Whale: merit vs. grace

Sunday, March 20, 2022
    Feast of Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary, 687
Meditation:
    ... Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
    —Matthew 21:31-32 (NIV)
Quotation:
    When Jesus Christ speaks of the mystery of the Kingdom of God, the whole conception of merit and reward, so dear to the natural man, sinks into nothingness; I mean that book-keeping conception of religion to which a nation of shopkeepers is all too prone.
    ... John S. Whale (1896-1997), Christian Doctrine, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1966, p. 80 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 21:31-32; 13:44-48; 20:3-16; Mark 1:15; 4:11-12; Rom. 3:22-24; 4:4-5; 5:1-2; 11:5-6; Tit. 3:4-7; Eph. 2:8-9; Col. 1:10-12; 1 Pet. 2:1-3
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You are all of grace. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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