Gracious in Grace

It is important that Paul went to Jerusalem, however, the topic that I feel impressed to write about after our last discussion is the grace of God. I really enjoyed reading about the letter of Philemon written by Paul while he is in prison. Paul confronts the topic of slaves, in this his shortest letter. Paul has received a slave who has run away from his owner, Paul’s friend. Paul attempts in this letter to convince his friend to accept his slave back. Paul baptized the master and most likely has now baptized the slave also. Paul redefines the master-slave relationship. As we discussed this letter we said that its main importance was simply the fact that it was written by Paul and that the content wasn’t that important. However, I really loved the message that it brought to me. Because God is gracious in grace, we need to be gracious in grace. If Jesus Christ was willing to save us we need to be willing to save others. All of this is part of his commandment to ‘love one another.’ I know that Jesus Christ died for mankind, and that we can never do what he did for us. However, he has asked us to come to him, and to become like him. To become like him we must be gracious in grace.

Types and Shadows

I love Dr. Holzapfel’s class because it is not only based on lecture but we are able to to a lot of extracurricular activities. Last week, instead of class, we went to the BYU Museum of Art and attended “types and Shadows” exhibition. This exhibition specializes in religious artwork. As we entered the exhibition the first painting that caught my eye was a piece by Arnold Friberg. He is one of my favorite religious artists and I was so excited to see one of his originals up close. To my surprise, much of the artwork that we looked at wasn't the classic LDS art that we se in the Ensign and in the temples, such as Friberg’s work. At first I was skeptical of why such works, which didn’t even depict a religious scene should be included in a religious exhibit. However, lucky for my ignorance, the curator did a good job of explaining what different things could symbolize. The painting entitled “Daily Bread” by Lee Bennion gave me the most grief. The painting depicts a woman in simple clothing offering a piece of bread in her apron. Although I still don’t feel like this piece of art quite belongs in the gallery I now understand it. The bread could be representing the sacrament, or Christ (“I am the living bread” (John 6:51)). And the woman's arms could represent Heavenly Father’s “Arms of mercy [which] are extended” (Alma 5:33). Although I now understand this painting, and I am able to appreciate it, and I believe that I am allowed an opinion and an opportunity to say that I still am not the biggest fan.

My favorite picture in the gallery was entitled “Exchange No. 8” by Ron Richmond. The painting is of an upright chair with a white sheet draped over it, in front of it is a fallen chair with a read table cloth draped over it. There are many squares in the picture, and the whole painting is surrounded in a circle. I love the symbolism of chairs, of the “mercy seat” or of a throne. The standing chair had a pure white cloth that was the purist part of the picture. It was twisted perhaps giving the feeling of a robe. The red cloth on the fallen chair seemed to reflect imperfection and possibly sin. What touched me is when the curator said that “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). I felt like that scripture completely encompassed the artists purpose for the painting.

Paul's Letter to the Romans

I the many of the different letters that Paul wrote he used secretaries, or scribes to relate his messages to the people of different lands as a substitute for personal visits. Romans is a unique letter because it is believed to be written in word for word verbatim of what Paul actually dictated. The book of Romans was written to the churches that Paul had authority over, and is not to be read as a biography but more as a theology.

In the first verse Paul introduces himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. In this context the word ‘servant’ is equivalent to ‘slave’. According to the Hebrew tradition everyone has a master. When Paul says that he is the Slave of Jesus Christ he is calling Christ his master. This also acts as a representation that he is a good person because he has a good master. Because he is referring to Hebrew tradition, Paul is inferring that Christ is Jewish. Paul also makes this known by referring to Christ as the son of David. In the second half of the first chapter. Paul declares that humanity is fallen, and that all are condemned to go to hell. Paul makes it sound like due to the weakness of the natural man, any man if under certain circumstances and in certain places could sink to a fallen state. Paul makes a standing argument: we are only men and we are weak, none of us are invincible. We as mankind are still able to be influenced by the devil even in the small aspects of life. Therefore, if any man claims perfection, he is indeed lying because no one is sinless.

As Christians we don’t set the terms for our own sacrifices, our sacrifices are determined by what the Lord has asked of us. Christ too sacrificed himself in accordance to what Heavenly Father asked of him. In 5:7 of Romans, Paul says “scarcely for a righteous man will one die”. I would even add to Paul’s truth by saying that man will not give up their lives for anyone whether it was a righteous man or a sinner. After talking about how all of humanity is sinners and that it is rare that a man would die for another Paul made one of his most powerful points. One of my favorite things that Paul said is that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” We are all so imperfect, we are sinners, yet Christ was willing to give up his perfect life-- even if it would have only been for me. Paul describes the the process of the Atonement and all of its power, and then he councils the Romans to follow it. In Romans 8:35-39 he said “who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life... Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Christ did all of that for us, so that we might have the unconditional opportunity to be saved. To me this brings powerful zeal, I will not let anything, no not anything halter me in my understanding and use of the Atonement. Christ died so that I may be free from my sins. I will not let him die in vain for me. I will not bleed again what he already bled for me. For I will not let anything separate me from the love of my God, and my brother Jesus Christ, who by mercy allowed me to be free from the damning effects of sin.