The human need for the SHOCK VALUE of a Resurrectionary Demonstration, or, the RECREATIVE POWER of putting “Humpty Dumpty” together again

“For where there is a covenant, it is necessary to bring in the death of the one getting covenanted, for a covenant is confirmed over the dead, since it is not availing at any time when the one getting covenanted is living” (Hebrews 9:16-17). Why is that? Well, for the elegantly simple reason that until and unless the innocent covenant victim (“the one getting covenanted”) is unjustly slain, God’s just judgment cannot kick in to fulfill the otherwise empty promise that was covenanted—in this case, namely, THE INHERITANCE OF THE AGELONG ALLOTMENT OF GOD’S ROYAL ESTATE, i.e., HIS KINGDOM AS A REWARD! So not until the Lamb of God died (thus, in effect, losing out on God’s personally covenanted and vouchsafed (by oaths!) promises to him, could God be roused to overcome the humanly irreparable loss by exerting His recreative power to…PUT “HUMPTY DUMPTY” BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. The wrongful slaying of the innocent Lamb was the necessary occasion for God to act to fulfill His oath and promises and thereby display the full MIGHT OF HIS RIGHTEOUS POWER. And if we suppose this to be unnecessary for His own name’s or reputation’s sake, then we are forgetting our human need for such proof in order to start to grasp the worth and value of the salvation being offered and thereby start to loosen our grasp on unworthy substitutes. Such a demonstration has SHOCK VALUE! Sullied, jaded, and distracted as we all are, WE NEED THIS! [11/12/07]

If the blood of the sacrifices always signified the living soul of the resurrected Jesus, then we might conclude that the soul of Jesus REALLY GETS AROUND! AND THAT WOULD BE CORRECT. Wherever his Holy Spirit shows up, you find the soul of Jesus, as it were. That is, you find his “personal presence,” “personality,” or “character.”  [11/13/07]

God “IMPUTES” RIGHTEOUSNESS to us not because we are righteous, but because we are going to be. How can He possibly do this and still be righteous Himself (an old question raised to increased prominence by the Protestant Reformation)? He can do this—He can declare sinners (“the guilty”) as “righteous” IF THEY HAVE FAITH IN MESSIAH JESUS—BECAUSE FAITH IS THE OPEN CHANNEL FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ENTER AND WALK US INTO AN AUTHENTIC, EMPIRICAL, VISIBLE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOOD ACTIONS THAT FAR, FAR EXCEEDS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OF OLD (a virtue which Jesus seems to assume would be visible to ordinary observers!  [4/06/16]). FAITH OPENS THE DOOR FOR GOD’S VERY OWN SPIRIT TO MAKE US ACTUALLY RIGHTEOUS AS SONS OF GOD, FOR THIS IS GOD’S EXACT GOAL FOR EVERY ONE OF US DURING OUR SOJOURN ON THIS EARTH IN THIS CURRENT VICIOUS AGE, WHERE TO DO GOOD AND RIGHTEOUS ACTS IS TO STAND OUT AND INVITE SCORN, ENVY, RIDICULE, NOT TO ADD OUTRIGHT HATRED FOR MAKING OTHERS LOOK BAD BY COMPARISON. THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS WE LIVE IN “EXPECTATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Galatians 5:5), WHICH MEANS TO HAVE FAITH IS ONLY A BARE START, QUITE LITERALLY, BUT THE RIGHT START, SINCE FAITH (TO ACCORD WITH GOD’S GRACIOUSNESS) IS NOT A WORK OR ACTIVITY AT ALL—IT IS NAKED OF ACTS, BUT YET IT IS THE ONLY—ABSOLUTELY ONLY WAY TO START PRODUCING THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH CONSTITUTE “OUR” “RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM JEHOVAH”! AND WE DIDN’T GET THIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, THIS SPIRIT OF WHOLESOMENESS, WHICH IS THE SPIRIT OF JEHOVAH BY WORKS OF THE TORAH (circumcision, Sabbath keeping, food regulations), BUT BY FAITH ALONE. (In the following passages, I specify the most pertinent verses within the larger running contexts that are germane to the above topic: I Corinthians 1:30-31, Galatians 2:21-, 3:6-14-21-26-29, 4:6-19-29-, 5:5-16-18-25-, 6:8-15-16, 2 Corinthians 3:1-6-8-9-17-18-, 4:7-11-16-, 5:4-5-21-, 6:6-14, 7:1, 9:8-10, Ephesians 4:23-24, 5:9, Philippians 1:11, 3:9-16, 1 Timothy 3:16, 1 John 1:9, 2:1, 29, 3:7, 10, 12, 4:11-13, 5:3-4, 1 Peter 2:24, 3:14, 2 Peter 1:1-, 2:20-21, 3:13) [11/13/17]

True Justice sorts out the respective glories of Christ’s Cross and Resurrection

God’s attitude toward the continuation of miracles into our present time appears to be that ‘one good Resurrection deserves another’!  It’s “graciousness upon graciousness”  (John 1:16).  [7/1/00]

Is the Cross or the Resurrection the locus of our salvation?  Has our theological tradition misplaced our redemption?  This may seem a small matter for those of us who have become accustomed to talking about the Cross of Christ as a saving event.  It may seem small in comparison with the revolution we must effect and endure in order to give Messiah’s Resurrection back the glory that properly belongs to it alone.  But unless we are willing to risk the wrath of human theologians as we strive to correct our inherited “doctrine of the Atonement,” we are no nobler than those who habitually (I had almost said superstitiously) defend the Anselmian or Calvinistic theories of atonement.  These approaches, however, only perpetuate the kindred muffling of the true glory of the Cross of Jesus.  Much, therefore, is lost unless we alter our ways of explaining, teaching, and proclaiming to conform more radically to Scripture.  [7/4/00]

Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.  The Biblical worldview frames that kind of death as a grave injustice, since Jesus was just and righteous without measure.  Hence followed the subsequent revelation of God’s ultimate justice at his Resurrection.  But what of the martyrs?  And what of our own suffering of abuse that happens not to be for our own sins?  The appalling judgments against ancient Israel (see the Former and Latter Prophets and Psalms!) were for their heinous sins.  But more poignant and puzzling, what does “suffering abuse because of righteousness” (1 Peter 3:14) achieve?  Is this for the salvation of others?  Is this that “fellowship of his suffering of abuses” (Phil. 3:10)–that “filling up in my flesh, in his stead, the deficiencies of the afflictions of Christ for his body, which is the church…” (Col. 1:24)?  Does it also assist in bringing salvation to the world?  [12/09/00]