The Gospel and the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was constructed on 13 August 1961 separating East Berlin from West Berlin. The wall followed the border between Soviet Union communism and Western democracy that had come about following the end of WW2 when German occupation was split between the four allied powers. It was the physical manifestation of the term 'Iron Curtain' coined by Winston Churchill, representing the separation between the East and the West during the cold war.

Between 1945 to 1961 movement of people between West and East Berlin was possible although heavily restricted, however once the decision to build the wall was passed construction began immediately without notice and barbed wire was erected overnight to stop people from defecting from the East to the West. Families were separated and the curtain closed on those living in the East.  It was still possible to move between the East and West of the city through a subway still in operation, however that too was soon bricked up and an outer ring railway service commenced in 1961 separating East from West in totality. Thereafter, the Soviets guarding the Eastern side of the wall were instructed to shoot on sight any defectors found trying to enter West Berlin. 

There was a large no mans' land situated in between the borders making it virtually impossible for people to pass. Ingenious attempts were made to cross the border. On one occasion people in the East discovered that the iron beams that supported the wall were constructed horizontally within the wall. They successfully drove a low car through the wall underneath the iron beam. Shortly after the design was altered to include diagonal iron beams to make it even more secure and an impassable gulf divided the city until its removal in 1989.

Luke 16:26 states: "26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’"

Just as the Berlin wall separated those in the East from the West, a wall of sin separates us from God. Unlike the Berlin wall which allowed some brave people to cross over, this wall between us and God is impossible to vault.

Our sin estranges us from God, for God is perfect and He can have no part with it. This is not what God originally intended for us. God intended for us to dwell with Him together, however due to our sinful nature a wall of separation appeared. God was not the builder of this wall, we were. Now, for us, no matter how well-intentioned or how many good deeds we may do, it is impossible for us imperfect people to come into the presence of a perfect God, for it is impossible for something imperfect to touch something perfect.

We may not consider ourselves as bad people, however we must accept the fact that we are not perfect. We all boast imperfections. Even a person who is 99% perfect is 100% imperfect. There is no middle ground with the state of our being in comparison to the glory of God, therefore regardless of how "good" we may perceive ourselves to be, we still find ourselves standing on the wrong side of an impassable wall of separation from God and no attempt to bring it down will succeed.

God does not want us to be separated from Him any longer. John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." 

God knew that we could never mount the wall of separation that exists therefore out of His love for us He sent Himself in human form as the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to die for us. Unlike us, Christ was 100% perfect, therefore he was 100% sufficient to remove that wall of separation that is sin.

Ephesians 2:14-18 states: "14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."

Through Christ we can be reunited with God as originally intended and walk freely with Him: not because we are in anyway perfect, but rather because Christ is perfect and through Christ we have a mediator, an intercessor, a reliable bridge to gap that gulf that currently exists.

We cannot surpass the wall in our own strength, but we can put our trust in Christ who is able to break down the wall of sin that separates us.

John 14:6 "Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, nobody comes to the Father except through me."

-BACChristian