Christ, in his faithfulness, saves us – Gal 2:15-21

Preaching on Christ's faith as part of a Year of Faith retreat for Old College.

We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners. 

As we know that no-one is justified by works of the Law but through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, we also have come to faith in Christ Jesus in order that we may be made righteous by the faith of Christ and not from works of the Law, since no flesh is made righteous by works of the Law.

But if while seeking to be made righteous in Christ, we are also found to be sinners: is Christ then a servant of sin?

By no means!

For if I build up the very things I tore down, then I show myself to be a transgressor.

For, through the Law, I died to the Law, that I might live in God.

I have been crucified with Christ.

I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

The life I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.

I do not treat God’s free gift as worthless, for if righteousness is through the Law, then Christ died for nothing.

~~

There’s an old joke about two Irish laborers who are repairing a road.  On the street, there are several buildings, including a house of ‘ill repute.’  One day, they look up from their digging to see the local Protestant minister going into the house.  “Outrageous!” one exclaims.  “And to think he’s meant to be a man of God!”  The next day, they see the local rabbi going in and the laborers are similarly shocked and murmur to each other as they return to their shoveling.  The next day, the local Catholic priest walks into the house.  “Oh now, would you look at that,” says one of the laborers.  “One of those poor girls must have died.”

God loves us disproportionately – Matt 5:38-48

Continuing the series on the Sermon on the Mount for Old College with the last two antitheses.

You have heard it said: “An eye for an eye” and “a tooth for a tooth.”

But, I say to you, do not oppose the evil-doer, but to whoever strikes your right cheek, offer the other.

And to whoever wants to sue you and take your tunic, give up also your cloak.

And with whoever wants to force you to go one mile, go two. 

Give to whoever asks of you, and from someone wanting to borrow from you, do not turn aside.

You have heard it said: “You shall love your neighbor” and you shall hate your enemy.

But I say to you: love your enemies and pray for your persecutors, so that you will become children of your Father in heaven, since he makes the sun rise on the evil and the good and makes it rain on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more do you have?  Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Therefore, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

~~

The sun produces energy at a rate of 400 Yotta-Watts, that’s 400 Yotta Joules each second, that’s 4 with 26 zeroes after it.  That’s the equivalent of this: if every man, woman and child on God’s green earth had their own nuclear power plant, and ran it for fifteen years, the total amount of energy produced would be the same as what the sun produces each second. That’s powerful.  That’s energetic.  That’s a tiny fraction of God’s action in the world, of God’s love, of God’s grace.  God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good.