“12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” (Phil 2:12-18 ESV)

Value-added, there is some giddy delight and supernova launch around seemingly simple coming togethers. The marriage of Mercy with Law: the fact we love the gospel for its ability rightly to preach Law, by contrast with efforts not grounded in mercy, to do the same. That is, simply to preach Law minus some horizon and finitude for its capabilities, is to abuse and formalize and make all things into orderly “logical” structures that forget breathing room. Mercy: it is the vote on our behalf, by a benign Overlord. It is that same Structure that upholds and reveres and loves on Law, to be Grand and Magnanimous enough to Forgive, without fear of appearing “weak” or “ineffective”.

Value-added, the Zeal therein found… Christians in the early years of our era, forgot completely preaching law except as a giddy afterthought: “Oh, by the way, now that we’ve been utterly loved upon, now utterly Accepted, here are a few passing thoughts on simply sensible life in community, minus the parking tickets, minus the danger zones where other gods seep in”. Paul did this always in his letters. Peter as well.

To live on this knife’s edge is to Accept as Rule of Creation that Law and Grace must find an uncomfortable or haphazard, unquantifiable, unmeasurable, unforced Symbiosis. It will be a thing of Beauty! It will usher in an era of newfound Legal Rectitude! It will be like the pincushion receptive of the needle and of the Remedy, because it is luscious and soft for the pin.

It is to accept a big leagues combat modality: you either toss caution to the wind, either go all-in on Grace, or you mishmash and go only half way. Indeed, Grace has the appearance of—insert nervous laughter here—of denying Law and Forgetting to punish or discipline. But we are willing to accept all sensation of sins unpunished, in the name of those one or two Few Sins needful of Mercy. Let all the world draw to the altar and hear their absolution pronounced, but only some actually are intended for a Heavenly endgame.

Therefore to be pinned down no longer, to have the formulaic and the measurements-ad-nauseum gone, to have a little breathing room: this is where warring begins, and hopefully where false idylls end. Because after all, recall Esau’s greeting of sneaky brother Jacob: Esau was ecstatic, not mad at Jacob, even though Jacob had stolen the birthright. Somehow Esau’s lot in life was sufficient for him that day. Well, so too in our present distress: some are Esaus and some Jacobs. Some meditate and climb a steeper cliff, but what reward are they earning in New Testament times, wherein All are invited to the marriage banquet of the Lamb? Both Esau and Jacob?

More, the knife’s edge of Mercy that isn’t conciliatory or concession-making, is a knife’s edge Radical and Half-Crazed: give up, O you preachers of Law, not because we don’t long for the same God-fearing Righteousness, but because we have pronounced a Verdict on legalism called Insane. Unkempt. Unable to heal. Ruinous to the fruits of a living and vividly-so society. So we go Radical and Militant to murmur a line of Forgiveness towards our Jacobs and towards our Peters and towards our Davids. As our last wish. Not because all will drop to their knees and worship, but because to the right one, it is a soothing word in season. And so were we, once upon a lonesome, once upon a time, once upon a crusade.

The zeal, then, the contagious Verdict of “Mercy”, flusters and flies high, reaches into the dark alleys and corners of the camp tent of maps and plans and authority. It is our modus operandi, to know we have been Voted In, by Him who resides On High, and this vote is not based on output or measured deeds, but is a Permanent Vote of Accepted. That all our deeds, are somehow now branded with, done in the name of Righteous Intent, if not always perfect Outlay, Design, Formula. Our Intent… it is the Fact of an agent who apologizes and justifies and legally defends on our behalf, no matter what the crime or oversight.