He Chose the Malefactor's Cross as His Throne

Here is our latest session for our weekly Adventures in Barth. Thanks to all of you who’ve sent me questions and feedback. For next Monday, we will read up to page 175 in the PDF:

Cd 2

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Show Notes

Summary

The conversation explores the themes of God's love and election, the nature of evil, and the intersection of politics and Christianity. The participants discuss the concept of predestination and how God's choice for humanity is demonstrated through Jesus Christ. They emphasize that evil is not a creation of God but an allowed condition of His creation. They also highlight the importance of focusing on God's determination to be the God of Jesus Christ and not getting consumed by partisan politics. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the second coming and the last judgment, emphasizing that God has already judged evil through the cross. The conversation explores the themes of judgment, condemnation, and the nature of God's love and grace. Marty Folsom emphasizes that the cross is the ultimate judgment, where Jesus takes on the sins and burdens of humanity. He highlights the healing work of Jesus and the exchange of unworthiness for undeserved grace. The conversation also touches on the church's role in condemning others and the importance of communicating the message of no condemnation in Christ. The discussion delves into the concept of misplaced belief and the need to align our faith with the reality of God's unseen work. It concludes with a reflection on the sin of self-righteousness and the transformative power of God's love.

Takeaways

• God's love and election are demonstrated through Jesus Christ.

• Evil is not a creation of God but an allowed condition of His creation.

• Christians should focus on God's determination to be the God of Jesus Christ and not get consumed by partisan politics.

• The second coming and the last judgment are not separate from what happened at the cross. The cross is the ultimate judgment, where Jesus takes on the sins and burdens of humanity.

• Jesus' work is a healing process that involves the exchange of unworthiness for undeserved grace.

• The church should focus on communicating the message of no condemnation in Christ rather than condemning others.

• Belief should be aligned with the reality of God's unseen work and not misplaced in human ideals.

• Self-righteousness is a form of unbelief that hinders us from fully embracing God's love and grace.

Sound Bites

• "God, we can never say God willed evil. It's entirely out of what the doctrine of election even allows to be."

• "To be justified by faith is to be justified by your trust that condemnation and rejection is an impossibility now for you."

• "We should all be profoundly conservative and profoundly liberal in our attentiveness to who Jesus is."

• "The nature of what has happened on the cross is the judgment that lets us know what the outcome is."

• "I'll take all that is unworthy of life and you and me. I will take that and in return I'm going to give you all that you do not deserve."

• "You will know that whatever the world throws at you, I am greater than that. You've been made more than conquerors, overcomers in this life."