The opening piece is from “Union with Christ” – The New Finnish Interpretation of Luther.
…Luther’s idea of Christ as the form of faith and his doctrine of justification are inseparable. The Reformer says, “Christ who is grasped by faith and who lives in the heart is the Christian righteousness, on account of which God counts us righteous and gives us eternal life as gift… Therefore faith justifies because it takes hold of and possesses this treasure, the present Christ.”
Do you notice how we are, in many ways, out of the picture when it comes to justification? It is not about us. It is about the one in whom we place our trust…the one who is a gift to us. Yesterday we took a look at how “justification by grace through faith” plays a central part in our discussion and consideration of same-sex unions and the blessing of those in the church. If we start from the gift that is given to us all and begin to go at the tough discussions of life as though we are all in union with Christ, we may not agree on how we view something or even how we want to act…but we may be a bit more gracious in our conversations and in the day to day life we share together. What a gift we have…and yet how often we leave it behind when we walk together in the Church.
Connection: Yes, Christ is present…and we are invited to share in the wealth of the day as he continues to be Lord of all things.
Lord, as you continue to bring us into an encounter with your gracious Reign, open our hearts that we will trust the power of your presence throughout this day. Amen
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