Theologica Prolegomena with Dr. Leins "Atonement Theories"

 Greetings! 

     English is a Germanic language, and so in German, atonement, or at-one-ment.  My colleague CV will be discussing several different atonement theories throughout the ages. 

CV: there are two categories: Pre-Reformation and Post-Reformation. For our Pre-Reformation theory we will discuss the Ransom Theory, then Christus Victor, and then substitution.  In Post-Reformation, the penal substitution theory became prominent. There is another view which is more controversial which we will study later. 

RANSOM THEORY -- One of the oldest theories. There are several scriptures that support this theory.  

CHRISTUS VICTOR -- The idea that there is this dramatic, epic battle going on across the cosmos. In this battle, we have Christ as the protagonist and Satan as the antagonist. We were deceived, and the death and resurrection of Jesus is the crux point (Ephesians 6).

The greatest critique of this view is that it is incomplete. How does it bring us back to union with God? Some say the cosmic battle robs us of our responsibility. 

MORAL INFLUENCE THEORY -- Proposed by Peter of Abelard. The love of God is giving up his Son so Christ could show us what real love looks like. Peter says that Christ died as an example for us to live in service to one another. Instead of satisfying God's wrath, it was to show us how to love. 

MOSAIC OF THE ATONEMENT THEORY - A mosaic is when you have small pieces of art that are sealed together to make a larger, grand picture. Also, when you look at a diamond, you see different facets of the diamond based on the reflection. All of the theories make up a part of the bigger picture.

I find the Mosaic of the Atonement view to be the most convincing and is what I subscribe to.  https://www.amazon.com/Mosaic-Atonement-Integrated-Approach-Christs/dp/0310097649/ref=asc_df_0310097649/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=380078040892&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11348695856935481718&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1027067&hvtargid=pla-814342551741&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=79069991898&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=380078040892&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11348695856935481718&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1027067&hvtargid=pla-814342551741

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Theologica Prolegomena "Sacraments"

 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 (NASB 2020)

New American Standard Bible

21 So then, no one is to be boasting in people. For all things belong to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or [a]Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Greetings! My classmates in my class are presenting papers and the first topic is Luther's theology of baptism. My classmate RB says he used these resources: The Holy and Blessed Sacrament of Baptism. The next source is on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. Luther is presenting his theology of the Gospel, his sola fide, and he is applying it to his works now. Also, Luther wrote back to Catholic priests who wrote to him because they wanted Luther's perspective on the Anabaptists, who were rebaptizing adults. This was around 1521. The Anabaptists kind of were the first Christians to argue that baptism was purely symbolic--they believed that one had to make a confession of faith before believing. By 1529, Luther comprised his Large and Small Catechisms. 

Verses that are revelant to our study are: Mark 16:16, what Luther called the Word of Promise. 

Mark 16:16

New American Standard Bible

16 The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned.

Then there is 1 Peter: 1 Peter 3:21-22

New American Standard Bible

21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God [a]for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Word of Command: Matthew 28:19

Matthew 28:19-20

New American Standard Bible

19 [a]Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to [b]follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you [c]always, to the end of the age.

Titus 3:5-10

Titus 3:5-7

New American Standard Bible

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs [a]according to the hope of eternal life.

Romans 6

In Baptism, the old creature is drowned, and the new creature is born. 

WHAT WAS THE CONTEXT OF LUTHER'S DAY?  Luther would've recieved a theology of the sacraments from Augustine and Aquinas, also Peter Lombard and some others. Augustine is who gave the church their definition of a sacrament. He strongly believed in original sin, and baptism was a way of ameliorating original sin. 

WHAT IS THE SIGN AND WHAT IS THE SIGNIFIER?

The sign is the water. The signifier is the Word spoken about the water. The sacraments are a visual word. 

WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF LEX OPERE OPERATO -- Grace being conveyed in a sacrament by the mere performance of the action. This was a Roman Catholic concept and the sacraments did not carry any vivacious faith. They eventual either became magical or mechanical. Luther said faith was not necessarily required for the sacrament.  Luther wanted to stress the validity of the sacrament in and of itself when speaking to the Anabaptists. 

