Christ--the Great Liberator

The mission of Jesus Christ in His coming to earth is often misunderstood. Many people "draft" Christ into their various political or socio-economic missions: social justice, egalitarianism, moral culture, democracy, etc. Such gross anachronisms give weight to argumentation (who wouldn't want Jesus on their side?), but ultimately obscures and perverts His true mission. Each of these various causes betray the belief that Jesus was the best conjured-up expression of an idealized humanity, setting an example for all of the most noble causes. Such beliefs are actually an insult to Christ an His mission. He did not come to epitomize humanity, but to save humanity. He was able to do so, not only because of His perfect righteousness as a human, but also by virtue of His deity.

Man does not progress into a state of godlikeness--there is nothing godlike about man. Man is created in the image of God, but is still pure creation in direct contradistinction from the Creator. Man is universally sinful, regardless of individual sins (i.e. adultery, homosexuality, murder, etc.). All people stand in the same natural state before God: rebels deserving of wrath. The forgiveness of sins does not capture the work of Christ, because human beings are sinners. People need to be forgiven--not simply thoughts, words, or deeds.

Therefore, any attempt to obscure the mission of Christ, the God-man, who lived the life that man couldn't live and died the death man couldn't bare--in order to save those who believed--is an insult to the power of God and callous toward the true needs of man. With regard to the persistent wrath of God against a rebel creation, man does not need a liberator of an economic, social, or political variety--but a Savior from sin. This need sets all sinners on level ground before the foot of the cross.

The Christian realizes (or should) this reality, and thus offers herself to the glory of God in a state of gratitude. This gratitude is not a mere legalism, nor is it a license to sin. It brings about a love in the Christian that reflects the love of God for sinners and seeks the salvation of all, that the world might indirectly be made more just, and ultimately, that God's name would once again fall upon the lips of His fallen creation. Here is one example of such gratitude in the African context from this past summer: