Jeff in red:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hughes Jonathan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 16:13
Subject: RE: [TruthTalk] 613 Commands
it better but my drawing skills are quite suspect.
Creation -->Grace--> The Fall -->Grace--> Law -->Grace--> Failure to uphold the law --> Grace
enters in Jesus Christ
The usual method of thinking about this is to follow the word picture
above. Creation occurs, and the Fall takes place. The law is given in
order to help humankind climb back to God. Humankind fails at upholding
the law so God sends plan B: Jesus Christ. Grace enters the world in
the Person of Jesus Christ. Now we identify with Christ instead of the
law. Retroactively grace is now extended back to those who followed the
law, and even back to Adam himself. A mutually exclusive split is
created between the law and grace.
Lance is attempting to communicate something radically different. He is
stating that grace is always present before law.
Lance's/My version would be more like the following: Grace is not an
aspect of who God is, not something to be squeezed out upon us but
rather God Himself. Grace is present in who God is. The Fall does not
change God into having to deliver a new way for us to relate to Him. It
was always through grace. Grace is given to enable Israel prior to the
giving of the law. This is why Lance mentions the paragraph prior to
the decalogue in Exodus. It is God telling Israel who He is. It can
all be wrapped up in a single word: grace. Recognizing humankind's
failure God continues to be gracious by sending us His Son. It is a
circular way of viewing things instead of the linear concept above. It
is also a wholesome concept in the sense that it is not attempting to
drive a wedge between law and grace. Rather, they are intertwined with
grace coming first.
Note Lance's other post today which was a quote from Karl Barth's
'Dogmatics in Outline', a small gem of a book. Take another read of
this portion:
"Gospel and law are not to be separated; they are one, in such a way
that the gospel is the primary thing; that the glad tidings are first in
the field and, as such, include the law. Because God is for us, we may
also be for Him. Because He has given Himself to us we may also in
gratitude give Him the trifle which we have to give. To hold to God thus
always means that we receive everything wholly from God and so are
wholly active for Him."
Does this help explain what Lance is talking about? I hope one can see
that there was no mention of being covered by grace or a criticism of
the law itself. There was also no license given to live as we want.
Jonathan Hughes
Too cool! I can do whatever I want and live however I choose 'cuz I'm
covered by grace!!!!
K.
The indicatives of Grace always preceed the imperatives of Law. Take a
look at the paragraph just prior to the decalogue in Exodus.
Lance
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"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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