Studentenalmanak 1960 - pagina 221

Hence even the idea of community does not exhaust the scope

of the transforming work. Nothing short of the cosmos is the

object of redemption; nothing less than the new heavens and the

new earth wiU bring to reality the divine goal. The glorious liberty

of the children of God will not come to pass apart from the

liberation of the whole creation (ct. Rom. 8: 21). The truly

universal and comprehensive scope of salvation thus comes to fuU

view in the consummation of the divine plan, an estimate that is

readUy lost sight of when one considers the world and history in

terms of our present experience. When our contemplation of the

coming ot the kingdom of God gives due recognition to its final

manifestation, a firm basis wül be provided for the conclusion that

no sphere of Ufe may be regarded as out of bounds so far as the

actualization of the divine supremacy is concerned.

Finally, a few observations may be made concerning man's religious

and ethical response to the gospel as it is understood and proclaimed

in terms of its eschatological impUcations. In brief, it may be stated

that, far from wealdning the response which man is called upon

to make, it heightens and deepens the life of faith and repentance, of trust

and righteousness. Accentuating as this approach does the God-

centered nature of the Christian message, and focusing one's thoughts

upon the reaUzation of the glory of God, it demands the full

engagement of our powers and stresses the fact that nothing short

of a commitment of heart and soul and mind and strength wül be

appropriate. The order of the kingdom of God, as the New

Testament emphasizes, is an order of righteousness. The doing

of the divine will must be prayed for in the same breath as the

coming of the kingdom; one is inconceivable without the other.

And within this framework the majesty and validity of the holy

and righteous law of God is to be maintained and taught, not only

because the law as the teacher of sin prepares the sinner for the

gospel, but also because the way of righteousness set forth in the

law is the goal of the redemptive process. N o r is it merely a goal

in the sense of an ideal toward which man must strive; it is the

goal which is assured of realization because the eschatological hope

is one which is certain of fulfillment through divine grace. Thus

there is confirmation of the conclusions that neither fatalism nor

quietism, neither legalism nor antinomianism may find a resting

place within the gospel as men live in the strength of the blessed

hope.

The general conclusion of this brief paper is therefore that

217

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen