Salvation and Human Response— The Temple 07-28-15:

Three biblical stories or narratives provide overarching paradigms for the whole concept of salvation. And those stories suggest some significant ways for human involvement and response.

The Temple: And the third biblical story of salvation centers in the Jewish Temple where animal sacrifices were offered regularly to atone for sins. This story images the human problem as sin and impurity and the corresponding guilt. This story is centered in an institution, the temple in Jerusalem as the place of sacrifice. Sacrifices were offered because sin and impurity prevented entrance into the presence of the holy God.

This story of salvation addresses our profound sense of being stained and soiled, of being sinful and unworthy, of feeling guilty and unacceptable because of our failures and wrong behaviors that hurt ourselves and others. So the power of this salvation solution is in the story of being cleansed, forgiven, accepted, and reconciled with God, ourselves, and others.

The New Testament Jesus is presented as both the sacrificial lamb and the priest who offers the lamb. His death as the “once for all” sacrifice for sin replaces the temple and temple sacrifices. Jesus comes to tell the story about forgiveness and acceptance. Salvation is about freedom from the guilt of sin and the power of sin. Jesus’ death and resurrection point the way to a profound release of divine energy that both cleanses the guilty conscience and empowers a new and transformed way of thinking and living.  The human response in this salvation story is significant, as well. It’s one thing to be given a gift of freedom; the prison cell doors are thrown open, providing a new life of freedom and liberation. But it’s another thing to sit in the cell refusing to leave. Freedom can only be accessed by accepting it, by walking out of the cell into the light and choosing to live in the light.

Reconciliation with ourselves, God and others can only be experienced in its completeness and greatest meaning if it’s accepted and lived into. The emotional burden of guilt can only be lifted if we accept its eradication and believe it’s been taken away. Accepting forgiveness is the only way to live beyond the sense of unworthiness caused by our mistakes and failures. People can tell you they’ve truly forgiven you, God can assure you that you’re truly forgiven for your worst and “baddest” sins, but none of those declarations mean anything for you personally unless you willingly accept it, embrace it and live into it. Salvation is the work of God. Yes. And yet we must respond to it to enjoy it in all its multicolored dimensions.