our wills as they are changed and perfected. Even so, we can rest easy knowing we will make it home.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
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