BAPTISM IS A CONTINUAL SACRAMENT IN SOMEONE'S LIFE, NOT A ONE TIME EVENT -- Dying and rising daily is something that the sacrament of baptism gives us. 

Dr. Leins -- read the liturgical writings of the Reformers and the Early Church Fathers. Interestly, these rituals were self-contained exorcism rites. 

NEXT PRESENTER --- MB ON THE LORD'S SUPPER 

Thesis: Christ is truly present in the bread and wine. Sacrament comes from the Latin sacramentum, which is an oath or a promise. Early Christians swore an oath to let go of their old beliefs. Sacraments are visible, tangible means of grace, in other words, grace and forgiveness are actually given in the Lord's Supper and in Baptism. Luther renounced the Catholic view of transubstantiation; rather, he thought it should remain a mystery. Luther also disagreed with neo-pagan philosophy being implemented to explain what was going on in the Lord's Supper. Luther called Zwingli a sacramentarian; Luther himself was a sacramentalist--meaning they believed that Christ was literally in the Sacrament.  The Lutheran position today is literal. 

MARGBURG COLLOQUY -- Every time Zwingli asked Luther a question, Luther would go back to the words of institution from Christ, i.e. this is my Body. Lutherans reject transubstantiation because Paul maintained that the bread and wine remain bread and wine while the presence of Christ, his body and blood, literally dwelled in the bread and wine.   

Zwingli did not see a need for a sacramental union -- the miraculous union of body and blood to bread and wine in the Eucharist.  Now Christ is 100 percent man and God. The Eucharist is 100 percent bread, wine, blood and body. "The sacrament is a sign of a grace that has already been given"- Zwingli. He saw the literal view as a return to Judaism; i.e. rituals save. Zwingli quoted John 6:63 to justify a "spiritual" Eucharist. Zwingli also drew upon logic, reason and math to justify his position. Zwingli said Christ's body is in heaven, so his physical person cannot be in every communion at one time. Yet is Christ truly the door? Is Christ truly the Vine? Yes he is both! Nowadays, there has been a degeneration of meaning in the Lord's Supper. But even though many churches do not believe the Eucharist is a means of grace, they are still receiving God's grace whenever they partake!

TRUE PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THE EARLY FATHERS

Irenaeus speaks of the true presence of Christ. Clement of Alexandria, Athanasius, etc. Church Fathers point back to manna, and to the passover lamb. Revelation calls him the Lamb of God...and worshippers truly ate the Lamb, and ate real bread in the manna. 

KG's PRESENTATION

Righteousness of God 

Atonement - at-one-ment. 

Hosea and Ephesians 5 -- marriage as a metaphor for our union with Christ. If we are Christ's bride, and we recieve his righteousness, we don't have to worry about issues of assurance. 

NEXT PRESENTATION -- AOG ON SOLUS CHRISTUS -- Theology of the Cross versus Theology of Glory. 

Dali Lama - to see a thing as it is. Luther also says that a theologian of the cross calls a thing what it is. 

1 Corinthians 2:2

For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  

The real heart of the dispute over the papacy and indulgences was really all about Christ. The issue was that it was Christ AND, not Solus Christus. We begin to see how prevalent the theology of glory is in today's churches. 

NEXT PRESENTER -- LW on Predestination

It is a doctrine of comfort. We should study it because it is often a little known and highly misunderstood doctrine. Deuteronomy 7:6-8, 9:4-6, God chose the people and guaranteed their inheritance, nothing to do with their righteousness. In Deut. 14, he calls the people is treasured possession. Now in the New Testament, Matthew 7:23, 1 Peter 1:1-2, Romans 8:28-39, Ephesians 1:3-14. 

Election has everything to do with believers, and nothing to do with unbelievers -- CFW Walther. 

NEXT PRESENTER --- BJ--CLOSED COMMUNION -- This has been the practice of the early church for thousands of years. First there was private instruction, then people would hear the Word, and then once they were catechized, they would transition from catachumens to full-fledged members of the church. An Early Defense of Faith breaks down who was and wasn't privileged to recieve the sacrament. This was written by Justin Martyr. 

