When Death Knocked, Love Answered

I never thought much about dying. I lived with the assumption that it was far off, something to be dealt with later. But when the doctor sat across from me, his words turning into an indistinct hum in my ears, later suddenly became now.

"Stage four. Aggressive. I’m sorry."

I left the office in silence, the words hammering at my mind. The great divide, they called it. The thing that severs everything and everyone. If ever there was a time for fear, surely this was it. But strangely, something else stirred deep within me—not terror, but a quiet challenge. Face the worst first.

Facing Death Itself

For years, I had believed Romans 8:38-39 in theory. But now, my theology had to walk on real ground. Was it true? Could death, the so-called greatest separator, actually fail to separate me from Christ?

I stood in front of the mirror that night, searching my own eyes. "So, this is it," I whispered. "The end of the road?"

No. Not the end.

I opened my Bible and read the words that had carried me before but now demanded more than mental agreement.

"For I am sure that neither death nor life… will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Death was coming. But if it could not separate me from Christ, then it could not take anything that truly mattered. My body? Temporary. My soul? Secure. My life? Hidden in Christ.

I whispered, "Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment."

And in that instant, I knew—I was already on the other side of death. It had lost its power. The cross had disarmed it, and I was already seated in the heavenly places in Christ. Death wasn’t taking me anywhere I hadn’t already been brought in Him.

Facing Life in the Shadow of Death

Surprisingly, the days that followed were not filled with fear. Life went on. The sunrise still painted the sky, my wife’s laughter still filled the house, my feet still walked the familiar paths. But everything was clearer, sharper. Life was not a slow march toward an ending. It was a continual unfolding of a love story that would never end.

I chose to live—not in denial, but in freedom. I hugged my loved ones longer. I spoke more boldly. I held nothing back. If life could not separate me from the love of Christ, then why live it cautiously? Why treat it as something fragile?

Death would come in its time, but until then, I would wring every drop out of the days God had given me, knowing that even if my breath failed, my real life in Christ never would.

Facing Spiritual Forces and the Weight of Regret

It didn’t take long for the enemy to whisper: What if you wasted your life? What about all the things you left undone?

Regret could have swallowed me whole, but again, Romans 8 stood like a fortress. Angels, demons, spiritual forces—none of them had the power to break what God Himself had sealed.

"Nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers… will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I laid those regrets at the foot of the cross where they belonged. Christ had carried them already. My past did not define me. I was not leaving undone works—I was stepping into completion.

Facing the Future Without Fear

The hardest moments came in the quiet—late at night, when the unknown stretched before me. I had always been the one making plans, setting goals. But now, the future was closing its door.

What lay ahead?

"Nor things present, nor things to come…"

I exhaled. Even the unknown could not sever me from His love. Christ was already in the days ahead, waiting for me.

One evening, I sat on the porch, watching the stars pierce the dark sky. The universe had not unraveled. God’s hand still held everything in place. If He sustained the heavens, He would sustain me.

That night, I slept without fear.

Facing the Moment Itself

The day finally came. My body weakened. The doctor’s eyes were gentle now, his voice softer. They gave me numbers, estimates. But those didn’t matter.

I wasn’t watching the clock—I was watching for Him.

Family gathered. Hands held mine. Soft whispers of love filled the room. But above all, I sensed Him.

He was here.

I closed my eyes.

One breath.

Another.

Then none.

But I did not fall.

I rose.

Stepping Through the Doorway

The first thing I knew was joy. Indescribable, consuming, weightless joy. I had not lost anything. I had gained everything. I had not stepped into darkness—I had stepped into the most brilliant Light.

And there He was.

The One who had held me through every valley, who had whispered truth when my body trembled, who had been my life while I walked the earth.

Jesus.

He smiled.

I was Home.

Nothing Had Separated Me After All

All along, it had been true.

Death, life, the unknown, spiritual forces, time itself—none of it had ever been a threat. I had never been alone. I had never been at risk.

The love of God in Christ had held me every step of the way. And now, at last, I saw it fully.

I laughed.

It had always been life. Only life. Nothing but life in Him.

Prayer of Confidence

Father, You have given me a love that nothing can break, a life that nothing can steal. Death has no claim on me, for I am already alive in Christ. Thank You for securing me forever in Your love. My days, whether few or many, belong to You, and I rejoice in the unshakable truth that nothing will ever separate me from You. Amen.

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Excerpt From: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones