Friday, April 2, 2010

The Way to Take Hold of God's Promises


When we speak of human destiny, we are of course speaking of the future. The New Testament is clear that God has a future for this world, and that the transformation of humans is a crucial component of what lies in store. What are the implications of Jesus being our forerunner in resurrection life? The New Testament leads us to understand that the hopes and expectations of God's people are now hidden in Christ. In other words, the only way to take hold of God's promises for the future is to take hold of the resurrected Jesus in the present.

--Daniel Kirk, "A Resurrection that Matters" (emphasis mine)

6 comments:

Ryan Tinetti said...

I met this guy at the regional SBL conference that I delivered a paper at last year. There was a panel book review on his new offering, and there were as many people up front as in the seats! Nice guy; lived in my buddy's neighborhood in San Fran, it turned out.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Yes. And that the future in Jesus and by his resurrection meets us in Jesus where we live now. Kirk is right along the line of where I think my own basic theological understanding both has gone and is going, apart from some differences (e.g., Any Anabaptist worth their salt will learn what they can from Calvin, etc.) Though at least on thing he says in the CT article ends up being open ended for me so that if in a classroom I'd want to ask a question probably here and there, or hopefully let someone else do so, as some always seemed much more so inclined than I.
Though we do now have his new blog. But yes, in the resurrected Jesus is key for us in Jesus.

Andrew said...

>"in the resurrected Jesus is key for us in Jesus."

Ted, what exactly did you mean by this?

Ted M. Gossard said...

In Jesus means to be in the resurrected Jesus (and for that matter, our ascended Lord), and in the words of the title of Eugene Peterson's latest book, which is borne out in his writing (as I'm now reading it), Practice Resurrection! But we do so only in Jesus, and it is a resurrected Jesus in whom we live in this new creation. I really like what Peterson is getting at in his book.

Maybe that's not really answering your question? Of course we're resurrection people in Jesus. Our life is out of death, all through and in Jesus.

Andrew said...

Thanks for the preview of the book, Ted. I was just kind of confused by the two times in one sentence you used "in Jesus."

Alas, I wish I had the time to read Peterson's latest. He's one of my favorites, and I did read his Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places. But if I had to go for a book on the resurrection right now, I'd probably pick up Adrian Warnock's new book Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything. I'm in the middle of four books right now, and I need to actually finish them before beginning another. Oh, for the summer, to read more!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Andrew,
I hear you. I meant for those "in Jesus." That is a preposition I probably easily use more than any other.

Yes, I hear you on the books, and readily identify with you in what you are saying. The book and author you refer to sounds interesting and good.