What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. - Ephesians 4:9,10 This verse, which many English translations put in parentheses, provides an important and necessary corollary to yesterdays passage. Yesterday, if you recall, I wrote about our absolute dependence on God and that this is an integral part of our life of faith in God. I pointed out that while we often compare our relationship to God to that of other human beings, in this case there is no comparison. For a relationship of dependency in most cases is viewed as pathological, but in the case of God exactly the opposite is the case. I mentioned that while we call God father, it may in many cases be more accurate to call God mother as this compares our dependency on God to that of an infants dependency on its mother, even a pre-natal relationship, for as we are dependent on God for our very being and sustenance, so the fetus is dependent on its mother for its sustenance and could not survive outside of this relationship. It may be that the story of the Fall from the Garden of Eden is a parable on this relationship and that birth in some ways is an analogue to the departure from Paradise. I then said that Gods love is absolute and exclusive. Absolute in that it envelopes everything that we can say or believe about God. So John says, God is love. Exclusive in that there is no salvation, redemption or even life outside of the love and mercy of God. Gods redemption in Jesus Christ is complete and faith in that reality is all that is necessary for our redemption and sanctification. Today the scripture tells us that Christ ascended and descended to show us that God is everywhere and in everything. Scientists today tell us that space and time are not infinite but are enveloped in a universe which is finite. As the universe is constantly expanding from its beginning in an infinitesimally small point, so time and space themselves are expanding from a virtually non-existent beginning. Time and space were born in the Big Bang, and so we can say that God created time and space as well as the matter and molecules that make up our existence. But God, who truly is eternal and infinite, is therefore the One who is, as todays scripture implies, all in all. As Gods love is the foundation of everything we believe and the source of our life and salvation, so Gods omnipotence means that his love is effective for our sanctification. As power without love is cold and impersonal, so love without power is insipid and empty.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:25:23 +0000
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