One In Jesus

Let’s get back to where we started: grace and baptism. Here’s the difficult thought that we need to wrestle to the ground: How can grace forgive sin (including doctrinal error — but not a lack of faith in Jesus) and not condone sin?

Recall the earlier post seeking to answer this question in relational terms. In relational terms, the answer is easy. If my child violates my instructions, he has sinned against me. But unless he is in rebellion against me — persistent rebellion evidence a lack of love and submission that is not going to get better — I won’t disown him as my child.

So does letting my son who made a mistake remain in my family somehow condone the sin? Obviously, not. On the other hand, he may suffer some very unpleasant discipline. As a good parent, I want to raise him to be obedient. Continue reading →

Let’s talk about justification by faith. What does that mean? We’ve talked at length about faith, but not justification. But doesn’t it just mean “saved”? No, it does not. Rather, it means —

The acquittal, or declaration of being righteous, before God as judge. It is a central aspect of Paul’s understanding of what God achieved for believers through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Manzer & McGrath, Eds., “Justification,” Dictionary of Biblical Themes (2012).

BDAG, the most respected lexicon of biblical Greek, says,

of God be found in the right, be free of charges (cp. TestAbr A 13 p. 93, 14 [Stone p. 34] ‘be vindicated’ in a trial by fire) Mt 12:37 (opp. καταδικάζειν). δεδικαιωμένος Lk 18:14; GJs 5:1; δεδικαιωμένη (Salome) 20:4 (not pap). Ac 13:39 (but s. 3 below); Rv 22:11 v.l; Dg 5:14.—Paul, who has influenced later wr[iters]. (cp. Iren. 3, 18, 7 [Harv. II 102, 2f]), uses the word almost exclusively of God’s judgment. As affirmative verdict Ro 2:13. Esp. of pers. δικαιοῦσθαι …

Thayer’s defines “justify” as —

to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be, (cf. ὁμοιόω to declare to be like, liken, i. e. compare; ὁσιόω, Sap. 6:11 ; ἀξιόω ,which never means to make worthy, but to judge worthy, to declare worthy, to treat as worthy; …)

Think about it. If “justification” is not the forgiveness itself but the declaration of a judge that I’m acquitted — innocent, really — then what does “justified by faith” mean? Well, it means that my faith evidences my acquittal. Not my circumcision, not my kosher diet, not even my scrupulous keeping of the Sabbath. My faith in Jesus declares to the world that God has acquitted me! Continue reading →

I have a confession to make. For decades, I was convinced that grace does not extend to baptismal error. After all, faith is non-negotiable. Why shouldn’t baptism be the same?

Not too many years ago, it became obvious to me that this isn’t true — indeed, can’t be true. But why? And how to explain?

I think it comes down to the fact that faith permeates the scriptures far more than I’ve been able to explain. Well, I covered the elements of the arguments over the years, but I’ve never tied it all together. Continue reading →

Grace is not an easy concept for most people. To some, it sounds like what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace.” From his The Cost of Discipleship,

cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.

But grace is not cheap grace. Like the Pearl of Great Price (Matt 14:45-46), it costs everything, even though it’s free.

(Mat 13:45-46 ESV) “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, ⁴⁶ who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Which I admit is a little confusing. Continue reading →