Taking God Seriously

Preface Notes

CHRISTIAN TRUTH AND APPLICATION

Paul’s epistle to Christians at Rome and the anonymous epistle to Hebrews, that is, to members of Jewish Christian congregations

Both these documents are (1) kerygmatic, that is, proclaiming salvation through Jesus Christ, and

(2) didactic, logically arranged to offer a single flow of foundational thinking. Thus they are

(3) catechetical, that is, showing how right belief requires right living through an active faith that responds to Christ crucified, risen, and enthroned, and that likewise responds to all that is and will be ours in and through him, and to the plans of God the Father that undergird this salvation and this hope.

TWO POSITIVE POINTS

1. the revelation of god in and through jesus christ, the bringer of salvation, of whom both writers are speaking with authority

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, a distinct divine person within the divine unity, to be worshipped as the Father is worshipped (Rom. 1:4; 9:5; Heb. 1:1–14).

1:4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

9:5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen

Jesus Christ is the Son of God incarnate, a fully divine person in his humanity, whom the Father in love has sent into this world for sinners’ salvation (Rom. 1:3–7; 16:25–27; Heb. 2:5–18).

Jesus Christ gave his life at the Father’s will as an atoning sacrifice for sins. He was raised from the dead by the power of God and lives, rules, and will one day return for the final judgment and the completing of our salvation from all sin and evil. Through Jesus Christ as Mediator sinful humans are reconciled to God, justified and forgiven by him, and given permanent access to him. Through Christ’s outreach to them they are adopted into God’s family, made his heirs with Christ, and assured of his eternal love for them (Rom. 2:5–16; 3:21–5:21; 8:15–23, 31–39; Heb. 2:10–18; 8:1–10:23; 12:5–11, 22–24).

Jesus Christ is the enthroned Lord whom Christians are to worship, call on, trust for help, and serve throughout their lives (Rom. 10:8–13; 13:14; 14:17–18; Heb. 4:14–16; 12:1–3; 13:7–15).

Jesus Christ imparts his own resurrection life to believers through their faith-union with him. This ongoing transformation of them toward full Christlikeness of perception and practice is effected by the Holy Spirit and is expressed in baptism (Rom. 6:1–7:6; Heb. 8:10–12; 10:16–17).

2. the response required from sinners who become recipients of salvation, to whom both writers are addressing pastoral guidance

Faith is required. Faith is a New Testament technical term. It means wholehearted acceptance of, trust in, and obedience to God, branched out into a threefold object: the Word of God, that is, the teaching of the Old Testament and the apostolic writers as such; the promises of God categorically; and the Son of God personally. Faith is credence plus commitment, assurance plus allegiance, and devotion plus discipleship. Faith flows from understanding the gospel, which is the effect of learning it, which is the outcome of being taught it (Rom. 1:16–17; 4:1–5:11; 10:5–17; 14:1–4, 20–23; Heb. 2:1–4; 3:1–6; 4:14–16; 5:11–6:12; 10:19–12:2).

Repentance is required. Repentance, a function of faith, is a remorseful reversing of one’s previous self-centered, sin-serving habits and actions and turning to Christ to become his faithful and obedient follower, practicing repentance and pursuing holiness as a lifelong project (Rom. 2:4; 6:12–23; 13:12–14; Heb. 6:1–6; 12:1–4, 14–17).

Hope, motivating endurance, is required. Both are functions of faith in action. Hope is the divinely guaranteed certainty of good things to come; endurance is holding fast to one’s God-given hope in the face of temptations and urgings to abandon it (Rom. 5:1–5; 8:23–25; 15:4–13; Heb. 3:6; 6:11–20; 10:23; 11:13–16).

Love is required. God, fellow-believers, and one’s neighbors generally, are love’s objects. Love to God means gratitude for his grace and a devoted doing of his will so as to please him. Love to fellow-believers means welcoming them into, and maintaining their welcome within, the circle of Christian fellowship, there serving their needs, spiritual and physical, encouraging them in their discipleship, and taking care not to thoughtlessly put roadblocks in their path. Love to neighbors as such, whoever they are, means kindness, helpfulness, doing good to them, sharing resources with them, and forgoing all forms of revenge and tit for tat all along the line (Rom. 8:28; 12:6–13; 13:8–10; 14:13–22; Heb. 10:24–25; 13:1–5, 15–16).