Christianity: Divine Rescue
Christianity is a religion, not of self-help, but of divine rescue. Thus, to understand “atonement,” a person must first understand both humanity’s sinful condition and God’s just wrath against sin. For without sin, there is no divine wrath, and without divine wrath, there is no need for salvation. This important context makes the significance of Jesus’ death on the cross all the more comprehensible.
WHAT IS SIN?
At its core, sin is an assertion of spiritual autonomy (a declared independence, even of God); generally described as missing the mark set by God, going astray from God, actively rebelling against God, and taking the form of violating God’s expressed commands. Sin might rightly be defined as anything (including actions, attitudes, and nature) contrary to the moral character and commands of God. Sin is also defined as unrighteousness, godlessness, and lawlessness.
“Wash me thoroughly from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my wrongdoings, and my sin is constantly before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge… because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so… Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” ~ Psalm 51:2-4; Romans 8:7; 1 John 3:4
ORIGIN OF SIN
Sin originates in the will of the creature. Adam, in his relationship to God, was not just a private individual. He was not only the first man, he was also representative man. God chose to treat Adam’s actions (either obedience or disobedience) as representative of all humanity’s actions. When Adam disobeyed God, it wasn’t just Adam who broke favor with God, but all his descendants as well. Sin and guilt transferred from the fall of Adam to all of Adam’s progeny. Consequently, humans are not sinners simply because they happen to sin, they sin because they are sinners by nature.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned… So then, as through one offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous… If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” ~ Romans 5:12; 18-19; 1 John 1:8
TOTAL DEPRAVITY
Sin is universal and resides at the very core (inner being) of every individual [except Jesus], affecting the entire person - including the human mind, will, affections, and body. Human beings are thus ‘totally depraved.’
Total depravity doesn’t mean that people are completely or utterly evil, but it means that people are pervasively sinful (sin has affected their total being), making it impossible for human beings to merit the favor of God [except Jesus].
Fallen human beings are capable of doing certain morally good acts, but their sinful nature renders them incapable of living in a way completely pleasing to God.
“Indeed, there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23
Given man’s sinful condition and God’s holy and righteous character, man unavoidably faces the just wrath of God. Yet, in the midst of man’s desperate state (divine judgment), God intervened and provided a way of escape [Christ Jesus].
~ Samples, Kenneth Richard. ‘Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions
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Have you ever felt a strong connection with Source or your inner being? If yes, use this feeling as your vibrational anchor!
As creators, we decide what we will manifest by controlling our frequencies through feelings. When we are vibrating at higher frequencies, i.e. vibrationally more aligned to Source and our inner being, we have greater powers to manifest what we want. However, our human minds tend to react to the situations around us. As a result, our emotions and thus our frequencies are often changed due to these external circumstances. Thus, having a vibrational anchor with Source can be beneficial as it gives us the possibility to navigate back to the frequency that allows more fruitful manifestations to come in the future. This can be done in many ways, such as by recalling the feeling, or changing your perspectives and focuses.
Please note that when something bad happens, it is healthy for us to grieve and process the experience so that we can release the emotional energies, learn from it, and move on. Nonetheless, we can use our vibrational anchor to make the pain more bearable. Eventually, after a period of grief, we can use the anchor to manifest something new and desirable!
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The Path 1982
Standing in front of my painting, seeming to protest the Path is too steep. (1982)
It’s 1982. I’m talking about my new work and he snaps my picture in front of the nymph or sprite I called her, beckoning me to follow her up the path. I’d never heard of the Path in those days, the one known as the Path of Ascent, the Path of Return to Source, the path of light that ascends, stage by stage,…
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