One day with Gerhard Forde from his “Justification by Grace.”
Quoting Robert Jensen & Eric Gritsch
“In terms of God, if the gospel-promise is unconditional and true, the will which is real in that promise must encompass every event whatever. Whether we like it or not, it is a strict implication of the doctrine of justification: whatever happens, happens by God’s will.”
Forde goes on to say that this would included even those “polemical exaggerations” which so offend us. You know how that goes. We proclaim the Good News promise and state how we are justified by God and there will be those questions…usually about Hitler or a serial killer and the like. “Do you mean…” Well…is this statement about our God unconditional & true & real for all time? We say a loud AMEN. For once we begin with our conditional statements and the many limits we would like to put on God’s actions and promises, nothing and no one can stand without being questioned and doubted…for life. This is at the core of what make the Good News foolish to the ears and eyes of the world.
Connection: Keep your ears open to hints of conditional grace in religious conversation…for…remember, that is no grace at all as we hear it within the promises of our God.
Before we act, O Lord, you grace us with your loving presence and embrace us for life. We give you thanks and pray that this day we may once again be free to live in your Reign as you have invited us to do all our lives. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment