Are We Doing the Christian Story Justice?
Before I get into the thoughts of this blog post, let me re-orient you to the writing prompt for this blog. Our church blog is entitled, Something More...(Thoughts Beyond the Sunday Sermon). This title is enough to encompass anything that I might believe worth writing to you about, but it will most often take its cues from the Sunday sermon. It’s an opportunity for me to offer some considerations that didn’t fit well within the space of my time to preach but which nonetheless might be of significant value. That said, even in this blog space I’m not going to be exhaustive in my writing. I’m just going to offer you some food for thought. So here goes!
In Sunday’s sermon (12/5), we looked at Paul’s writing in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15. In those passages, he draws both Adam and Christ into comparison, contrasting not only their actions (disobedience/obedience) but also the fruit of their actions (death/life). I believe the most vivid picture that Paul puts before us is found in 1 Corinthians 15:45, wherein he writes:
“So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:45 [NIV]
By referring to Jesus as “the last Adam”, Paul is telling us that Jesus has concretely altered the course of human history. Just as Adam set the course for human history up to the time of Christ, so thereafter has Jesus set the course of human history for all who receive him, but in a radically different direction. The path of Adam ends in life, but the path of Jesus ends in everlasting life.
Even as you read that last sentence, I fear that perhaps you lose the earthy, time-space, implications of that reality. When we read words like “everlasting life”, it seems inevitable that our point of reference becomes removed from the historical reality of our world. Most of us tend to divide the world into two spheres, the physical sphere and spiritual sphere, never imagining that the two might inhabit each other. The humanity of Jesus Christ is neglected as we observe his divinity, and as far as we are concerned, our future lies outside of this world in heaven.
But when Paul tells us that Jesus is the last Adam, we should clearly see that the spiritual sphere has inhabited the physical sphere. We should see that our salvation doesn’t remove us from this world, but rather restores our place in it as those bearing the image of God. It’s a reality that outpaces the most vivid science-fiction. In Jesus, the human species is advanced to its highest form. It’s a transformation that begins today spiritually, but which will ultimately manifest itself materially when our bodies are transformed when Jesus returns. The planet itself will be healed and will realize its fullest potential. Rather than us being taken away from earth, the Creator of the entire cosmos will come and dwell here with us.
My basic question for you to consider is this: have we been doing the Christian story justice in the way that we tell it to others? As I’ve already suggested, it seems to me that most Christians talk about salvation in purely spiritual and moral terms. We talk about being forgiven of the wrong we’ve done, of spiritual and moral transformation, and of heavenly rest in the face of death. We talk little about the material restoration of the human race and of the earth through Jesus as the last Adam.
Unintentionally, this communicates to non-Christians that the Christian faith is surreal, that it deals in categories completely irrelevant to the future of human race. Consequently, people instead look for salvific solutions from the fields of medical-science and technology. The tragedy is that Jesus possesses everything they could ever hope to gain from those fields! Ultimately, people want to live forever with vibrant health and for the planet to be preserved - that’s just a mere crumb of what Jesus brings to the table!
My challenge to you is to be mindful of how you tell the Christian story. Yes, include the good news of personal forgiveness and moral-spiritual transformation, but also do more than that. Talk about the historical reality of Jesus. He was born, he died, and three days later he rose from the dead. He ascended to heaven and will be returning, at yet another appointed time in human history, at which time he will raise the dead and transform the bodies of all of those human beings who have trusted and pledged allegiance to him. The earth will be restored. Don’t be surprised if this is new information to many people – they are used to keeping the physical and spiritual spheres separate. Yet this is precisely what God has brought together in Jesus Christ. Make sure they feel the full weight of that reality!
Rev. Tom Loghry
Tom Loghry is the senior pastor of Rockland Community Church in North, Scituate, RI. He is a graduate of the Berkshire Institute for Christian Studies, Toccoa Falls College (B.S. Pastoral Ministry), and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.A. Theology). He is continuing his graduate studies in the area of “Ethics & Society” at GCTS.
Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.