Creation, Fall, Redemption :::::: Redemption

God created perfectly. We rebelled. God redeemed us.

John 5:22 says that the Father judges no one but has given that job to the Son (Jesus). So Jesus has been given the ominous job of presiding over the final judgement. The judgement is the separation of the good from the evil. The good enters into the Kingdom of Heaven and the bad enters into Hell.

When Jesus came to this earth He spent his time redeeming. He didn't judge. There is a time coming when he will judge. We are in the space between the redemption and the final judgement.

Are you helping with the judgement (of which you were never asked to help)? Or are you helping with the redemption (which is exactly what we have been asked to help with)?

Comments

Father Christensen said…
Timotheos:

Since currently I am studying theology, I have two theological questions for you regarding this post. You said "The judgement is the separation of the good from the evil. The good enters into the Kingdom of Heaven and the bad enters into Hell." Is there really such a thing as a "bad" person? Did not God create us as naturally good (stemming of course from the fact that we are created in the Image of God)? Maybe a better way to put this would be "The judgement is the separation of those who do good from those who do evil. Those who do good enters into the Kingdom of Heaven and those who do bad enters into hell." What do you think? Am I right?

Second, you ask if we are helping with the redemption. How do we do that? Can we really help Jesus to redeem? What do you think?
October 5, 2009 at 2:04 PM
Unknown said…
Good thoughts. For the first I agree with the bad/evil person. That person got that way because of decisions, not because God created him or her that way. There may not be a such thing as an evil person, but there is a such person as a person who gives into evil.

Only Jesus can redeem, but we can help in spreading the good news (gospel) of Jesus' death and resurrection. It's true that we are saved only through Christ and sacrifice on the cross. But as the church and the bride of Christ we can work in the redemption. We can not redeem people, but we can work with the redemption. I would think about that teaching with the workers in the field getting ready for the Harvest or Jesus' teaching on not judging others.

What do you think?
October 5, 2009 at 3:47 PM
Father Christensen said…
Well is seems we have settled and agree on the first question.

Regarding the second question. It seems to me that we can help in redemption by doing what you say i.e. "we can help in spreading the good news (gospel) of Jesus' death and resurrection." But there is also a passage which has caused much debate about this very issue. It is Colossians 1:24 which reads "Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church." Here St. Paul seems to be saying that he, as a member of the mystical body of Christ, makes up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. In other words, he is helping in redemption through his own share in the cross - in his own suffering. This of course raises the eyebrows of many because it seems to imply that Christ's own suffering wasn't enough, and indeed that is true. The passion of Christ was more than sufficient to redeem all of mankind. So how do we interpret this passage. Any ideas?
October 5, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Unknown said…
I have a hospital visit, class, and a concert tonight. (I'm not performing!) I would like to read that scripture in context and reply. It will probably be tomorrow, but I have never really studied that scripture that closely. Interesting.
October 6, 2009 at 7:29 AM
Unknown said…
I think that Paul clears it up at the end when he writes "for the sake of his body, which is the church." There is a call to be a part of the church, which is the body of Christ and the bride of Christ as well (there's another confusing one). So Christ's suffering is enough, but we suffer as well for the sake the Christ suffered - to save. So Christ's suffering is once and for all. He calls us to be a part of his mission. So if we suffer, we suffer for him and for others. We don't redeem, but he can use us to help in his redemption.

How do you interpret it?
October 7, 2009 at 5:11 PM
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