Thursday, 16 January, 2003

This week devotions will be based on pieces from The Justification Reader by Thomas C. Oden.



What is the problem to which justification is an answer? In a word sin, which estranges us from God's holiness...

All sin has the character of setting chains of consequences in motion that cannot be simply backtracked or reversed. No simple restitution can ever be made for sexual infidelity to one's covenant partner, since a solemn inviolable promise once broken is forever broken. Only God's gift of forgiveness is able to overcome this alienation, so destructive to children and family integrity. We have all caused harm that can never be made up for by human hands or works. This is why we stand in such dire need of justification by grace.

Not only does sin estrange us from God's holiness, we are estranged from one another. There is no way we can simply work our way out of that brokenness. As the example used in this quote, infidelity is not something we simply "get over" nor can we act out in some way in order to extract retribution and expect that the hurt and alienation will go away. God's justifying grace is always the power for transformation and renewal and liberation that allows that which is separated to be made whole again. Our will cannot do it. Our attempts to get revenge cannot do it. God only amazes us by giving us peace where there is no peace and hope in the middle of what seems to be utter hopelessness. God justifies for now...for life here and now...for life that is to come.



Connection: We all have many things over which we can be bitter in our lives. We cannot remove the bitterness. In fact, I think things grow more bitter as we try our own methods and ways. What would change in our lives if we trusted that the power of God to justify is greater and makes for a richer life than all the "solutions" we may attempt to conjure up in our own hearts and lives?



Take us Lord. Take us and lift us up so that we may walk in the ways of your grace and meet up with our neighbors in relationships that bring us together within the universal embrace of your love for us all. Amen