“And since then, O Kings and Ladies,
I have been wandering to find him and
my happiness is so great that it even weakens me like a wound.
And this is the marvel of marvels,
that he called me, Beloved,
me who am but as a dog.”
–Emeth, “The Last Battle” C.S. Lewis
The Gospel is an infinite proposition. It just does not exist within some sliding-scale framework. At first, it seems somehow disconcerting or even a little unfair. We think that G_d should just be a little more flexible.
Maybe He should even try to see things our way once in a while….
But then, oh my, we start to get a picture of our own depravity (really bad). And then, we start to get a view towards the Grace of G_d (really good). It is in this space that we shift towards wondering: “Why in the world would He even bother with me?!?” and: “Surely, He can’t love, or stick with me when I screw up; or keep pouring out His Grace when I fail again.”
Enter the whole New Testament… but especially the book of Ephesians!
Let’s just look at Ephesians and parts of Chapter 1
- 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
- 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
- 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
- 13,14 you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
- 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
- 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
- 22,23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
We are so used to “weasel words” when we look at advertisements and contracts and disclaimers and releases and everything else in the world today! But Paul radically departs from that practice as the Holy Spirit speaks through him onto the pages of this letter.
THE GOSPEL HAS NO WEASEL WORDS!
Instead, it communicates the ‘exceeding greatness’ of Who He Is; that in Him we are ‘sealed.’ And that His fullness fills ‘all in all.’
Read it all for yourself (really!). Try to find some weasel words. I triple-dog dare you :-)… betcha can’t find any. Study the book of Ephesians. If you find any places where G_d is weasling out of even one of His promises to us – I will donate a week’s pay* to the charity of your choice.
Dig in reader. Have some fun!
SDG,
scot
* no disclaimer… just messing with you.
Yeah, scot’s got a real job đŸ™‚
Yeah, scot’s got a real job đŸ™‚