AN ORTHODOX (BIBLICAL) VIEW OF SCRIPTURE SUPPORTS CLOSED COMMUNION

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul talks about physical illness and death being potential judgments for people who practice the Lord's Supper without discretion. Francis Pieper writes about who should be led to the altar. Only as such believe the Words of Institution received the true Presence of Christ and the forgiveness of sins. 

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

New American Standard Bible

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise people; you then, judge what I say. 16 Is the cup of blessing which we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Since there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf. 18 Look at the people of Israel; are those who eat the sacrifices not partners in the altar? 19 What do I mean then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?

Please check us out!! https://www.wittenbergproject.com/, projwittenberg@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/WittenbergProject, https://www.youtube.com/@WittenbergProject

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"Justification" Theologica Prolegomena Class

 Greetings! 

     AA is one of our classmates and will be presenting a white paper on justification. I remember a quote from Martin Luther which stated that "justification is the chief doctrine upon which the Church stands or falls." I believe I concur with this statement. 

     So it's after 8pm on the East Coast. I'm chilaxin, vibin, coolin, tryna get through this Theologica Prolegomena. So far so good. I appreciate my man AA writing on justification. 

AA: basically, Martin Luther constantly emphasizes that justification is all about comfort and assurance. It is definitely monergistic.  AA quotes some theological articles on the topic. But why justification?

WHY SHOULD I CARE? WHY SHOULD ANYONE CARE? 

     In the Smalcald Articles, Luther makes it clear that justification must be the centerpiece of our theology because justification is the doctrine that explains most clearly how we find our assurance and comfort. But what is justification? And how do we tie this term into other terms such as sanctification

             JUSTIFICATION VERSUS SANCTIFICATION 

     We are so used to justification just being seen as a legal declaration, a legal positioning. Can we use marriage as a metaphor? Legally speaking, there was a change in the relationship between my wife and I (I DEFINITELY married up, haha).  But there was also a tangible shift in reality concerning how we related to life and each other. Through faith as St Peter says, we receive a new, different clean heart. Although sin is not completely dead, God will not hold it against us -- Martin Luther. 

There is truth in justification being a legal, forensic declaration.  But also, we can allude to marriage again. More than just what is reflected on paper, I have a real, and sincere relationship with my wife. We are genuinely connected to each other. Before being married I was single.  My wife Chi was single. But now, we've been recreated as a couple. We are something that has never existed before in the world. 

AT THIS POINT AA FINISHES HIS PRESENTATION.....

        I thought it was a great presentation.  One of the questions that was asked was what passages of scripture was AA looking to in order to discuss justification. He stated that Romans 5 and Galatians were the main ones.  So let's look at Romans 5: 

Romans 5 New American Standard Bible 5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. 

So, please meditate on this passage of scripture, which clearly lays out justification. Now, we will focus on the last half of class, where Dr. Leins quotes from his article on Anfectung and Absolution.

Dr. Leins was at a Bible class overseas and was preaching on Confession & Absolution.  Now, Dr. Leins laid the foundation for Confession & Absolution by discussing the importance of Law & Gospel and their proper distinction being preached in every sermon.  The right proclamation of the Law will be driven to the Gospel. I'm reminded of the show "Outlaw God," by Steven Paulson. He says that preachers are both hitmen and midwives in every sermon. 

Dr. Leins tells a story about his time in a remote place doing missions work. In this place, people had regular encounters with demons and with witchcraft.  After receiving the Word of Christ, one person in the congregation shouted at Dr. Leins, stating that he could not forgive sins. "You cannot forgive sins" said the man. But it was simply a misunderstanding or a lack of understanding of the Office of the Keys.  Dr. Leins showed them scripture, and told them that this practice was done since the beginning of the church. Matthew 18 is a good example.  

Matthew 16:19

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

I believe the passage in Matthew 16:19 also ties into this passage: 

Matthew 6:10

Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

The point of all of this, the Office of the Keys, Confession & Absolution, all tie back to forgiveness. Forgiveness is what we need to give and also receive.  But what is the significance of the phrasing in this passage? It comes from the Hebraic concept of future events already being done in past tense.  And speaking of past, present and future events, 

Now we have moved to the topic of church plants, and corporate worship...the goal is to have worship on earth that reflects the worship in scripture...on earth as it is in heaven. 

