There is enough material in this handful of verses to teach a whole semester on, so hopefully we can illicit some good questions for each of us to meditate on at leisure.

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My concern with Christianity and the map we use to navigate it, the Bible, is that we often settle for a sanitized version—one that makes no real or meaningful demands on our relationship with Christ.

Over time we have also come to settle for a heavily redacted version of the Bible, where we ignore parts we don’t understand or don’t really like.

In so doing, not only do we embrace a watered-down dissatisfying version of Christianity, but we also sanitize our perception of ourselves in relation to God.

We embrace a Christianity that makes God less demanding.

Neither are we quite that bad or that lost, at least not as bad or lost as the guy down the street. The result is often a shallow, lukewarm experience that lacks any real depth, direction or satisfaction, and it certainly doesn’t place any real or meaningful demands on us

He who has been forgiven much, loves much, but He who has been forgiven little, loves little (Luke 7:47)

This happens, I believe, as a subconscious strategy—perhaps because we don’t fully grasp what we’ve been saved from or what we’ve been saved into. We struggle to engage with the theological language of the Bible because it can seem abstract and academic, far removed from our daily reality.

Thus, while we may be sincere, we feel quite powerless, frustrated and often quit lost even though we are “saved.” Even the word “saved” is often a quite nebulous term.

What this means is that we end up with faux Christianity that isn’t quite satisfying, but we accept it because it seems to be the norm. But our hearts tell us a different story.

I like keeping it real, so if you bear with me I am going to go off script for a moment in order to make an analogy.

Recently, and this may not resonate with the married among us who might not be aware of how the dating landscape has shifted, we’ve seen a trend where many western men have given up on dating western women. The reason, they say, is that it’s no longer worth the investment.

These men call themselves passport bros.

Men argue that western women demand everything—successful, high-value men who are six feet tall, earn six-figure incomes, and have six-pack abs—yet refuse to fulfil the traditional duties of a wife.

They don’t want to cook or clean, don’t keep themselves in shape or feminine, prefer to go on girls’ trips, and expect the man to prioritize them above all, as if they are the prize.

On top of that, many women come with significant debt, often student loans in the tens of thousands.

The solution for these passport bros is to travel to less modernised countries to find woman who are not competing with them, that are still in their feminine energy and who want to be wives whose husbands are the priority.

As absurd as this might sound, I fear that we in the church may treat Christ in a similar way. We want all the benefits of a relationship with Him, but shy away from all the responsibilities of a wife.

This relationship, however, is likened to a marriage, and it’s the only way to legally address the problem we face as humans including our massive debt.

After all, there’s a reason we become Christians—we take on His name as the Bride of Christ or more correctly the wife of Christ.

The Greek word translated as “bride” in the phrase “Bride of Christ” is νύμφη (nymphē), which is used in the New Testament to mean both “bride” and “wife,” depending on the context.

1. Bride: In contexts like Revelation 21:2 and Revelation 21:9, where the Church is symbolically referred to as the “Bride of Christ,” nymphē is used to denote the “bride” in the sense of one who is betrothed or in the process of becoming the wife.

“Come, I will show you the Bride (nymphē), the wife (gynē) of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:9)

Thus, in Greek, nymphē can mean either “bride” (someone in a wedding or betrothal context) or “wife” (someone who is married), emphasizing the concept of a covenant relationship, both in its initiation and its fulfillment.

In the context of the “Bride of Christ,” it represents the Church in a betrothed and covenantal relationship with Christ, ultimately culminating in union with Him, like a bride with her husband.

This marriage not only grants us access to all His wealth, but it also allows the debt we bring into the relationship to be transferred to Him, so that He can pay it.

Just how lost are we?

“The distance between God and the sinner is infinite; the distance is as great as hell is from heaven.”

John Owen (1616–1683)

Our sins create this chasm—selfishness, lies, judgment, envy, hatred, broken promises and that isn’t even the good stuff yet. But Romans 5:6-11 tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He didn’t wait for us to fix ourselves or become worthy.

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Let’s quickly break down the key points of these verses:

Two parts: v.6-8 and v.9-10.

“⁶For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

9-10 is almost an exact repeat of the ideas that while we don’t deserve to be saved God rescued us anyway.

