God Demonstrates His Righteousness

Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)
²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

God demonstrated His righteousness in a judicial, punitive manner by flooding the earth and killing sinners—all people (saving only Noah, his wife, his three sons, and each son’s wife—eight persons). Later, God demonstrated His righteousness in His law which he gave to His people through Moses. The Law spelled out punishments for sins, but also included provisions for atonement in lieu of punishment. Since the flood, God had largely “overlooked” the sins of His people and the nations, not punishing them as He justly might, as He had with the flood.

But God cares about His righteousness. He wants to show the onlooking universe that He does not take sin lightly, that He does not “sweep sin under the carpet”. He wants to demonstrate His justice to the hosts in the heavens. So what does He do? He provides Jesus “as a propitiation by his blood.” The propitiation (Greek hilasterion, or “mercy seat”) is that which God has graciously given, at unfathomable cost to Himself, to reconcile the world to Himself. We are reconciled when we receive His gift by faith.

So God, by His Atonement, has demonstrated His righteousness (i.e., justice) apart from law, that is, instead of a legal or judicial punishment of sin.

And so the onlooking universe responds:

“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped."

Periodic Test

Just checking to see if I can still post.

Secret Things and Inscrutability

How is it that a number of outspoken reformed pastors are so apt at identifying the secret things of God, and declaring what is inscrutable? And if questioned, conjure Romans 9--"who are you to answer back to God"?

Open Theism Paper

Here is a link to a paper on open theism that I found interesting:

http://www.opentheism.info/pdf/erdman/open_theism.pdf

Test

It's been quite a while since I last posted. Just testing to see if I remember how.

Rationalistic, a definition

Rationalistic--applying reason where I don't.

Glorified, Reigning, Seated in the heavenlies in/with Christ

ESV Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

ESV Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved-6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

ESV Colossians 3:4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

ESV 1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful- for he cannot deny himself.

ESV Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

ESV 2 Timothy 2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;