What is more amazing about the gospel is that God is at peace with humanity, through the obedience of Christ, the second Adam.
It is part of the good news that was almost never mentioned in the first half of my life, and now I see the peace that God declared with sinners and the benifits of the gospel to the whole world.
The gospel of the peace of God towards sinners does not take sin lightly, its penalty was paid by Christ, and its power, the law was fulfilled in Christ, and the personal transformation that takes place when we realize we are loved and accepted unconditionally as sinners is the power of the Gospel that does not degenerate into pride and presumption. Its not, I found it, but He gave it.
3 comments:
Faith no longer needed? Or am I misunderstanding what you wrote?
Bob, Still thinking through the idea that saving faith is the "faith of Christ", and though we try to keep it seperate, any use of "I am saved by putting my faith in Jesus, and believing it leads to misapplication of the gospel of peace. God is angry until we believe, our belief changes our destiny. We have been reconciled in the finished work of Christ. An angry God does not show mercy and unconditional love because we believe, whatever you call our reception into that finished work, calling it 'our faith response' leads to confusion, did my faith save me? You are an unbeliever and therefore outside the love and mercy of God, unless you believe. Other implications would follow.
That is certainly one way to look at it Don. Another option is to see salvation as an invitation to return God's love through faith. God does not have to be seen as angry but simply one wanting our friendship. And one who will not force himself on us. I think that it is possible to see humans as ones destined for a natural death unless they by faith accept God's invitation and are born into eternity through the Spirit.
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