Last weekend I preached about what troubles me in the doctrine of “passive righteousness” because of what it implies about our capability/opportunity to be co-creators with God.
In a lot of Protestant theology the implication is we are totally depraved so thank God God can swoop in and do it all.
Today I’m looking at the same issue but from the opposite side, the implications of God’s activity as it connects to our own.
The prophet Isaiah has this line:
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
That is God speaking, saying their word will not return empty, that it will accomplish what it purposes.
But God uses an analogy from creation to get the point across: my word is like the rain.
We are invited to live in light of this activity, not passive as we watch God go do stuff but rather actively confident because God’s word is active.
Kind of like when friends go on a hike and they say to each other: You ready? Let’s go! And the surety of the footing on the path is very much related to the trust we have that we join each other on the walk.
It’s not that you HAVE to , it’s that you GET to !
Uncovering a hidden excitement to enact the way of Jesus.
We are G_d's hands & feet; we are G_d's instrument of peace.
We accomplish nothing without G_d;
G_d accomplishes nothing among and through humanity without us being active.
We are co-creators with G_d.