The Fountain of Life Church: Salvation: Touched by the Angel

If it is not about Jesus, it is not about anything.”

[Motto of the Fountain of Life Church]

Given as a sermon to the New Life in Christ fellowship of Cambridge, Ohio on 12/31/16 and to the Fountain of Life congregation of Washington, PA on 1/1/17.

Sermon Purpose Statement: To compare traditional views of salvation with a Trinitarian view.

Sermon Seeds:

A. Adam’s humanity: we are aware of each other; we participate with one another.

B. Jesus’ humanity: We are conscious of each other; we participate in one another

C. The Angel of the Lord (examples: appearing to Hagar in Genesis 16:7; to Moses in Exodus 3:2; to Zechariah in Zech. 1:12) was the pre-incarnate Son of God)

Due to dietary and ritual cleanliness laws, Old Testament Israel became a closed nation and closed culture and therefore, they began to believe that salvation was for the Jews alone. Yet David writes 1000 years before Jesus in Psalm 67:1-2: “May God be merciful to us and bless us and cause his face shine upon us, that thy ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations…5-6: Let the people praise thee…then shall the earth yield her increase: and our God will bless us.”

The nations were the Gentiles…us; you and me. And what is that Salvation? That the earth may yield her increase. Salvation is physical wellbeing.

Wonderful scripture verses are found in Isaiah 9:1-3; 6. The prophet writes 750 years before Jesus that “By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light: those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. Thou hast multiplied the nations, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil…For unto us a child is born and unto us a Son is given…and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” Isaiah included gentiles in salvation. Here salvation is through the great light, the Prince of Peace. Salvation yields joy. What is the joy? The joy is harvest and peace. Salvation is physical wellbeing.

Let us look at an admittedly superficial, yet workable summery of the Old and New Testament concept of salvation. The Old Testament concept of salvation was a chosen people, people getting right with God; getting reconciled so they could live in the promised land. Getting to the covenant land of promise was the goal; living in the promised covenant land was the salvation.

The law/the temple was the mechanism which made the promised land possible. Good behavior equaled reward equaled physical wellbeing. This Old Testament view is nice news; it is not the Good News.

I was a religious New Testament Christian for 40 years. For 40-years salvation meant called out ones getting right with God; getting reconciled so they could live in Paradise. Getting to heaven was the goal, living in heaven was the salvation. Christ/Baptism was the mechanism which made Paradise possible. Good behavior equaled reward equaled spiritual wellbeing. This New Testament view is nicer news; it is not the Good News.

Well then, considering these traditional views, what did the New Testament change from the Old Testament? A physical reward was changed to a spiritual one. The physical land was upgraded to spiritual heaven. The tool to get there was changed from the law/Temple to Christ/Baptism. They reflect the same mind set: use the right tool, do good, be rewarded. Can this be all there is?

The common view shown above is that humanity is defective and a tool is needed to fix us before God will or can accept us; can save us. That tool was once the law. Today that tool is Christ. But the Trinitarian theology shows that the Good News is that Christ is not the tool for salvation. Christ is Salvation. Salvation is Christ. Salvation is not a goal. Salvation is not a process. Salvation is Jesus Himself. Salvation is what Jesus is and what we are in Him.

The life and work or Jesus Christ may be viewed through the lens of a judge, bringing law, obedience, guilt and punishment; or through the view of a Father bringing love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. These views discuss the “how” of salvation. We may also accurately view the life and work of Jesus through another focus, a Trinitarian one. That focus is the “why” of salvation. We explore the why question by looking at the ultimate purpose and plan of the Father for us as revealed in the Bible.

God’s purpose for us is the “why” of salvation. Why are we? The answer to this question is the Good News. It is the concept of God for us, not God against us, not using us. The ultimate purpose of God for us is personal; it is not an academic exercise. What about that plan? Was the ultimate plan of God that Jesus would be slain from the foundation of the world to forgive our sins? The fact the Jesus died on the cross indicates that his death was part of that plan.

