The human-Godward movement freely given to us in Christ

James Torrance (last quote from him I promise - but thanks Glen for the recommendation) sums up a strength and (possible) weakness that I've read in much modern systematic theology (which I have just started reading in the last year):

The God-humanward and human-Godward relationship (movement), both freely given to us in Jesus Christ. When we considered the existential model of worship, we noticed that the God-humanward movement of grace is given to us in Christ. In virtue of it, we are summoned to respond in faith, in decision, in repentance and obedience [isn't this common?]. But the weakness here is that the only human-Godward movement is ours. In other words, it does not do full justice to the meaning of grace, for it short-circuits the vicarious humanity of Christ. Grace does not only mean that in the coming of Jesus Christ, God gives himself in holy love to humanity. It also means the coming of God as man, to do for us as a man what we cannot do for ourselves - to present us in himself through the eternal Spirit to the Father. In other words, the human-Godward movement, in which we are given to participate (as in worship and communion), is given freely and unconditionally.

(p. 53, James B Torrance, Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace)

There is something important and true in this, and it has connections with Lutheranism's 'universal justification'. But I would like someone to tie this perspective into conversion, regeneration, and the work of the Holy Spirit in believers. In short I feel the wonderfully objective and past nature of our salvation has blossomed, but the subjective and present nature of it has been left undeveloped and the two have not grown together (c.f. Colin Gunton's comments).

I am left wanting balance. Sadly, Pia Desideria while historically interesting does not show how it can be achieved.

For you, even if you do not know it

These words from the French Reformed Baptisimal liturgy are beautiful:

Little child, for you Jesus Christ has come, he has fought, he has suffered. For you he entered the shadow of Gethsemane and the horror of Calvary. For you he uttered the cry "It is finished!" For you he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and there intercedes - for you, little child, even though you do not know it. But in this way the word of the Gospel becomes true. "We love him, because he first loved us."

That describes the foundation of my belief that it is right to baptise infants. As James Torrance expands:

The work of salvation is from beginning to end the work of God. Baptism is the sign of what the triune God does. God forgives, God cleanses, God regenerates, God adopts, God sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts whereby we cry "Abba, Father." Our response to this is to say amen in faith- our passive recipient response. There is nothing more passive than dying, being buried, being baptised.

[...]

Two things are important here: (a) Christ did not die for adults only! He died for adults and children..."Little child for you..." (b) God's grace is not conditioned by anything in us, not even by our faith! Nevertheless, baptism must always be an act of faith in the Christ who died for us and for our children. It is not a sign of our faith, but of the Christ in whom we believe [...] "...for you, little child, even though you do not know it..."

(pp. 76-80, James B Torrance, Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace)

Who do you say I am?

In his lectures, Christology, Dietrich Bonhoeffer made the plea that in theology we give priority to the question of who over how, and that we always seek answers to the question of how in terms of who.

[...]

We can too readily assume that Christianity is meaningful, useful, relevant, even true, only if it seen to offer solutions to [...] practical problems. We can too readily subsume theology (as Ritschl did in the nineteenth century) under the category of means and ends.

(pp. 69-70, James B Torrance, Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace)

My prayer as I 'lead' a new round of Christianity Explored from tomorrow that I remember this. Too often recently I have stressed how Christianity meets felt needs, and so missed much of the Gospel which is a person (as Mark says at the beginning of Mark's Gospel; 1:1).

Mark's Gospel, which Christianity Explored looks at, is deeply concerned with Jesus' identity. I didn't really get it at the time but I am sure that that is why the forerunner of UCCF's FREE Gospel Project was named 'Identity'. [I remember that project particularly well as that 'Identity Gospel' was the first time I ever read the bible as an adult.]

Too the end of reminding myself who Mark says Jesus is, I have just quickly read through the Gospel and noted down all the instances of people explicitly saying who they think Jesus is (a very incomplete way of looking at it I know, but hopefully helpful).

• Mark: "Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (1:1)
• God the Father: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" (1:11)
• Man with an unclean spirit: "Jesus of Nazareth...the Holy One of God" (1:24)
• Unclean spirits: "You are the Son of God" (2:11)
• His family: "He is out of his mind" (2:21)
• The scribes from Jerusalem: "He is possessed by Beelzebul...He has an unclean spirit" (2:22-30)
• Disciples: "Teacher" (4:38, followed by stilling of storm when they ask:"Who then is this", v.41?)
• Man with unclean spirit: "Son of the Most High God" (5:7)
• Those from the ruler's house: "Teacher" (5:35)
• People at the synagogue in his hometown: "the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon" (6:3)
• Some people: "John the Baptist...raised from the dead" (6:14)
• Some others: "He is Elijah" (6:15)
• Some more others: "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old" (6:15)
• Herod: "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised" (6:16)
• Syrophoenician woman: "Lord" (7:28)
• Some people: "John the Baptist" (8:28)
• Some others: "Elijah" (8:28)
• Some more others: "one of the prophets" (8:28)
• Peter: "You are the Christ" (8:29)
• Peter, James and John: "Rabbi" (9:5)
• God the Father: "This is my beloved Son; listen to him" (9:7)
• Father of a boy with an unclean spirit: "Teacher" (9:17)
• Disciples: "Teacher" (9:38)
• Rich Young Man: "Good Teacher" (10:17) and "Teacher" (10:20)
• James and John: "Teacher" (10:35)
• Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus: "Son of David" (10:48) and "Rabbi" (10:51)
• Crowd: "he who comes in the name of the Lord" (11:9)
• Peter: "Rabbi" (11:21)
• Pharisees and some of the Herodians: "Teacher" (12:14)
• Sadducees: "Teacher" (12:19)
• One of the scribes: "Teacher" (12:32)
• One of his disciples: "Teacher" (13:1)
• Judas: "Rabbi" (14:45)
• Jesus: "I am [the Christ, the Son of the Blessed]" (14:62; in response to the High Priest's question; 14:61)
• Jesus: "You have said [I am the King of the Jews]" (15:2; in response to Pilate's question)
• Pilate: "the King of the Jews" (16:9)
• Soldiers (mockingly): "King of the Jews" (16:18)
• The chief priests with the scribes (mockingly): "the Christ, the King of Israel" (16:32)
• Centurion by the cross: "the Son of God" (15:39)
• Angels: "Jesus of Nazareth" (16:6)

[The different colours represent different groups of people, and the bold words are those that echo Mark's introduction in 1:1]

I glean a few things from this (which are quite obvious, sorry):

1. The book is structured round the key confessions of Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. It is clear that both are important.
2. God the Father's declaration at Jesus' Baptism, and the Transfiguration is as important as Peter's in 8:28. The dramatic events around the cross also have the feeling of a voice from heaven.
3. The trial before Pilate and the High Priest is very important, as is the verdict given by the sign above the cross, and the Centurion.
4. The disciples at no point during the Gospel come to a realisation of who Jesus is, with the one possible exception of Peter's confession in 8:28.
5. The outsiders are the people who see the truth; those with unclean spirits, the Syrophoenician woman, Blind Bartimaeus and the Centrurion.