Sunday, July 23, 2006

Continuation of the series "How to survive..."
Scripture tells us that, “It is appointed man once to die.” I’ve assumed along with possibly most everyone else that came as a result of the fall. Robert Capon surmises differently in his book Genesis the Movie. He tells us that the tree of life in the garden isn’t about perpetual existence in the present state of being unflawed by sin, but of freedom from the fear of death. He points out that in the time before that fateful day when Adam and Eve misinterpreted what God said and as a result were duped by Satan and their own mistrust that death was all around. Animals were devouring animals, something was dying be it plants or animals to provide Adam sustenance.

Pharaoh’s daughter names him Moses because “She drew him out of the water” Ex. 2:1-10. Moses the lawgiver in effect baptized a precursor to Israel being baptized wholesale in the Red Sea. Let’s go back to Moses; He was born into another family not his own by water. That was his salvation, his place of nurturing and eventually his education; he was the first literate Hebrew that I know of. Later when Israel fled from Pharaoh their salvation as a nation went through the red sea-water baptism set the nation of Israel apart from their past of slavery and bondage physically. They were as scripture tells us still in bondage inwardly, still enslaved in their hearts.

So what I think for us as relates to water baptism and the Body of Christ is that there is salvation in this Body we are born into this by water baptism. Is that a substitution for a relationship with Christ? Let’s look at the archetype Moses. He held meetings as it were with God on a regular basis on mountaintops and tents, he knew God face to face. Old Testament history to me shows a people content with their religion and letting someone else do the God thing, thanks. The Father wanted a relationship with His people, Jesus repeatedly used the informal term for God as Abba, like we’d say hey Dad as a way of communing with God. His inclusive “Our Father” in the prayer gives us insight again into the intimacy desired by the God with us.

The Body of Christ is a place where we get saved in the New Testament sense of that word “saved” where it translates “whole or wholeness”. It is the place where the slavery within is made into a place of experiential freedom. Now many twist and contort and I my mind just plain screw this all up. Jesus said He’d leave the ninety-nine and go seek out the lost sheep. Words about millstones being hung around folks necks who cause one of these little ones to stumble. Paul cautions Timothy to keep his doctrine straight as a way of salvation for both him and his flock. Thessalonians tells us that partaking of suffering is a requirement for the church, not inflicting suffering.

I want to continue this vein of thought so hang in there.
John

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