God's Total Victory

[Note: Next week I'll be with our Youth group on a ski trip to Colorado;
I'm not sure whether I'll be able to send Morning Reflections]

Thursday, March 15, 2007 -- Week of 3 Lent

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 954)
Psalms [83] or 42, 43 (morning) // 85, 86 (evening)
Jeremiah 10:11-24
Romans 5:12-21
John 8:21-32

Paul exercises a technique of rabbinical teaching and debate today, arguing from the lesser to the greater. The sequence of logic poses a crecendo of significance. If the lesser is true, how much more true and greater will the latter be.

In this passage Adam is the lesser and Jesus Christ is the greater. If Adam..., how much more Jesus Christ....

If Adam's sin brought universal death, how much more will Jesus Christ bring universal life. "Therefore just as one man's trespass (Adam) led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness (Jesus) leads to justification and life for all."

In another passage, the word "the many" means everyone, i.e. everyone was made sinners. "For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous... (W)here sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Paul is saying that the victory of Christ will be complete. If Adam's sin has the effect of bringing physical death to every human being, how much more will Christ's faithfulness bring eternal life to every human being. When Paul considers the wonder and power of God working through Christ, he can see it only in universal terms. God will be completely triumphant. Nothing and no one will be lost. This is the great gift of God. Justification by grace.

For Paul the main question is whether we will live out of this generous spirit of grace or remain in bondage to our own pride. Salvation is a sheer gift and is a gift for all. There is a tension in Paul's thought between the universality of the gift of God and Paul's awareness that not every one comes to faith. The gift has to be accepted before it has any effect. For him, disobedience is the refusal to accept justification by grace through faith; it is continuing to live as if the gift of life is something to be worked for.

Despite that tension, Paul seems to believe that God will find a way to achieve complete victory. Later, in Chapter 11, he will address the dilemma that God's chosen people Israel have, for the most part, refused to accept justification by grace through faith. But he reasons that Israel's stumbling only "means riches for Gentiles," the extension of the Gospel beyond Judaism. Again his high optimism triumphs, as he imagines a future for the Jews -- if their failure meant such blessing for Gentiles, "how much more will their full inclusion mean!"

God will triumph universally. How God will manage that, Paul is not sure. But that God will manage it is manifestly apparent. If Adam...; how much more Christ...

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

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We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.