Grace as Wrecking Ball

This morning I read another installment of Tom Wright’s Galatians for everyone. He describes continuing in the spirit in a vivid way. It showed me something new about how amazing Grace is.

A tight rope walker from 19th century was famous for walking on the Grand Canyon. He became so proficient at it he would walk into the centre of the rope and eat meals, carry chairs, all sort of incredible stuff. His true challenge came when he said he would carry someone from one side to the other. That is asking insane trust. You are truly putting your life in his hands.

But imagine halfway across, this man thought, “thanks for taking me this far, I’ll go the rest of the way alone.” How foolish! How utterly stupid.

This is what it would be like for someone to start in Grace, but try to finish with the obedience. To start with faith, but finish in the flesh.

Reading that this morning changed my view of Grace again. It’s at times like this, I love the analogy of Grace as a wrecking ball. You can never go back to your old mindset as new revelations of Grace appear. And that is the Grace of God. Utter forgiveness, redemption, freedom, under the cross of Christ, and His resurrection.

Amazing.

 

The Economy where Jesus is King Part 1

God’s economy is fundamentally different to how we think. I find this astonishing as we were designed by him. Let me elaborate.

There are three primary principles that operate in God’s economy that makes it what it is; fully functioning, successful, high in riches.
1. Rest
2. Cancellation of debt
3. Caring for the poor

These three make no sense to the sensible person.
1. Everyone would love to rest, but when you’re not working, you’re not earning. If you’re not earning you can’t live.
2. Cancelling a debt is practically unheard of. But if your debt is cancelled you’re eternally grateful.
3. Caring for the poor is admirable, but there’s never enough left over to give. And there’s no return. Once you’ve been generous in any form you don’t get a pay back.

In the Golden Years of Isreal, when David was king, the nation was admired, wealthy, and powerful. And this was primarily because it was operating under God’s economy. The widow, oppressed, and poor were cared for. The soldiers and farmers and workers from all walks of life took a day of rest, religiously. And the year of Jubilee (every 7th year where any outstanding debt was settled through cancellation) was fully enforced.

This was the workers were happy, the people were happy, and the nation wasn’t crippling itself with unending borrowing.

You can see where today’s society took a wrong turn, can’t you?