There are two intriguing questions. Concerning the ultimate purpose of God, if Adam had never sinned, would the cross have been necessary; to have Jesus die for non-existent sin? The logical answer seems to be, no. But a far more intriguing question transcends the question of sin itself. Concerning the ultimate purpose of God for us is, if Adam had never sinned, would Christ have become man? If God’s plan was that man remain an intelligent creature; just a working part of His creation; just offering sacrifice, just tending the Garden of Eden, just naming the animals; then the answer is no. Adam’s humanity was sufficient for that.

But if God had a grander plan, then the answer to that that question becomes the Good News of the gospels. And that answer is a resounding, YES! Yes! From the foundation of the world, Jesus intended to become incarnate man; to assume our humanity into Himself; and to give His humanity to us and for us.

If Adam never sinned our humanity would not have become broken. However, if Adam never sinned we would still have Adam’s humanity. Adam did not participate in perichoresis (* see NOTE on perichoresis below) with the divine being. We need Jesus’ humanity to participate in perichoresis with Him and the Father and the Spirit. And the ultimate plan of God is for us to have that type of perichoretic relationship with the Trinity.

Consider that there was a time when we were not. We were not-being and we were powerless to be. Consider the insignificance of the ant under our feet. We were infinitely less significant than that ant. Then by a deliberate act of love, we were called out of nothing, created and given life. We were creatures and a part of what he created. But he made us to be more than another working part or another cog in his universe. Consider what he did. Psalm 139:14, “And were fearfully and wonderfully made”; Hebrews 2:7, “He crowned us with glory and honor”. He made us more than working parts. Nonetheless, with Adam’s humanity, we remained distinct individuals; isolated minds. In our fleshly Adamic form, we are unable to totally participate in the life of any other being; unable to participate in the life of a diving being. For the intimate relationship, which God desires with us, our Adamic natures, even if sinless, are incompatible with His. We might say that our human natures are too fragile to intimately accept His infinite almighty nature. And therein lies the plan of God for us.

Our purpose is not existence for the sake of existence. Our purpose is to have a deep, personal relationship with the God who loves us. How do we know this? God, in fact, is moving to make our natures compatible.

Let us look at reconciliation.

Webster’s New World 4^th Ed defines the word reconcile: 1. To make friends again or win over to a friendly attitude. 2. To settle (a quarrel, difference, etc.) 3. To make (arguments, ideas, texts, accounts, etc.) consistent, compatible, etc.; bring into harmony. 4. To make content, submissive, or acquiescent (to) / to become reconciled to one’s lot. This is how finite creatures relate to each other; how they reconcile. It is for harmony and wellbeing.

In the bible we find reconcile used in the same sense as this secular definition.

Strong’s Concordance 1259 – diallasso: to change thoroughly, i.e. (mentally) to conciliate: - reconcile

Matt 5:24: First be reconciled to your brother:

Strong’s 2644 – katallasso: to change mutually, i.e. (fig.) to compound a difference: reconcile.

1 Cor 7:11: remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. This finite marital transaction is a very personal, intimate type of relation; it is a type of the personal relation that God wants with us.

But we also find deeper meanings.

The Divine Father, if you will, reaches down into our vocabulary and touches the word reconciliation and changes it, deepens it, adds a divine dimension to it; a dimension which the dictionary lacks; a dimension which requires for its existence the touch of a divine hand to energize it.

Strong’s 604 – apo katallasso – to reconcile fully

Col 1:21: wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. This far exceeds an accountant reconciling numbers on a balance sheet. This is dealing with sin against God. This far exceeds dealing with dishonest dealings between men.

Strong’s 2643 – Katallage (figurative) adjustment, i.e. restoration to (the divine) favor: - atonement, reconciliation(-ing).

2 Co 5:18: "hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation" – God touches the word. He is involved and he elevates reconciliation between individuals to a ministry for entire peoples.

Heb. 2:17: "make reconciliation for the sins of the people" - He touches it and reconciliation becomes efficacious for the sins of people. God is involved therefore this reconciliation transcends finite interaction between men.

