Tag Archives: Salvation

Creation Care

Is Salvation More Important than the Environment?

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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

This post was originally published at Just Theology.

When many Pentecostal and charismatic Christians use the word “salvation,” the first image that comes to mind is the gift of personal healing and “coming home” to God that he has made possible through Christ, made known to the believer through the power of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, when the apostle Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit he is able to proclaim, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NRSV). The change of life that comes through knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior is the core of our faith. But God’s plan of reconciliation expands beyond individuals, and even beyond human beings. So when we look to the biblical witness, we realize the question, “Is salvation more important than the environment?” actually represents a limited view. A better question is, “Why must salvation include the environment?”

A theology that views the environment as somehow separate from salvation stems from the modern Western temptation toward individualism. Many of us inherited a theology in which “being saved” seems like an entirely private affair. But we must remember that, while salvation through Christ is absolutely personally transformative, that transformation is always intended to be lived outward, in community, for the benefit of all creation. Continue reading Is Salvation More Important than the Environment? →

Nonviolence, Spirituality

Let Jesus’ Light Shine in London’s Darkness

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by Mark Gent

Yesterday there was shockwaves that spread through the City of London as 5 People were killed and 40 Injured through a suspected terror attack! An attacker mowed down people on the pavement of Westminster Bridge and Crashed into the railings outside the Houses of Parliament. Where the attacker then fled his vehicle and ran towards the Parliament armed with a knife.

An off duty Policeman Officer was Stabbed to death. Police Commissioner Palmer had just called of duty and was unarmed at the time of the attack. The 48-year-old was Stabbed to death in front of onlookers.

The attacker has not been named by police, although they think it was related to Islamic terrorism.

As we know, London is the Heart of the UK. We have an enemy who is seeking to attack every heart. Satan is his name and he works through the vulnerable, the weak, the ones who have no hope and ones who have been brought up in broken homes, the fatherless, the rejected. Continue reading Let Jesus’ Light Shine in London’s Darkness →

Spirituality

On Earth as it is in Whatever?

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Over and over again I see how some fellow Christian activists want to de-emphasize the importance of Heaven. It is often claimed that the reason why traditional evangelical and charismatic churches have not been so involved in promoting peace and justice is because there is too much focus on Heaven, salvation and evangelism – they don’t want to waste their energy and time on politics and activism when they can use it to save souls instead.

To challenge this heresy, some Christian activists go to another extreme. They might argue that giving people eternal life wasn’t Jesus’ main concern, that the Kingdom is mainly here and now and not there and then, that evangelism is not so important, etc. God’s focus is primarily earth, not heaven, and we should mimic that, they claim.

However, Paul wrote:

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Col 3:1-2)

and:

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Phil 3:19-21)

Continue reading On Earth as it is in Whatever? →