Justifying Grace: Movements of Grace (2)

2013/09/22
Romans 3.19-31, with Luke 7.36-50, and Psalm 32

Blaise Pascal:

‘God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God
of Jacob,’

not of philosophers and scholars.

Certainty, certainty, heartfelt,
joy, peace.

God of Jesus Christ.

My God and your God.

…

I have cut
myself off from him, shunned him, denied him, crucified him.

Let me
never be cut off from him!

…

Sweet and
total renunciation.

…

Everlasting joy in return for one
day’s effort on earth.

Memorial, in Pensées, 309-310.

Review:

            3 movements
of grace
            central
movement (justifying grace) a “singularity”
            hourglass
figure
            prevenient:
God’s pursuit, either romance or hunt
            first
thing: in the narrative of grace, “I” am not the subject of the story
            second: God
is gracious, grace is always active

Justifying grace, the central movement, the “cross
purposes of God”.

            Justify a
wrong
            Justify a
checkbook
            Greek word
family also translated “righteous”, “just”

[Foundations of gospel understanding chart]

            Holy, Holy,
Holy
            Human Sin
            Justice

Holy, Holy,
Holy

God is Love
Justification

wrath/mercy,
judgement/atonement

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith
in his blood…. He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so
as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus (Romans
3.25-26).

            the gift is
FREE to us – “justified as a gift” (Romans 3.24)
                        not
deserved or earned
                        but
Jesus paid the full price
            my hope is
built (on nothing less than Jesus’ blood & righteousness)
            “The cross
purposes of God”

My story:

no clear “moment”
uncertainty,
not certainty

Justification in 2-D

            1.         Legal
– Pardon, declared innocent
            2.         Relational
– Peace, reconciled – joy, certainty, embrace
            Hymn: “pardon
for sin and a peace that endureth”

John Wesley:

            heritage
and drive
       Georgia as
missionary
            storm at
sea

In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street,
where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a
quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the
heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did
trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me
that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and
death.

Journal, in
John Wesley

Resources:

Blaise Pascal. Memorial,
in Pensées,
309-310.
John Wesley. Journal,
in John Wesley, Albert Outler, editor.
Also online at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wesley/journal.vi.ii.xvi.html