Great post. I run a recovery meeting that is based on the simple concept of confession and forgiveness. We spend the first half of the meeting in self-examination in preparation for a time of silent confession to God. The second half of the meeting begins with a proclamation of forgiveness, followed by some reflections on the implications of being forgiven.
It is a powerful pattern, one summarized by Jesus' message to "repent and believe".
My church body emphasizes the "Great Exchange" on the cross as the purest form of gospel. However, Jesus doesn't spend a lot of time breaking down the metaphysics of forgiveness. He says simple things like, "neither do I condemn you," or "your faith has healed you." Faith in what, exactly? Not the great exchange. Because it hadn't happened yet. Nor does Jesus explain it in the moment.
And then you have Peter so confused about the metaphysics of forgiveness that he appears to be positively screaming at Jesus that he won't let the crucifixion happen on his watch. [But, we and the rooster all know how that went)
Jesus disposition to love and forgive is so ingrained, and so unconditional, that even understanding how it works isn't a condition to receiving it.
Coming clean about sin is an act of faith in the grace and mercy of God, acknowledging that I can't save myself and putting myself, in fear and trembling, in the hands of the One I most want to hide from, to deal with me as He will. This kind of faith in God is honored in both Testaments, no matter the implicit atonement theories behind it.
The second half of David's life is a series of consequences more dire than the first half when he was facing a murderous giant in his youth and running from a murderous king almost into his middle age. And then in his supposed-to-be golden years, he causes catastrophe to come upon his own people by his taking a census, then incest and rape occur in his own family, and his apparent mishandling of these things eventually leads to a harrowing, narrow escape from death at the hands of his own son for whom he grieved when he was saved by his remaining loyal and valiant men. "Absalom, O' Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you!" And David's grief nearly started another rebellion. Finally, in his withered old age, he lies in the bosom of a nubile young virgin brought in to keep the dying king warm in his bed, and the once manly and virile king whose murderous lust for another man's wife had brought so much calamity upon himself and all of Israel could do nothing but die in her arms.
But knowing all this would transpire, the LORD had promised David an Eternal Kingdom and from David's own loins an Eternal King . . . and the LORD kept His Promise in Jesus Christ!
Oof. So true, the biggest battles and the one's he lost weren't against outside forces and people. They were against his own sinful flesh. And yet, a man after God's own heart. OH MERCY, OH GLORY, indeed!
Great post. I run a recovery meeting that is based on the simple concept of confession and forgiveness. We spend the first half of the meeting in self-examination in preparation for a time of silent confession to God. The second half of the meeting begins with a proclamation of forgiveness, followed by some reflections on the implications of being forgiven.
It is a powerful pattern, one summarized by Jesus' message to "repent and believe".
My church body emphasizes the "Great Exchange" on the cross as the purest form of gospel. However, Jesus doesn't spend a lot of time breaking down the metaphysics of forgiveness. He says simple things like, "neither do I condemn you," or "your faith has healed you." Faith in what, exactly? Not the great exchange. Because it hadn't happened yet. Nor does Jesus explain it in the moment.
And then you have Peter so confused about the metaphysics of forgiveness that he appears to be positively screaming at Jesus that he won't let the crucifixion happen on his watch. [But, we and the rooster all know how that went)
Jesus disposition to love and forgive is so ingrained, and so unconditional, that even understanding how it works isn't a condition to receiving it.
Coming clean about sin is an act of faith in the grace and mercy of God, acknowledging that I can't save myself and putting myself, in fear and trembling, in the hands of the One I most want to hide from, to deal with me as He will. This kind of faith in God is honored in both Testaments, no matter the implicit atonement theories behind it.
"Yes, there are consequences . . . "
The second half of David's life is a series of consequences more dire than the first half when he was facing a murderous giant in his youth and running from a murderous king almost into his middle age. And then in his supposed-to-be golden years, he causes catastrophe to come upon his own people by his taking a census, then incest and rape occur in his own family, and his apparent mishandling of these things eventually leads to a harrowing, narrow escape from death at the hands of his own son for whom he grieved when he was saved by his remaining loyal and valiant men. "Absalom, O' Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you!" And David's grief nearly started another rebellion. Finally, in his withered old age, he lies in the bosom of a nubile young virgin brought in to keep the dying king warm in his bed, and the once manly and virile king whose murderous lust for another man's wife had brought so much calamity upon himself and all of Israel could do nothing but die in her arms.
But knowing all this would transpire, the LORD had promised David an Eternal Kingdom and from David's own loins an Eternal King . . . and the LORD kept His Promise in Jesus Christ!
OH MERCY!
OH GLORY!
Oof. So true, the biggest battles and the one's he lost weren't against outside forces and people. They were against his own sinful flesh. And yet, a man after God's own heart. OH MERCY, OH GLORY, indeed!
That’s part of the beauty of praying the Jesus Prayer - Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. It’s straight to the point.