Let's Meet

We had a meeting, for the first time, one on one with our pastor last night (9-25) just to have a chance to get to know him and have him get to know us. It was an interesting experience in that I am endlessly inquisitive and hopelessly opinionated. Cheryl made me begin by asking my ‘theological question’ ‘just how Christian is this church?’. I received an interesting reply that I am not sure answered the question I had in my heart. Steve answered us with his explanation that he believed in the cosmological redemption through Christ. I tend to believe the same way in that this universe will be completely restored to Jesus/God through whom entirety was created. He also stated that he doesn’t necessarily agree with Paul that Jesus dies for our sin and the God the Creator didn’t intend to set Him up as a sacrifice for that sin. He postulated that Jesus never said that was why He was here and that the first time it was ever spoken of was by Paul as an explanation of why Jesus was crucified. Hummmmm.

That bodes thought on my part as I don’t tend to agree with that rendition of the story. Not because of what Paul may or may not have said, but because of what John cousin of Jesus was reported to have said at Jesus’ baptism and that is, “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.” Now that I stop and think about it Jesus said many things that indicated that he knew of His impending death and the purpose for it. He said, “Unless a grain of wheat fall to the ground and die it resides alone, but if it dies many more are created.” and “The Comforter will not come unless I go away.” Then “Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” At one point Jesus told the disciples that the ‘this temple will be destroyed and then restored in three days.’

So, in all of this Jesus, IMHO, knew he was going to be killed and or sacrificed. Not only that He said it was nescessary. John said He was going to remove the sin of the world. Jesus knew that the Comforter couldn’t come and death wouldn’t be destroyed, if He wasn’t killed and resurrected. He told us that there was no way for the church to grow unless He died. SO. What does this all tell me? I don’t have a clue, but I can try to make a guess.

John the Baptist said Jesus was a Lamb not just any Lamb, but the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Why would John call Jesus that? The perfect Lamb of God could only have been an offer of sacrifice to ‘forgive, or better yet, remove the lack of faith that was the cause of, sin.”

NOW, scripture says that, now I want you to get this, (and thank you Brian Patterson for constantly reminding me of this) anything that is not of faith is sin. So, if the Spirit could only come to dwell with people if Jesus ‘went away’ (was made a sacrifice to bring the Spirit) and faith comes through the Spirit, then Christ died to save us from lack of faith which is sin. Am I wrong? Is my logic flawed? Sin is such an ugly word that is used to exclude people from relationship with God. Sin is whatever is not of faith.
I guess what I am concluding is that Jesus died and was resurrected so that the Spirit could fall on all people not just a few. The Spirit leads us to/through faith to those things that are not sin. Let faith be your guide. Kandis Glasgow