Between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us. (Luke 16:26)
The dictionary definition of the word “chasm” is a deep fissure in the earth, rock, or another surface; a profound difference between people, viewpoints, feelings. We read in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus that a great chasm has been fixed between the righteous dead and the wicked dead in Sheol that cannot be bridged from either side. Is it not a comfort to you to know that in both life and death, our Lord Jesus Christ has provided divine protection for all those who are His?
In Dante’s Commedia, this cosmic chasm is pictured with “steep rocks and a deep gorge, and on one side the flames that burn and do not consume, and on the other, the fair garden of Paradise and the kingly palace, and the banquet at which Abraham presides . . . and those that are bearing the penalty, or reaping the reward, of their life are within sight and hearing of each other, and hold conversation and debate.” Now, Dante is certainly not to be pressed as a literal representation of the unseen world, and even divine revelation leaves much unexplained. But as children of the Most High God, we can be sure that once we are in Christ, we are His forever, and the gulf is eternally fixed between life and death. This is the comfort of the cosmic chasm.
Whether you are enjoying a great season of victory in the Lord, as David did after defeating the giant Goliath, or if you are trudging through a dreary valley of discouragement, defeat, or even death, much like the writings of Jeremiah after the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., remember that Christ has fixed a great chasm between eternal life and eternal death, and nothing can cause a crossover from one side to the other—not your sin, not even Satan himself. Nothing can come between you and your Savior.
I pray that you will come boldly before the throne of grace today and let your Lord know how thankful you are for His sovereign control over all things, including the cosmic chasm that is designed to bring you comfort in both this life and the next.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 