2023-06-13 A Meditation on the Extravagant Fight

“5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Ro 6:5–11 ESV)

Living into the extravagant fight: the Good News meets us in guilt, exclusion, self-incrimination. The Good News promises to fix genuine discord, not an added layer upon the foundation of good works, but a top-to-bottom layer of things we sincerely struggle with. Guilt. Exclusion. Self-incrimination. All become life, turned to goodness, remarkably renovated, reinvigorated; somehow, our most shameful pasts are nothing now but bouquets of lush wildlife, garden, tended remove.

That remove, that side hustle, that hidden power, is an idea, yes: Grace versus Law is to some a Christianity in itself, almost not needing any doctrine of a Person, a Friend, a Christ. But in our dying hour, we recall the mother who loved us. We recall the person who spoke confident words of mercy into our ear. We eat the tender meal of a pricey kind of intrusion and sacrifice. He intruded into our lives in order that we might be healed of every worldly assault. He intruded with firm character and ethics, so that we might know that ethical foundation called non judgmental friendship. We bolster this dynamic. We fight under this banner. We know it “works”. It “works” to minister Grace unto a robbed and neglected people. It “works” to put the price tag of Jesus’ own life onto the doctrine. He paid for it; we pay gladly to know the same categorical judgment and doctrine is being preserved. For all society has been celebrating and tending to the care of this Life Spent, spent for doctrine and creed; spent for hard works of love; spent for that Promise: these things, too, shall pass. The guilt. The exclusion. The self-incrimination.