Now, Dr. Leins is talking about the uniqueness of the call and response of Lutheran Divine Service. His action, our response, over and over. 

Why does the pastor read the Gospels in the center of the sanctuary? It represents the Word becoming flesh, the Word coming among us. That's what all of this is about. Christ Jesus. More soon!! 

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Theologica Prolegomena Class -- Anfectung & Absolution

 Greetings all,

      This is a discussion from my seminary class with Dr. Leins, Theologica Prolegomena. We're talking about a German word called "Anfectung." It's a word that's difficult to translate into English. Then we have "Anfectungen," the plural. Our wounds, sins, scars, trials and tribulations. When we as believers go through tribulations, sometimes we can doubt and question the Lord. But can we really stop? The answer will give us an idea of what Anfectung means.  Men and women across the ages have dealt with Anfectungen. But I mean, how can we actually deal with our own fallenness? One way is through Phariseeism. In the minds of the Pharisees, they considered themselves morally superior to everyone they were around. 

     HOW CAN WE STAY AWAY FROM BEING PHARISEES? 

In some way, all of us will be hypocritical on some points.  However, we must be careful not to make our sins bigger than God, or his ability to forgive. 

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ANFECTUNG AND ANFECTUNGEN?

I believe that Anfectung and Anfectungen would be things we would focus on if we focused on the Law. For example, Christ's Sermon on the Mount is a prime example of Law in the New Testament.  Christ called us to impossible standards; which is the point. We need Him. 

STAY CLOSE TO THE GOSPEL

Oftentimes, the gospel is what is void in some churches. Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The gospel is one of the means of grace that Luther and Lutherans esteem so highly.  

WHAT ARE THE MEANS OF GRACE?

They are those external sacraments which God uses to provide forgiveness for our sins and grace for living. We need to know that God is local, he is in our midst every Sunday, through Word and Sacrament. 

GOD's WORK THROUGH THE WORD

Matthew 4:4

But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 7:24

The Two Foundations

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

1. Matthew 8:8
   But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

   
   
2. Matthew 8:16
   Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.

More to come!!

     

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LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

“Love your neighbor as yourself” is one of the direct commands of our Lord and Savior and, to be technical/theological, it is LAW! It’s easy to love your best friend or family. Jesus says even the Gentiles do that (Mt. 5:43-46). If we are honest, we all know that we cannot live up to this command (or any other), BUT that does not mean we should not try.

Recently, Christendom has had to come to grasps with the Duggar incident, the Village Church issue, and now Pastor Tullian’s difficulty. Miscellaneous Christians were actually mad that others were praying for Mr. Duggar. In the Village Church incident, people treated the pastor as if he was a liar and not a brother-in-Christ. Even after the pastor admitted that the church had mishandled things and apologized, people downplayed his repentance. Pastor Tullian’s issue is current news and a few people are lining up to be the first to cast a stone. All these incidents are real events in people’s lives, and we have to show the same grace to our neighbor that we would want shown to our sibling, spouse, or self. Each of the sins associated with these events digs deep into our souls, but we have to put our feelings aside and love them (our neighbor) as our Lord and Savior commanded us.

Tragedies happen in everyday life. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be a descendant of the Hebrews after the holocaust—to hear my family’s story about lost relatives or read books about my ancestors and know, That would have been me and my kids. Or imagining a day after a bombing in Palestine that resulted in several people murdered solely because they were Jewish, and then seeing a Nazi flag hanging on the state capitol building and hearing people say, “This flag represents nationalism and historically it means ‘being happy.’ In Asian cultures, this symbol is found as early as 3,000 B.C.; it does not mean racism to me.”

Recently, with the Charleston murders, people as a whole have had an opportunity to love their neighbor. Personally agreeing or not with the proposed “remove the Confederate flag” movement is not as much of a key issue, as thinking about your neighbor—hear what your neighbor says about the flag. The same culture that African-Americans have always associated with the Confederate flag is the same hatred that the Charleston murderer had in mind as his goal to start a race war. Ask yourself, is this symbol so important that you will disregard the feelings it imposes on your neighbor?

