A few years ago there was a popular song that contained this chorus, “Love will keep us alive.” The song was referring to a relationship between a man and a woman, and how love would keep them going even through those difficult times. As many can attest to, there are times when love does indeed keep a relationship going. This idea of love’s power to bond people together is especially significant in our relationship with God and with one another. During those times when we go astray and fail because of our rebellion, it is His love for us that keeps Him close and gives us the opportunity to return again and again. Especially at the time of communion we are reminded of the awesome power and awesome love of God; a love that both saves/rescues/and protects. It truly is His love for us that keeps us alive in a broken world that so desperately needs to know this type of love.
If we change one word in the chorus of that oldie and but goodie, it more appropriately describes what God has done for us: “Love will make us alive.”
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.”
Scripture uses the terms slave and free as parallels for being dead and alive. At one time we were dead in our sins, but now we have been set free from that which held us in slavery (our sin and rebellion). Since we are free from sin, we should live like liberated people no longer under sin’s mastery.
Around the table we experience though bread and cup vivid reminders that we are set free from sin in order to be a new creation and live a new life. His love has indeed made us alive.
