Revisions....

This is a rather long one...

Since writing the two part extravaganza on atonement and the issue of status transference surrounding it, I have since read up on Tom Wrights "simple" explanation of the righteousness (available here) of which Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5:21. With this shaping my ever malleable mind, I re-evaluate my stance. At one level some of what I have said still stands, but the relationship between sin and righteousness seems less relevant. This is mainly because the 'Jesus became sin that we me become righteousness...' is better explained as Jesus representing one thing and us representing the other. Summarising Wright's article it is basically part of an argument showing the authority of Paul. Wright suggests that Jesus is shown by Paul to have, on the cross, represented sin and taken the punishment, bearing the sin of the world as a representative, not having a clean account filled with other people's disobedience. What it means is that, with Jesus death accomplishing reconciliation, our relationship with God means we can represent His righteousness giving us authority to admonish one another. That's about as much as you're going to get until I finish thinking all this through, but the key in the PSA theory is not whether or not righteousness jumps from soul to soul, but what happens to sin. This would begin to explain an alternate title I was thinking of for my last posts; 'What happens to our soul?'

So, in light of my research I'm going to tackle sin. This is, supposedly, why Jesus had to die. Without sin, Jesus was fine where He was. Of course, if sin is not considered in a certain way, Jesus' death was unneeded, in one sense. Inevitably, sin must be dealt with, and the sacrifice laws made in Leviticus some 3000 odd years ago play much more of a part in Jesus' death than we like to say.

What is sin?

It can be described in a number of ways.

Sin is...

1. ...disobeying God, and His laws


2. ...not acting loving towards one another


3. ...acting outside the identity of Christ


4. ...the view God sees of your rejection or lack of relationship with Christ

At the most foundational level, the breaking of the first commandment (love God) means the other 9 will be broken. Similarly, Jesus' 2 commandments (love God, love others), are only possible if the first is kept. Whenever the first is broken the second follows quickly. So, to act outside the identity of Christ, or to be seen as a rejection of Him, is to not be a believer, or to not have the faith in Jesus. This means that any action ('good' or 'bad' in the eyes of the world) that isn't done when believing the gospel is a sin. But where did sin come from?

Where did sin come from?

Supposedly, Adam sinned first. First came sin, then came death. It goes right back to God's whole plan. He created Man in the image of God and, because He gives us responsibility, we can naturally assume we should know more than we do in order to do a better job. So, whether figuratively or literally, Adam eats of this fruit which gives him knowledge of both good and evil. The trouble is that makes him worse at his job than he was. He disobeyed a direct command from God and God has to give the consequences suitable to the act.

The trouble is, it wasn't a harmless mistake. The knowledge, where some think it could have freed us to make a better decision, is actually the thing that entraps the human race to slavery. There are lies in the world, telling us we have free will. It's not a biblical term, and I believe the Bible is fully truth, so I'm hesitant to use such terminology. Freedom is available, for sure. What I see, however, is not Adam making some decision of whether to be fully cooperative or not, but rather the greater choice which we have very little say in; who is your master? or, alternatively, what are you a slave to?

I would like to propose that we do not have free will. We are slaves to sin. Adam's action in the garden condemned the world. The repercussions are far greater than being chucked out of a proverbial garden. I puts the whole human race into slavery to that which condemns, destroys, and is utterly punishable. We can't break free because we, on our own, can't break the chains of the master which is, at one level, the sin which we serve, and, at another level, the law which shows us how much of a slave we are and never works for us.

The only possible way to be freed from the condemnation of the law, and the slavery of sin, is for some external source who is not a slave to sin, and is in perfect relationship with the law. Someone like that could come, and die, pay the price and free us from the destructive slavery. This act would be so much greater than the act of Adam because it purchases our redemption from sin, to be made slave, instead, to righteousness. The act is so much greater than the curse of Adam, because it dies to the "marriage" with the law (the only lawful way to be freed from a relationship of that nature), and rises us into relationship with God. Free from sin, and the law; slaves to righteousness, and friends of God, we rise victorious.

I would ask: where is the transfer of Adam's sins to us? and where is the transfer of our sins to this redemptive power of a sinless man (Jesus for those not following my thoughts)? What happens to our sins?

It turns out there was never an issue of our sins. We have a nature that isn't free and needs to be. There is no talk of a status, rather an attachment. The transfer doesn't have to take place because the righteousness is not an alien righteousness, as is argued in the doctrine of justification, but rather the righteousness is the relationship outside of law, and a slavery to it. We can now be enslaved to righteousness because Jesus dies the perfect death on the cross freeing us from condemnation by the law, and freeing us from the slavery to sin we once had. It makes us slaves to what is good and right and holy and positive, not destructive. It turns the world around. Jesus resurrection is, therefore, more important than simply some hope we have for the time when Jesus returns, some great gift of a new body with no dysfunctions or imperfections, a real body.

Jesus' resurrection means we rise into a life free from the law, and free from sin. It is not just proof of God's great redemptive work; it is necessary in this life, where we have so much to change, to live a life pleasing and holy, upright, pure, walking humbly before our GOD, Jesus.

So now you've heard both sides of what I've been thinking about. Maybe it's all wrong. I could have bits that are right. I don't know. I'll find out one day. What I do know is I am right with God because of Jesus' death and resurrection. That is what saves. The bible says so. Whether one thing happened or another, the Gospel is that Jesus died to make me a son of God and heir and to save me from the sting of death.