Day of Ash

I am sure I am not telling you anything you don't know by saying that today is Ash Wednesday. If I am, then... now you know. Technically known as the day of ash, this is an opportunity for Christians to attend a special church service, which includes the imposition of ashes on their forehead as a sign of penitence, and preparation for lent.

The ashes are made by burning the palm crosses and fronds left over from Palm Sunday last year. That's right; we burn last year's crosses, and keep the ashes to put on our heads this year.

Why?

Well there are many theological explanations for this, but I am just a simple FISH, and so this is how I like to see it.

Palm Sunday was the day the crowds welcomed Jesus in to the city by waving palm branches. Then five days later they cried out for his crucifixion. Five days! The same people; some of them probably still had splinters of palm branches in the hands that they made into fists to shake at Pilate. So wearing the palm cross on my forehead, reminds me of the times that I have acclaimed Jesus as lord of my life, and then turned around and betrayed him with my next breathe. The 40 days when I am figuratively wearing the ash, is 40 days where I need to focus myself on preparing myself for Easter, and my own response. 40 days where I need to try and draw closer to him, and remind myself what he did for me, and my own guilt in making it necessary. 40 days where I need to keep that 'splinter' in my proverbial hand, as a reminder not to be part of the crowd calling for his crucifixion.

Of course, that's just what it means to me.

Day of sack, day of ash.

As we burn last year’s sins,

And wear them on our brow.

So we carry other’s burdens,

and hope to lighten our own.

Day of Ash by DavidSeven

New law or old?

Following on from my previous post, I had a question, which came to me, when I drafted it: One that has given me a lot of trouble over the year. What is the deal with the Old Testament code and law, and can we ignore it in light of Matthew chapter 7 where Jesus talks about the fact that he 'did not come to replace the law, but to fulfil it.’ ?

I think the distinction here is the Law and the laws. In Exodus, God gave one Law. Then he broke it down into 10 commandments, which were all separated into 613 rules. But you can't break one rule without breaking the whole Law. Its part of the whole law of righteousness.

God saved his people, but they had to follow the Law to allow them to be Holy enough to approach him. This involved many rituals, sacrifices and cleansing. Then Jesus came, and by fulfilling the law - being the sacrifice and cleansing us - he made it possible for us to no longer be slaves to the rules and rituals that were making the law so hard to follow.

His law is a new law, but it is also a fulfilment of the old law. We need to be holy, as he was holy, but we do not do it by following the law, but by following him.

For practical examples look at how Jesus and Paul ignore the rules relating to food, and the Sabbath. He obviously wanted to free us from the law as much as from sin. But he gave is new rules for conducting ourselves, that go back to the spirit of the first Law, but don't place a burden on us, except the burden of love.

Salvation and Sanctification

Now I read an interesting post recently about faith and works recently entitled "The Hole Gospel: How faith killed works" and it got me thinking about a post I did once before on a similar theme, and I thought I would try and revisit it here.

In the Old Testament, we see GOD calling the Israelites out of Egypt, and promising to be their GOD. Then, once they have accepted him, he gives them all the rules to follow. Oh boy but there are rules ,and rules. And sub-rules, and exceptions. But these rules do not make the people worthy of salvation, GOD chose to save them first. Then, once he has given them salvation, he gives them the rules, not for them to earn their salvation, but for them to try and become worthy of it: A way for them to sanctify themselves, and approach him clean.

I guess the same thing with Jesus. He came to save us first, and then after his death and resurrection we are given the various 'rules' that we need to follow in order to make ourselves more 'holy'. These are ways to thank him by trying to live lives he would be proud of, not an effort to 'earn' the salvation he offered.

Ephesians 2:8 " For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it. "

To quote a cliché; we are not saved by good works, but for good works.

Because the chapter of course continues with Ephesians 2:10 "God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do."