Main Points:

• Verse 6: Timing of Christ’s Sacrifice : “For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”
  • Christ died at the appointed time, emphasizing divine timing (earth lease).
  • “Powerless” refers to humanity’s inability to save itself, making Christ’s sacrifice essential.
  • “Helplessness and weakness are the eternal experience and the eternal problem of mankind. It is the deepest meaning of the Christian message: ‘God became man.’ In this divine drama man plays a role of which he can never make sense so long as he is the poor ignorant thing he always has been.” (Jung, The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche)
  • Humanity’s spiritual impotence without Christ is a universal condition.
  • Acknowledging our powerlessness enables us to receive God’s grace, transforming helplessness into empowerment through surrender (stopping any efforts to save ourselves).
• Verse 7: Rare Sacrifice : “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.”
  • Voluntary human sacrifice for others is rare, especially for the undeserving, highlighting the extraordinary nature of Christ’s act.
  • Human sacrifice, practiced in various ancient cultures as a ritual to appease gods (demons) or ensure societal well-being, reflects humanity’s historical attempts to save itself by any means necessary.
• Verse 8: God’s Love Despite Sinfulness : “But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“
  • God’s steadfast love is shown while we were still sinners (His enemies since we allied ourselves to satan back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3).
  • The prophet Hosea was commanded by God to marry a prostitute. In Hosea 1:2, God tells him to marry a woman of harlotry as a symbolic act to represent Israel’s unfaithfulness to God.
  • Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t for the deserving but for the rebellious, underscoring the depth of divine grace.
• Verse 9: Justification by Christ’s Blood : “Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!”
  • Justification by His blood means we are not only right before God but also with God.
  • While “wrath” here is a reference to the final judgement, Salvation is a present reality we are called to participate in and engage with in the now, not just a future hope.
• Verse 10: Reconciliation and Salvation : “For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!”
  • Reconciliation with God occurred while we were still His enemies, accomplished through Christ’s death.
  • Christ’s resurrection ensures ongoing salvation, securing the believer’s eternal standing.

Now we come to the practical part in terms of how we engage with Christianty. V11 is most interesting to me.

• Verse 11: Rejoicing in Reconciliation : “Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.“
  • Reconciliation here refers to the complete salvation package, referring not only to going to heaven
  • Sōtēría (the Greek word) is not merely about avoiding hell or gaining entrance to heaven; it is a holistic concept rooted in the very essence of who God is. It encompasses and is translated as healing, deliverance, preservation, provision and perfection.
  • Reconciliation is a “done deal,” independent of feelings or experiences.
  • The proper response is rejoicing, not despair (mourning), which shows a misunderstanding of salvation.
  • The Greek charis (grace) from charo (rejoice) illustrates the connection between grace and joy.
  • Rejoicing is an act of faith, aligning us with the reality of God’s salvation.

In a world where everything seems unreliable and in constant flux, we often find ourselves dragged through chaos—like the tail of a dragon wreaking havoc across the earth. Political turmoil, societal unrest, economic upheaval, and personal struggles intertwine, creating an atmosphere of despair and confusion. Each day, we navigate a landscape of these shifting tectonic plates, feels increasingly hostile and unreliable, leaving us grappling for solid ground.

Amidst this turmoil, one truth emerges: what people everywhere desperately hunger for is for liberation, that is, salvation from these dark forces

It is in this place of longing, for a mythic place called “home,” that the promise of salvation shines most brightly—a beacon of hope that offers not only deliverance from chaos but also restoration to wholeness and is able to truly repatriate us “home” with God.

SALVATION THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS

Sōtēría (σωτηρία), the Greek term for salvation, encompasses a vast spectrum of meaning that transcends a mere escape from judgment.

Salvation encompasses not just forgiveness but also healing, provision, and deliverance, preservation and safety, among other aspects.

It represents a powerful transformation from absolute “lostness” to absolute “savedness” that includes restoration in every area of our lives. This divine force enables God to save us completely—spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, financially etc.

Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BCE – c. 50 CE) often discussed the concept of salvation in the context of the soul’s relationship with God:

“For the highest good is to be saved, and the greatest evil is to be lost.”

Philo, On the Life of Moses, II.150.

In the Biblical sense, salvation is a comprehensive gift that addresses not only the root cause of sin but also its consequences that manifest as brokenness, lack, and dysfunction. Once Christ’s sacrifice has resolved the issue of sin and our separation from God, the necessary conditions for returning “home” to safety and restoration are restored.

FROM ABSTRACT AND ACADEMIC TO REALITY

REJOICEING IN OUR SALVATION

We often talk about “seeking first the kingdom” but what does that mean? The kingdom (basilea = control, influence, dominion) is there where Jesus is King. Jesus is King where Jesus is enthroned. Now consider the following verses:

Let me offer you these verses and let them speak for themselves:

“Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.“ (Romans 5:11)

“And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

“You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)

“⁶Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand;⁷To execute vengeance upon the nations, And punishments upon the peoples; ⁸To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; ⁹To execute upon them the judgment written: This honour have all his saints. Praise The Eternal One.” (Psalm 149:6-9)