Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
Why does the fundamental belief voted during the 2005
General Conference session emphasize only Christ's victory
over evil powers, and not personal deliverance from sin?
A number
of church members consider this fundamental belief unbalanced because
it deals with salvation only as deliverance from evil powers. This
concern overlooks the fact that the cross's significance
cannot be exhausted through one summary statement or one particular
metaphor. We need to look at the meaning of Christ's sacrificial
death from different angles. In answering your question I will
comment on two central aspects of the death of Christ. Both of
them are addressed in the body of our Statement of Fundamental
Beliefs.
1. The Cross as
a Saving Event for Us: New Testament writers constantly underscored the
fact that Christ's death on the cross brought salvation to the fallen
human race. Christ came to save the world (John 3:16), to reconcile us with
God (2 Cor. 5:19), to die for the wicked (Rom. 5:8), who were by nature children
of wrath (Eph. 2:3). If we look at the cross from that perspective, its scope
and goal were to restore the human race to fellowship with God. God did for
us, through His Son, what we could not do by ourselves. Christ took upon Himself
our sin and died as our substitute in order for us to receive forgiveness and
gain permanent access to God (Isa. 53:4-12; 1 John 3:5; Gal. 3:13).
Christ's objective
work of salvation on the cross is accessible to every human being who, through
the work of the Spirit, is pulled into the influence of that saving event.
When sinners see in Christ's death on the cross their own deserved death
and by faith accept Christ as their only Savior, they are justified by faith
in Him (Rom. 3:21-25). This understanding of the meaning of the cross is developed
in several of our fundamental beliefs.
2. The Cross and
Cosmic Reconciliation: The problem of sin is not limited to our planet;
it has a cosmic scope. The fundamental belief to which you refer addresses
this specific dimension of the meaning of the cross. There is a cosmic rebellion
in the universe; a heavenly being and a number of angels broke away from the
cosmic harmony of God's kingdom (Isa. 14:12-14; Rev. 12:7). Scripture
often describes God as a warrior, fighting His enemies and the enemies of His
kingdom. They are the evil, demonic powers who had to be permanently defeated
in order to end the cosmic controversy. Christ defeated them in heaven, but
their final defeat took place on the cross (Col. 2:15; Luke 10:18). Christ
went into the kingdom of darkness, and there He defeated them. He did not overcome
them while in the tomb, but on the cross. He came out of the tomb to display
His total victory over all evil powers.
The depth of Jesus' conflict
with evil powers on the cross escapes our full comprehension, but it certainly
was the ultimate battle against them. It revealed to the universe the true
nature of sin and evil and assured heavenly beings that the ultimate fate of
those powers was fixed (cf. Heb. 2:14). They would be removed from the cosmos
forever. Without this aspect of the meaning of the cross, the problem of sin
in the universe would not have been solved.
3. Practical
Implications of the Saving Power of the Cross: If we look at
the cross as the only means through which our sin is paid for, it
should lead to a life in which God's act of forgiveness is
seen in our newness of life. Consequently, we live to the glory of
God. If we look at the cross as Christ's victory over evil
powers, it means that we need not submit to any other power except
Christ. Evil powers can still harass us through temptations and perhaps
in other ways. But freedom from their damaging influence and power
is found only in submission to Christ and not through religious devotion
to them. Christians demonstrate and strengthen that submission to
Christ through their study of and reflection on the Scriptures, through
Christian service and worship, and through gratitude to God for His
providential guidance. The fundamental belief you mentioned stresses
that aspect of the meaning of the cross.
3/06
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