Ethen-jae clews

Posted Saturday, March 23, 2024

1mo

INTJ

Aries

1

2

A general theological overview, focused in particular on the fall and the glorification of all people in Christ

I shall start by saying some things about genesis well the first 2 chapters. I do not read those chapters as two creation accounts as it where. Rather in genesis 1 God creates the whole world and in genesis 2 God creates his holy of holies with Eden. This can also be said of humanity because in genesis 1 God creates man in his image then in the second he specifically creates Adam. This could indicate that Adam is infact not the first man but rather our first representitive the first high priest serving in the tcenter of the temple of Eden. This then brings us on to the image, because in the ancient world religion (atleast in this area) was based around temples where at the center there would be some sort of statue or icon which is said to "bear the image of the deity" what God does by making us in his image is placing us at the center of the temple to reflect out Gods love and mercy into the world and then to reflect the worlds joy and lement back to God. This is why God gets so offended at idol worship, because he chooses to dwell within living flesh and blood not stone and wood. This brings us into the fall proper. I see it as making a mark on the image of God, i do not believe in total depravity, rather what the fall does is it paints over the image with vulgarity. Because adam and eve as the great high priests represent us the implications of the fall are universal. Moreover the snake while it could indeed be satan could also very much not be, tgeres no reason from tge text islef to assume this. Rather the sanke in itslef is a representitive of the natural desire to rebel, the restlessness, manisfested in a bodily form. The first feeling was of course shame, which is the first feeling which usually follows sin and there is a sense in which they cover themselves not merely because they suddenly think their bits are gross but because they are ashamed because they feel scared and vunerable, alone naked in the dark all of a sudden. God asks them in a fatherly way "who told you that you where naked?" Showing Gods constant need and want to reach out. Indeed there are some who say that after the fall God turned his back on man but a reading of scripture seems to indicate the opposite, God is always reaching out to humanity always trying to fix the problem, it is infact we alone who turn our backs on God, but God is always facing us always faithful. I do not think the fall renders us sworn enemies of God. He then achieves this salvation in Christ who is the new great high priest and, just as the curse of adam towards sin and death whether or not the person makes a concius decleration is universal, so too Christs victory over sin and death is equally universal. Sin is punished in Christs body, by this i mean the dsrkness lf the world is drawn into the body of Christ and is destroyed in him. The cross is a triniarian action, the father is working in the son by the spirit the idea that God the father is punishing God the son in our place because of some blood lust is an unhelpful way of looking at things, instead God the father is working in the son plunging into the depths of every evil in the world to pull humanity back out; like a man thrusting his hand into mud, he pulls it out and cleanse it. Though i do think one problem in the west is in seeing the set dressing as the full performance because not only does christ pull the image of God out of the mud of sin he also offers up to God more than our sins could ever take away from God (which is as nothing) so that where sin abounds grace can abound all the more. Because he is our representitive it is punished in ours too by the cross. It is important of course that he dies on a cross for it was by a living tree that man fell and now by a dead tree that man is raised to life. This really does restore the image of God back to the world, for Christ does not merely render us as snow covered dung, he really makes us holy from within, he really does restore the image entirely and renders us capable of loving the world and reflecting the worlds praise and lement back to God, thru Christ who takes us and presents us in our true perfected form. For we live on the faith of the son of God, not trusting in our own frail faithfullness liable to waver, but supporrted in the undying love and steadfast strength of Christ who loves us and gives himself for us so we are now free to Love God and neighbour with spontanious Joy, no more looking over our shoulders. he is the word of God and if he makes us rightous and holy he really does, like how he said "let there be light and there was light" and "this is my body, this is my blood" and the bread and wine really does become the body, blood soul and divinity of Christ. If the image of God really is restored then, it makes no sense to say we are saved by faith alone because a saving faith issues forth in love,faith which is without works (to love God and neigbour) is dead, it is worthless like a dead tree fit only to be thrown into the fire. For we are justified by faith in Christ and because of our justification we naturally love, for we are crucified with Christ daily, yet we live, yet not we who live but Christ in us. When paul says we are no longer justified by works he means works of the old testiment law not works of love. The sheep and goats are seperated not based on how much faith they had but on how they treat the least of these, in reality Jesus is far more concerned about that. As paul tells us we can have faith to move mountains, but if we have no Love then we are worthless. The only salvific faith is a faith which expresses itself in love. Mary is our prime example, we see how show bore the son of God and loved him from the manger to the cross, we see in Mary how faith is made perfect in Love and obedience.