Mind the Gap

Last summer we had the opportunity to travel to England and Scotland on vacation.  While we were in London we relied on public transportation to get around, using buses  trains and the subway.  Whenever we were getting on or off the subway or a train, and every time one that we were traveling on came to a stop, we heard the refrain “Mind the gap.”    

“Mind the gap” is the reminder to pay attention to the gap between the subway/train and the platform, so that you don’t catch your foot and fall, or worse.  It is such an important message that it is repeated several times at each stop.  After a while it becomes a part of the background noise, but that doesn’t lessen its importance. 

At work today I did a training program in quality and one of the concepts in improving quality had to do with “closing gaps,” which was illustrated with a picture from the London transit system.

Thinking about closing gaps, or minding gaps, got me to thinking about faith, particularly the security of the Christian in their faith in Christ.

Sometimes we go through periods where we have doubts about our faith.  There can be all sorts of reasons for our doubts.  We may wonder if we are really “saved.”  Did we say the right prayer?  Did our life really change when we came to faith or did we slide back into old habits, the kinds of things we know we shouldn’t be doing anymore?  Are we really “good enough” to be saved, or do we have to do something else?  If God really loves us then why aren’t things work out for us?  Is there some sort of gap separating us from God?  Do we have to “mind the gap” in our life to remain in God’s good graces?

The good news is that when we have faith there aren’t any gaps in God’s hold on us.  There aren’t any gaps in His love for us.  His love is perfect.  He couldn’t love us more and He can’t love us less.

Romans 10:9 says:

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

And earlier, in Romans 8:38-39, Paul writes:

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God knows that we have rough patches in life and that questions about our faith will come up in our minds.  And He has already answered them, with the assurance of His word in the Bible. 

There is no gap for us to worry over.  From the moment we came to faith we were His, eternally so.  The world, our friends and our culture may all say things that give rise to doubts, but His word and its promises are sure.  Come what may, we are His, now and forever.  Amen.   

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.