Some snippets from a Bible Study on Colossians I'm leading here in Worcester:
What is God up to?
The first 14 verses talk of fathers, brothers, and sons, and it struck me:
God is creating a new family; or perhaps, God is re-creating an old family that was torn apart by a disobedient younger son , but was reconciled by an obedient older son.
As such, the legal court is not the primary arena of our relationship to God. Remember Kirk:
The story is actually a family drama, about a loving Father who has sought after his wayward sons and daughters and acted with astonishing grace to reconcile them to himself. When Paul writes "God our Father" in his letter to the church in Colossae, he really means it.
***
How about this for a definition of "faith in Christ Jesus": entrusting oneself to Jesus's reign. [?]
I like it because it steers clear of the "mental assent" trap and it also incorporates those passages of faith in the Gospels that we're not quite sure what to do with. For example, what did it mean for the centurion to have faith pre-cross--resurrection? Well, good reader, it meant that he entrusted himself to Jesus's reign! He brought himself under the authority of Jesus, confident that this figure of authority would act powerfully for the good of his servant. The same was true for all of the other recipients of Jesus's mighty works, and the same is true for us who stand in the shadow of cross--resurrection. Faith in Jesus means entrusting ourselves to the reign of Jesus, which is a reign of servanthood and self-giving love on our behalf and a reign which compels us to do likewise.
This is why faith and love are inseparable.
***
It's all a bit hazy at the moment, but hopefully something vaguely coherent is coming through.
What is God up to?
The first 14 verses talk of fathers, brothers, and sons, and it struck me:
God is creating a new family; or perhaps, God is re-creating an old family that was torn apart by a disobedient younger son , but was reconciled by an obedient older son.
As such, the legal court is not the primary arena of our relationship to God. Remember Kirk:
The story of the universe is not a court drama.
The story is actually a family drama, about a loving Father who has sought after his wayward sons and daughters and acted with astonishing grace to reconcile them to himself. When Paul writes "God our Father" in his letter to the church in Colossae, he really means it.
***
How about this for a definition of "faith in Christ Jesus": entrusting oneself to Jesus's reign. [?]
I like it because it steers clear of the "mental assent" trap and it also incorporates those passages of faith in the Gospels that we're not quite sure what to do with. For example, what did it mean for the centurion to have faith pre-cross--resurrection? Well, good reader, it meant that he entrusted himself to Jesus's reign! He brought himself under the authority of Jesus, confident that this figure of authority would act powerfully for the good of his servant. The same was true for all of the other recipients of Jesus's mighty works, and the same is true for us who stand in the shadow of cross--resurrection. Faith in Jesus means entrusting ourselves to the reign of Jesus, which is a reign of servanthood and self-giving love on our behalf and a reign which compels us to do likewise.
This is why faith and love are inseparable.
***
It's all a bit hazy at the moment, but hopefully something vaguely coherent is coming through.
No comments:
Post a Comment