Jesus Christ is the Will of God

Hi Folks,

Here is the prayer by Barth with which we began on Monday:

“Lord our God, when we are afraid, do not permit us to doubt! When we are disappointed, let us not become bitter! When we have fallen, do not leave us lying down! When we have come to the end of our understanding and our powers, do not leave us to die! No, let us then feel your nearness and your love, that you have promised to those whose hearts are humble and broken, and who fear your Word.”

For this coming Monday, we will read up page number 162 in the PDF, which ends with part 3, “The eternal will of God in the election of Jesus Christ is His will to give Himself for the sake of man as created by Him and fallen from Him.”

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Cd 2

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Show Notes

Summary

In this conversation, the participants discuss the concept of the eternal will of God in the election of Jesus Christ. They explore the idea that God's will is revealed through Jesus and that the nature of God is love. They emphasize the importance of understanding God's will in light of Jesus and not speculating about it based on personal desires or interpretations. The conversation also touches on the relationship between time, eternity, and God's presence. Overall, the participants highlight the need to ground our understanding of God's will in the person of Jesus Christ. In this conversation, Jason Micheli, Marty Folsom, and Todd Littleton discuss the concept of the hidden God in Luther's theology and Barth's reworking of Calvin's doctrine of election. They explore the idea that God's love is unconditional and that salvation is not just about individual salvation, but about God's election of humanity as a whole. They also emphasize the importance of engaging with tradition while remaining open to critique and reevaluation. The conversation touches on the dangers of misinterpreting theology and using it to justify harmful ideologies. Overall, the discussion highlights the profound mystery and unknowability of God's love and the need for a faithful and humble approach to theology.

Takeaways

• God's will is revealed through Jesus Christ and is grounded in love.

• We should not speculate about God's will based on personal desires or interpretations.

• Understanding God's will requires grounding it in the person of Jesus Christ.

• The relationship between time, eternity, and God's presence is complex and mysterious. God's love is unconditional and cannot be earned or lost.

• Salvation is not just about individual salvation, but about God's election of humanity as a whole.

• Engaging with tradition is important, but it is also necessary to remain open to critique and reevaluation.

• Misinterpreting theology can lead to harmful ideologies and actions.

• The mystery and unknowability of God's love should be embraced and celebrated.

Sound Bites

• "Jesus is the message that the father from eternity is never not sending."

• "God is always God, consistently the God who loves in freedom."

• "I'm hearing the election of God by his Son and by his Spirit to speak to me."

• "If you truly connected with God on the golf course, it would scare the shit out of you."

• "The gospel is always yes and yes and yes, and the no has to be seen within the yes and cannot be separated from it."

• "God creates heaven as the space or the place to make himself available to his creatures on earth."