Jesus says in the Sermon on Mount:

“But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

“And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

“And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

I wonder what Jesus would say if asked, “If a symbol of a person’s heritage causes another brother to recall oppression, murder, rape, bondage, should they fly it in their face?”

I will not even attempt to answer for Jesus, but when I consult the Scriptures and attempt to walk a life pleasing to God (Yes, I fail! Oh boy, do I fail! But even when one fails, we should not give up trying…), I believe we should be considerate and gracious to our neighbor:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
-Galations 3:28

We have to stop the “it’s my heritage” talk and show love to our neighbors. First, it is their heritage too, and secondly, as a Christian, our identity is in Christ, not these earthly things. Christ is coming to make all things new. We will all be in heaven together and these earthly issues will be the furthest thing from our mind. Christ lived the perfect, sinless life and fulfilled the law—securing our value and identity in him, not in earthly things.

God’s peace, grace, and mercy to you.

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NAKED FAITH

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” –Matthew 28:19-20

If you did not know this before, now you do—GOD’S LAW IS HOLY!

In the New Testament, we read:

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
–Romans 7:12

And we can look back to the Old Testament and read,

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
–Psalms 7:12

We all know the feeling we get when someone acts selflessly towards us: joy, warmth, and love. And we also know the other side of the coin—when we resent, hate, and slander our neighbors. It’s hard to read and take comfort in our Lord while looking at Matthew 28:19-20, then reading the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:1-48, and concluding, “I am observing all he has commanded.”

So is sola fide true or not? I need to know because my life depends on it!

Faith with no layers, no dressing up, no make-up, just Christ and faith in his atoning work, is naked faith—this is the heart of the Gospel. What good is a second or third chance when we know before we start, that it’s just a matter of time before we err (Jas. 2:10)? The thief on the cross shows us that it is reliance on the fact that it’s Jesus who saves us, not our self-perceived glorious works, that keeps us in, or our constant failures that keep us out.

One of the most impactful theologians in my life, Dr. Rod Rosenbladt, stated that Romans 4:5 is “Christianity in one verse.” The confession of the thief on the cross, words not works, not an action on his part, is all he had, and Jesus declared that this sinner would be with him in his kingdom.

And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
-Romans 4:5

This passage establishes the premise of why the thief on the cross was granted salvation. As I stumble through life, attempting to be the best person I can be, I can rest assured in Christ and not try to keep a tally of my good and bad deeds.

An interesting thing I recall about Jesus’ interaction with the woman caught in adultery (Jn. 8:1-10), is the pronouncement of her sins being forgiven. She the sinner says only three words to Jesus in the whole saga, “No one, Lord.” Then after her confession of Jesus being Lord, he declares that he does not condemn her. She did not earn forgiveness through her keeping of the holy law and Jesus did not “make her drop and give him 20 push-ups” to show she really wanted forgiveness—her naked faith was enough.

Later in John 8, there is a beautiful passage that states:

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.
–John 8:24

“UNLESS YOU BELIEVE THAT I AM HE,” is the definition of sola fide. Jesus does not tie anything to this proclamation. Naked faith that Jesus is Lord, the promised Messiah, was and is enough to save a wretched soul. Looking further at the context, Jesus is talking to respected law keeping Jewish elders here. This could be the equivalent of the “the Gospel is enough to save even a Christian.”

YES!

Naked faith—sola fide—is true! Thank God it’s true! I don’t care who proclaims that it’s “deeds over creeds” or “that the final judgement will be based on works.” The truth of the matter is “faith alone” saves (Gal 3:6)! The obedience that is mentioned in Matthew 28:20 flows from our justification. And this justification is based solely on faith in Christ. The one work of God that Jesus says for us to do when asked is:

This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.
-John 6:29

Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you.

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UNMERITED GRACE

Unmerited Grace

by - Lex Lutheran

I’ve learned throughout my life that God’s immeasurable love and mercy are shown to me and noticed by me in my weakness more than my perceived strength. When I talk to others and confess my trials and tribulations, the heart of the Gospel, ‘the forgiveness of sins,’ is proclaimed stronger than anything I could do myself.

