Chapter 31-32
1. On pages 273-4, Bonhoeffer writes, “Hence, the ultimate purpose
of God, which is to establish a holy community, is at last fulfilled in the
Body of Christ. God dwells in it with
the Holy Spirit. How does all this come
to pass? How does God create a community
of saints out of sinful men and women?
The answer is that God justifies himself by appearing as his own
advocate in defense of his own righteousness.
And it is in the cross of Christ that this supreme miracle happens.”
- Yes, we are wading
into deep theological waters here. How
would you describe this miracle of redemption through the cross?
2. On pages 276-7, “The proclamation of the death of Christ for
us is the preaching of justification.
The means whereby we are incorporated into the Body of Christ, that is,
into his death and resurrection is baptism.
Just as Christ died once and for all, so we are baptized and justified
once and for all. Both events are in the
strictest sense unrepeatable. Only repeatable is the recollection of the event that happened for our sake once and for
all, and it needs to be repeated daily.”
- Explain how Jesus’s death & resurrection
are directly linked to God’s gracious act of baptism on our behalf. What do they share?
3. On page 279, “Sanctification means that the Christians have
been judged already, and that they are being preserved until the coming of
Christ and are ever advancing towards it.
All this has a threefold significance for the community of the
saints. First, their sanctification will
be maintained by their being clearly separated
from the world. Secondly, it will be
maintained thorough their walking in
a way which is worthy of the holiness
of God. Thirdly, their sanctification will
be hidden, and they must wait for the day of Jesus Christ. Sanctification is therefore possible only within
the visible Church.”
- How do you
experience sanctification through acts of separation from the world, walking
worthy, and waiting for Jesus’ return?
4. On page 287, “The community of the saints is not an ‘ideal’
community consisting of perfect and sinless men and women, where there is no
need of further repentance. No, it is a
community which proves that it is worthy of the gospel of forgiveness by constantly
and sincerely proclaiming God’s
forgiveness (which has nothing to do with self-forgiveness). It is a community of men and women who have
genuinely encountered the precious grace of God, and who walk worthily of the
gospel by not casting that grace recklessly away.”
- How has being a part of this grace community shaped your understanding
and claiming of God’s forgiveness.
5. On page 296, “We cling in faith to Christ and his works
alone. For we have the promise that
those who are in Christ Jesus will be enabled to do good works, which will testify
for them in the day of judgement. They will be preserved and sanctified until
the last day. All we can do is to believe in God’s Word, rely on his promise,
and walk in the good works which he has prepared for us.”
- “Believe, rely, walk”…
these are the good works that carry us forward in faith. How do they define your “life journey” today?
6. On pages 302-3, “If we are confirmed to his image in his
Incarnation and crucifixion, we shall also share the glory of his resurrection. We shall be drawn into his image, and
identified with his form, and become a reflection of him. That reflection of his glory will shine forth
in us even in this life, even as we share his agony and bear his cross. Our life will then be a progress from
knowledge to knowledge, from glory to glory, to an ever-closer conformity with
the image of the son of God.”
- As you look at your
life in its entirety, where has Christ’s reflection in you shone most brightly?
- Where are you
experiencing “progress” toward conformity with Christ?
