Justice and Grace

Still from "It's a Wonderful Life" from this site.

Scripture:

Rom. 3:21   But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, ²³ since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴ they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.

Observation:

This passage has been scrutinized by scholars for centuries. Almost every word has been dissected, trying to determine what exactly happened on the cross. Our doctrine of the atonement comes primarily from this passage and there have been lengthy discussions and disagreements over the terminology that Paul uses. However, our starting point is that with we have to come to grips with the fact that sin was and is a very serious matter, and needed to be dealt with in some manner. All of humanity, Jew and Greek alike were on a trajectory toward destruction because of the power of sin. Edlin and Modine tell us, “But now—at a critical moment in human history around A.D. 30—two ‘poles’ in the nature of God—holiness and love—met in Jesus of Nazareth, through whose death, resurrection, and exaltation the Triune God accomplished the world’s redemption” (NBBC). In this moment God dealt with the problem of human sin.

The word “atonement” — references the reconciliation of God with humankind through the work of Jesus Christ — an “At One Ment” that is possible through this reconciling work. Theologians have struggled to explain exactly how that happened. Two words have appeared as potential translations of the Greek text hilastērion, “Propitiation” and “Expiation.” These two words have been debated and theories built upon either translation. “‘Propitiation’ has a Godward reference: through the death of Christ the justice of God as Judge is revealed. ‘Expiation’ has a human reference: Christ’s sacrifice wipes away the guilt of human sin” (NBBC). Thus, if you combine the two into the one we find we are not only saved by grace, but also by the justice of God. It is both-and which is revealed in the sacrificial act of Jesus Christ. 

Application:

Once Paul established that there was a sin problem, he dove right into the solution. This picture of humanity becoming at one with God is beautiful and transformative. The other night my husband and I stayed up and watched “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Earlier in the day I had been listening to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 27. There I was struck by the story of Judas returning the 30 pieces of silver to the Chief Priests. The Priests continued to “act” religious as they refused to return the money to the work of the Lord, but instead, used it to buy a field from a potter where foreigners could be buried. Maybe they saw this as some kind of “compassionate” work, and therefore were trying to justify themselves. From that time on a “Potter’s Field” has been known as a place to bury the poor and indigent. It’s a place of death and disrespect. Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised that the antagonist in the film, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is Mr. Potter. When George Bailey is given the gift of seeing the world without him, he discovers that the entire town is now “Pottersville” and every nook and cranny has been infected by sin. The only way that things can be put right is for grace and justice to overcome the evil spewing from Mr. Potter. George finally cries out to God telling him that he’s not a praying man, but that if God exists — he needs help. The final moments are filled with overwhelming gratitude as grace beyond measure is bestowed upon George and he becomes “the richest man in town.” That was the title that Mr. Potter had embraced, but he only got there through greed and manipulation. Even at the end, Mr. Potter never admits that he has George Bailey’s money, but as a result of the generosity of the townspeople, the policeman tears up the arrest warrant as justice is served. 

The transformation of a society in “It’s a Wonderful Life” is just a hint of what Jesus offers us. We don’t have to know all the technical details of the terminology, but we can embrace grace and live justified. We are invited to walk in saving grace through faith. In a materialistic world, faith may seem a strange conclusion, but we still must respond to God’s grace through faith, believing in the one who came to set us free. When he sets us free, we experience his undeserved justice. 

If Jesus provided this justice and grace for us, then should we not also be channels of his justice and grace to this world? Far too often we want to embrace his grace without extended that grace to others. As we are on the journey of discipleship, drawing nearer to our Lord and becoming more like him, we need to walk in grace. We have not yet arrived, we have not yet been made perfect, but we still take time to judge others along the way. The same grace that we want to experience, we have a hard to extending to others. If we are to embrace the grace given to us that we might be “at one ment” with God — then we have to share grace to those who may be struggling in their spiritual journey. At the same time, we are to be channels of justice. That word has been bandied around much lately, and often maligned. God speaks often of justice, and we are the recipients of his justice. If the is so, then shouldn’t we be participants in his justice, speaking into the evils and injustices of our day. Grace and justice to go hand in hand as we actively participate in Christ’s transformative mission. 

Prayer:

Lord, the daily journey leads often into the unknown. May I be a vessel of your grace and justice along the way. Amen.