Thursday, March 16, 2006

Good Morning

 

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 5:11-12 ; 196-198 in Barclay, stop at "The Song of All Creation"

 

-- short passage again today.

 

-- just realized that yesterday's notes were actually about today's lessons -- I skipped ahead apparently to write about the song of the angels.  So what I'm going to do today is the previous one, which is the "Song of the Living Creatures and the Elders."  Tomorrow, we'll have the "Song of all Creation" section.

 

-- as Barclay notes, the song in this section celebrates the effects or the outcome of Jesus's death - the idea it was sacrifice, that it was for everyone, and that it gave us access to God that previously was not available to man.

 

-- the thing I found interesting in this section was one of Barclay's comments -- he notes that Christ's death bought us freedom -- his death redeemed or ransomed us, and notes several passages where that language is used.  Then he makes the remark that the New Testament consistently tells us that we are redeemed or ransomed by Christ's death, but that there isn't any "official" explanation in the New Testament about how that effect is achieved.

 

-- I find that confusing because I really thought that the New Testament really did tell us how that happens -- this is actually a case where our Narnia study is instructive -- in Narnia, there was an Deep Magic that said traitors had to be punished, but there was also part of the Deep Magic that that person could be redeemed if someone else took their place. That is the first part of the plan, and that is what Aslan did for Peter.  In Narnia, you had the second part of that story, which held that there was an even deeper magic at work when someone who was blameless and laid down their life for someone else, which led to Aslan's return from the dead.

 

-- All that said, I thought that the way this salvation plan worked and was explaned is almost like accounting (not to make it trite) - everyone has sinned, and a price must be paid for that sin (we have a debit that is owed) -- that Jesus lived and died without sin, he was perfectly obedient to God, and thus he didn't owe any price for sin (he has a credit), and that if we believe in him, his divinity, and that he is the son of God, and do his will, then he will use part of his credit to offset our debit, canceling our debt.  That might not be very theological, but that is my understanding from reading the New Testament.  I don't understand what Barclay means when he says that the New Testament doesn't have an "official" explanation of how this whole salvation thing works -- I'm not tracking with him there.  Am I missing something?

 

Today's Scripture

Consequentially, just as the results of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

Romans 5:18

Today's prayer requests:   Brigitte Severance's co-worker Angie

Last week doctors found a brain tumor sitting on top of her brain stem.  She flew to the Mayo Clinic yesterday, having an MRI today and surgery on Monday.  Need to remember her and her family as she faces this surgery and recovery.

Also Brigitte's grandmother, Margaret Rose, who has been on our prayer list is doing better - getting up on a walker, but still unable to put any wait on her right leg.

Today's class member prayer:

Brandon Herring

Have a great day.

Jay