God has a name – 12

To be given to know God’s name is to be given life. In ‘God’s name’, revelation comes to us, prayers are offered, pastoral ministry of encouragement, teaching, rebuke and calling folk to repentance occurs, God’s word is preached, baptised children are made ‘real’ members of the Church, bread is broken and wine consummed. Most importantly, it was in God’s name, and for the sake of God’s name, that Jesus Christ fulfilled his ministry as Son of God and Son of Man.

Christ did not come in the first instance to satisfy the needs and instincts of our diviner self, but to honour the claim of a holy God upon us, crush our guilt into repentant faith, and create us anew in the act. He did not come in the first instance to consecrate human nature, but to hallow God’s name in it. (Forsyth)

Whenever Jesus spoke, he ‘spoke in God’s name’, and insofar as he did this, he ‘really stood in God’s place’. It is true that he loves humanity, but that love is primarily served as he gives himself ever to God in loving obedience. His pity for humanity flows from his love, and that love is directly primarily at God and is fixed upon God’s holiness. For Christ, Forsyth contends, ‘the hallowing of God’s name always came first’.

Some other news …

Related to names, China is facing a surname crisis. Read here.

Related to mission in the name, some of the readers of this blog may be interested to know that India Baptist Theological Seminary (IBTS) in the Kottayam District of Kerala is seeking a teacher to teach a short module in historical theology. More information here.

On another news, Richard Rorty has passed away. You can read his obituary here.