The main reason I go by the monicker, Lex Lutheran, is because when a person reads it they instantly think of Lex Luthor—one of the most notorious villains/sinners in comic book history. Knowing my sins and my transgressions, I can relate personally to the disgust or hatred people might feel for the character of Lex Luthor. If God’s grace can and could save a sinner of that magnitude (which it can and has), I know he can save anything you or I go through.

At the age of 8, I lived in a four-bedroom house with eight people. It was my family living with my auntie and her family, and we got by on the little that we had. I am my mom’s only child and she had married into this family. Needless to say it was me, myself, and I in that house and I was okay with that. I learned real quick how to lie, steal, manipulate—I was good at it! My career plan was to be a con artist when I became an adult.

My mom worked long hours so I saw very little of her and was basically free—free from supervision, rules, regulations, and correction. One day, my cousin decided that we needed some new toys. He was a few years older than me but I agreed with his proposal. And his proposal was, “Let’s break into my friend’s house.” Although my mother worked long hours and got me whatever I wanted, I knew we weren’t “rich,” but even if we were rich, all that mattered was I wanted their stuff.

Needless to say, we broke into the friend’s house and stole various things. Remorse and repentance was not on my mind at all. We ended up getting caught and this was a key moment in my life. Even though I was only 8, what transpired has left an amazing mark on my life.

Two of the most grace-filled things in my life resulted from this. As I was placed on public display, I could only think, “Why’d my cousin snitch on me?” I was not concerned about the cop car, my mom staring through me, the neighbors peaking through their blinds at me, or the friend I betrayed. By the grace of God, charges were not placed and I received discipline from mother.

BUT NOW, I had to wait for my Dad.

I expected nothing less than a beating. My father had a one-hour distance drive to meet me. One hour of boiling rage, as he sped down the highway. He arrived and I could barely look him in the eyes! But to my surprise, he didn’t lay a hand on me. The punishment I rightly deserved was nowhere to be found. He talked to me, explained what I did, why it was wrong, what results from this, and forgave me.

Forgave me!

To this day I am still awestruck by this. I blow a gasket when my own kid does something way less than what I did. Yet, my father did not even yell at me. One could say he gave me a law / Gospel sermon. The grace shown me in that moment has impacted my life more than he will ever know.

Many people will read this, roll their eyes and think, Spare the rod spoil the child. And I can not disagree. But that is only one of the two most impactful lessons of grace I learned as a result of my transgression.

During my sophomore of high school, the kid whose house I broke into, transferred to my school. We ran into each other during various settings while growing up, but this was the first time we were going to be around each other and our families as well. Though he could’ve rightly said something, there was no time during my high school years where my reputation was tainted or my previous sin brought up. I never apologized, and it did not matter. We were friends and my sin was not held against me. His mom treated me like any of the other kids and I never felt as if I had been marked with a scarlet letter.

Both of these examples of undeserved grace have impacted my life. These brief glimpses are the type of grace that is found and offered through Jesus Christ. Knowing the punishment we all rightly deserve is not held to our account. The punishment that says, If you break even the least of these commandments, you are guilty of it all. And to know that we ARE guilty, with no excuse, BUT GOD, who came to earth and wiped the slate clean! What glorious news! My example is tame compared to the scandalous mercy poured out from the cross. But these day-to-day examples of grace can leave an impactful, lasting and even life-changing, impression on a person. After I was caught, the discipline that I received did not prevent me from doing it again, it was the grace!

God’s grace with no strings attached has the same, yet more profound effect! Jesus did not request that the apostle Matthew attend a twelve-step program to holiness to earn his forgiveness. After Moses murdered, God did not make him do penance before selecting him to do his work in freeing the Hebrews. This list can go on and on, from Jacob to the apostle Paul; God’s grace is in the business of forgiving and redeeming undeserving sinners. Christ came for sinners! Like it or not, the truth of the matter is:

We are a League of Sinners! Only made righteous through the blood of Christ!

(Thanks to @SinnersLeague for the motto).

And this forgiveness and grace is a free gift from God. -Ephesians 2:8

Love, Grace, and the Lord’s peace to you!

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