Key feature: we DO NOT know very much about God (because He is perfect and eternal; that is why we worship Him alone!!!). Our language is too weak and limited to capture Him and our minds too limited to grasp Him. That said, we do know some things and can grasp some things and can enter into relationship with God.
My initial posts pointed out the limitations of the law and courtroom to explain salvation. Guilt and innocence are certianly most appropriate concepts and models; but like every ANALOGY they hide as much as they reveal.
My next focus is on Brides. Derek Leman http://yeshuaincontext.com/ was with us again Sunday. (He is a Messianic rabbi and great speaker. I suggest you take a peak at his books.) He had us look at Hosea. An ancient prophet, his wife was a prostitute and his prophetic message was a few chapters of words and many years living the actual message. A painful, awful thing it was, too! The idea of adultery or infidelity is central to the biblical understanding of sin. There are places where the law court is used, writs of divorce are mentioned in various places, but there is another image of sin/marital infidelity, as well. The image of a returning wife being re-eatablished in he place is not simply a law court. In this image of salvation there is no mention of sacrifice or imputation of righteousness. However, the image is just as legitimate in explaining (another facet of) salvation. From this angle, relationship of husband and wife, and not legal relationships, is vital and central. Reading Revelation for a funeral I am preaching today the 'Bride' motif was dominant in that reading.
I am married. I have counseled married couples since 1984. I have intereacted with married couples my whole life. Marriage is hard. Most marriages are not very good. A significant number fail. Even the best marriages are still painful and challenging (and even the worst have moments of blissful joy). Marriage is a great blessing and the source of much of our identity. Marriage is about dying to self in loving the other. Marriage is love producing new life (kids, a whole new set of joys and challenges and pain).
Human marriage is made of two fallible humans (One male, One female). The two are not equal. They are different in myriad ways and have different strength and weakness. In a democracy of two one vote is worth more, so marriage is about handing over power. There is strong feelings opposing patriarchy but I would argue that the only alternative is matriarchy. The ancient model is obviously patriarchal. In it, God is the "Man" and He is in charge. The church is the woman and she views her spouse as her master. HOWEVER, God loves His wife and rules her as one who sacrifices Himself in love. That is why He can rule her and she can be secure (and it is why Fundamentalists men can do a poor job, forgetting submission to their authority is grounded in the cross/love).
Reconciliation of spouses is always a gift. In our experience both partners are always wrong (about something). We forgive one another as persons who are imperfect. This is radically different with God. Our (and it is "us" i.e. the WHOLE church who is the Spouse of Christ/God) failure as wife is bridged by His acceptance of us, but He has never done wrong. It is always and only our fault. Regardles, this analogy is a marital reconciliation. There will be endless 'suffering' (guilt, shame, breaking bad habits, letting go of the lovers and becoming a good wife) and the process will be hard work. And there is nothing we can do to make our Husband/Lord receive us back. It is all grace, but coming back and asking forgiveness is not optional so human activity is part of the deal.
In other cases salvation is simply marriage. We are in love and taken by God. He choose us but we also choose Him. In this case, salvation is focused most on relationship. It is about grace, yes, but it is about how we live together and view one another. The creator God views us in an intimate way and we respond in kind. Salvation as marriage (or marital reconciliation) Another angle, some different elements. It certainly fills out things missing in other models, but it is still limited.
No comments:
Post a Comment