Strong’s 2644 – katallasso: to change mutually, i.e. (fig.) to compound a difference: reconcile.

Rom 5:10: "reconciled to God by the death of his son". This is God for us. This is an infinite interaction. The divine touches the finite.

2 Cor 5:18: "of God who hath reconciled us to himself." Here we are not reconciled with someone while both retaining isolated individuality, but reconciled to someone, joined intimately to someone. This is intimate. The divine is touching the finite.

2 Cor 5:20: "in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God". Here we are not reconciled with, but reconciled to someone and that someone is divine. This is intimate. The divine is touching the finite and the finite changes.

Through this reconciliation, the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling with men.

1 Corinthians 3:16 - "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

1 Corinthians 6:19 - "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"

2 Corinthians 6:16 - "Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE"

Romans 8:11 - "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

John 16:13 - "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."

Philippians 2:5 - "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus". To me, this is the most intimate scripture in the entire Bible, in the entire catalogue of human literature. A union of minds requires a far more intimate connection than any other. A union of minds is a permanent union. It is not passing of transitory. The mind is the seat of our emotions, our beliefs, our identity as persons. A union of our identities is intimate to the highest degree. This is the vicarious humanity of Jesus in action. His entering into a union with our own identity.

Beloved of Christ, all these verses are literal, they are not figurative. As unbelievable as that sounds, it is true. It is the Good News. God the Holy Spirit is inside us. Jesus is living inside us. And the Good news is that we are living in Jesus. Ephesians 2:6 – And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Yes, beloved, we (you and I), even now as you hear this or read this, are seated at the throne of God the Father - because Jesus is there, and we are in Jesus. That is His vicarious humanity. Without it, we are still on earth with nowhere else to go. Jesus ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, so states the Apostles’ Creed. Where Jesus is, we are. Where we are, Jesus is. We can’t escape him. And to paraphrase by Theologian Dr. John McKenna, “Jesus will not be who he is without us.” We have been part of His eternal plan since before the foundation of the world.

We know that Jesus died for our sins. He died for us. That is the vicarious death of Christ. It shows that He died in our place. He took our broken humanity to the cross for us. But He did not leave us empty. The vicarious life of Jesus shows that he lives His righteous humanity in our place. He not only exchanged His righteousness for our guilt, He exchanges our broken lonely alienated humanity with His righteous humanity and intimate life with the Father. We are touched by the infinite.

Consider the power of this transaction, touched by the infinite. Leviticus 11-15 outline laws of cleanliness. For example, whoever touches the carcass of a camel will be unclean. Haggai 2:12-13 shows that holy flesh touching oil or wine cannot make them holy. But an unclean man touching oil or wine can make them unclean. See how Jesus turns this upside down.

Mark 1:40-42, “And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying to him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and said unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed".

A mere touch from the divine changes us.

In closing we ask, who are you? What gives you your identity? Are you who you think you are? Are you who they think you are? Who are you, really? Ask 1000 people and most will say, “I am a man,” I am a woman,” I am American, Asian, European, a father, a mother, a baker, a mechanic. Their identity is their sex, their race, their occupation. How many of those 1000 will say that, “I am a child of God’? How many know that our true identity is that we are children of God? You, beloved, may rightly and justly call God “Abba” Father. You are rightly and justly a brother and friend of Jesus; you are an intimate son of the Father. You are a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. Your salvation is not a place, not a feeling. Your salvation is Jesus Himself.

You are touched by the Angel.

*Note: Perichoresis is a Greek term used to describe the triune relationship between each person of the Godhead. It can be defined as co-indwelling, co-inhering, and mutual interpenetration. Concerning the Trinity, the individuality of the three persons are maintained while each person shares in the life of the others. Trinitarian theology shows that the Trinity is not closed. It is not intended to be limited to three persons. Jesus, through his vicarious humanity, assumes mankind into himself, and at the same time dwells with us individually. Through Jesus, man’s destiny is to share in the intimacies of perichoresis.