Thursday, September 24, 2009

Thursday 24 September 2009

Using a bit more Scripture, Willimon continues to pursue the "all" of salvation.

Unlike Calvin, I hear only one side of "double predestination" in this passage of Paul:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6)."
"Destined" sounds coercive, forced. Forced into what? Forced to be "adopted as children"? Sad, when Paul appears to have intended "predestination" as praise for the determination of Christ to be for us "in love," some interpret this to mean that some are locked out. I hear divine endurance and perseverance being stressed in Ephesians 1:3-6, not exclusion. Texts come to mind such as Paul's great hymn to the persistence of God's unifying intent: "[nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). Then there's Matthew's, "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

Destined to be adopted...to be selected...to be picked up...to be found by our God to be beloved. This is the determination of our God. We are to be people washed up by this love that cannot be dismantled or destroyed. It will be a love for us even when we are not able to see how determined our God is about holding on to us in and through all things. What is it behind the need for so many to make sure that some are "locked out?" We are not a club - a dues paying club that is looking for good folk to come in and make the rest of us look respectable. We are the children of our God who makes us into those acceptable to God...by simply loving us without condition and without end. Destined...trust it...we are destined to be God's beloved.

Connection: Well...what is that connection to you...today...as you face all that will come into life around you?

Blessed are you, O God. When you create, you create us as your own. You not only call humanity "good," you also never abandon us when we do not trust what you say about us. We give you thanks for waiting us out...for keeping with your promise. Amen.

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