QC and SG accountability (13/10/17)
I asked how we might respond to this meme:
My thought is that an adequate Christian response will not be immediately obvious, because, factually speaking, the meme is not incorrect. However, it presents God/Jesus as unreasonable and demanding. The implication is that all would be well if only He did not knock to be ask to be let in.
In the first place, the verse (Rev 3:20) to which the picture refers is directed to a church (i.e. Christians, not to non-Christians). The Bible presents not only a picture of invitation to be saved, but also of the sovereign power and right of God to save.
The main wrong assumption involved in this meme is that mankind is perfectly fine when left alone by God. The meme does not acknowledge the grave sin of man against God that justifies our condemnation. So mankind is not in a neutral position - we are already condemned (Jn 3:18), and God the righteous Judge reaches out in mercy to extend salvation to us.
Grace asked on behalf of her youth cell how it was that God could be 'fair' if He punished Christ for sins we had committed. We all did agree that God was not 'fair' as we see fairness. He is unfailingly just. He is most concerned to establish His righteousness in justifying us (Rom 3:21-26). But He also sovereignly (Ro 9:14-16) decides whom He will show mercy (= "unfairness", but in a good way) to.
We look back to the dual nature of Christ - He must be truly human to be a fit representative for humanity, but He must be truly divine in order to bear the infinite wrath of the Father. In the almost unimaginable transaction (2 Co 5:18-21) God allows us to participate in, we not only have our sins punished and paid for on the Cross, but we also receive the imputed righteousness of Christ (Ro 1:17) received by faith in His work. If Christ were sinful He might have still been able to take our punishment, but only because He was fully righteous can we now participate in His righteousness. So his sinless life is the necessary counterpart to His atoning death.
As we remember the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in a few short weeks we remember the power of the truth of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. To this day some teach that we need both the grace of God and the effort/worth of man to enter heaven. We who are humbly and joyfully Protestant know that this theology can never lead to assurance of salvation, for who can be sure of his sinlessness? But we stand with the reformers in recognizing and being grateful for the truth of our certain hope of heaven in Christ!
My thought is that an adequate Christian response will not be immediately obvious, because, factually speaking, the meme is not incorrect. However, it presents God/Jesus as unreasonable and demanding. The implication is that all would be well if only He did not knock to be ask to be let in.
In the first place, the verse (Rev 3:20) to which the picture refers is directed to a church (i.e. Christians, not to non-Christians). The Bible presents not only a picture of invitation to be saved, but also of the sovereign power and right of God to save.
The main wrong assumption involved in this meme is that mankind is perfectly fine when left alone by God. The meme does not acknowledge the grave sin of man against God that justifies our condemnation. So mankind is not in a neutral position - we are already condemned (Jn 3:18), and God the righteous Judge reaches out in mercy to extend salvation to us.
Grace asked on behalf of her youth cell how it was that God could be 'fair' if He punished Christ for sins we had committed. We all did agree that God was not 'fair' as we see fairness. He is unfailingly just. He is most concerned to establish His righteousness in justifying us (Rom 3:21-26). But He also sovereignly (Ro 9:14-16) decides whom He will show mercy (= "unfairness", but in a good way) to.
We look back to the dual nature of Christ - He must be truly human to be a fit representative for humanity, but He must be truly divine in order to bear the infinite wrath of the Father. In the almost unimaginable transaction (2 Co 5:18-21) God allows us to participate in, we not only have our sins punished and paid for on the Cross, but we also receive the imputed righteousness of Christ (Ro 1:17) received by faith in His work. If Christ were sinful He might have still been able to take our punishment, but only because He was fully righteous can we now participate in His righteousness. So his sinless life is the necessary counterpart to His atoning death.
As we remember the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in a few short weeks we remember the power of the truth of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. To this day some teach that we need both the grace of God and the effort/worth of man to enter heaven. We who are humbly and joyfully Protestant know that this theology can never lead to assurance of salvation, for who can be sure of his sinlessness? But we stand with the reformers in recognizing and being grateful for the truth of our certain hope of heaven in Christ!
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