We continue with selections from The Justification Reader by Thomas C. Oden.
Four related metaphors flow together in the biblical teaching of justification:
the offender is forgiven
the accused is pardoned
the offense is remitted
the lost child is welcomed home
In these four arenas of analogy, God's justifying grace shows forth a spectacular cohesion of unified divine gifts. The pivotal turning from repentance to faith is symbolized in four ways as:
an act of forgiveness that encourages
an acquittal that frees from condemnation
a new mode of crediting moral accounts that crosses out the penalty
a divine-human reconciliation and restoration to favor that embraces the wayward child
Many times I find that people have the most difficulty with the legal images. Though they are powerful and complete in their witness to the one-sided nature of God's Grace, they can seem cold...like a courtroom...duh. It is the last image that grabs me most. I am most moved by the image of a place...a base that is always open to me. The image of home can be powerful. Repentance is not so much a "stop doing that," as it is a "you may come home and be a peace." Nothing can separate us from our God who longs to have us home...with God...eternally...always within the embrace of God's love for us...even when we cannot picture ourselves as being worthy of being there. Our opinions do not count. God, like the loving father in the story of the prodigal son runs out to greet us and make a fuss over us before we can spit out our excuses or our words of repentance.
Connection: It is always our starting point...always...no other way is the way...always we stand and move within the gracious embrace of our God...even today!!
Welcoming Lord, you keep us close and you pursue us throughout our lives so that we may be a part of the life within your gracious reign. What love you show us and what love is promised to each of us as we stumble through this day or try to make the day our own. You are present and we give you thanks for your steadfast love. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment