RubySera_Martin
Well-Known Member
I am finding that there are many different explanations among Christians to explain who Jesus was or is. Some of the names he is called are: Son of God (on a more holy level than other humans), Messiah, Saviour, Lord, the Christ. It seems different Christians attach different meanings to these titles. I cannot accept the theology about Jesus I was raised with but I wonder if there is a Christian theology out there around who Jesus is that I can accept.
Here is what I was raised with and why I cannot accept it:
I was raised with the belief that humans owed God payment for their offenses against God, but humans were so sinful and could never pay for their redemption. Therefore, Jesus came and died on the cross to set us free, to "open heaven's gates," as the children's song Jesus Loves Me says, to pay for our sin, to redeem us from the clutches of Satan who was holding us hostage. I could never understand how these things were accomplished by Jesus' death.
Also, it made no sense to me that God could not forgive sinners who repented and said sorry. I, as a human, had to forgive many people many times even when they insisted they never did anything wrong. It seemed so horrendous that an almighty God could not forgive unless someone died a cruel death when I as a mere mortal could do so.
Nor does it make sense to me that sin can be paid for. Even if it could, what could Jesus' dead body have to do with it? How does a material or physical body translate into spiritual gain with God or with human souls?
Besides, I have not been able to see that humans are intentionally evil. I know that humans, myself included, are fallible and prone to error and serious mistakes and bad decisions. But not intentional evil. Even the most horrendous things humans do seems right to them at the time; thus I do not see it as intentional evil or sin.
Thus, I don't think there is any sin to be paid for by anyone. Responsible human beings will correct their mistakes as they go, as they are able. Irresponsible humans beings will probably be especially irresponsible if they think their sins have been paid for by Jesus.
Those are the main reasons I cannot accept what I was raised with. But I get the impression on here and in conversation with other Christians that there are other meanings for terms like atonement and Messiah that are different, and perhaps there is something out there that I can buy into or accept. I would be interested in what some of these meanings are if people are willing to share.
Ruby
Here is what I was raised with and why I cannot accept it:
I was raised with the belief that humans owed God payment for their offenses against God, but humans were so sinful and could never pay for their redemption. Therefore, Jesus came and died on the cross to set us free, to "open heaven's gates," as the children's song Jesus Loves Me says, to pay for our sin, to redeem us from the clutches of Satan who was holding us hostage. I could never understand how these things were accomplished by Jesus' death.
Also, it made no sense to me that God could not forgive sinners who repented and said sorry. I, as a human, had to forgive many people many times even when they insisted they never did anything wrong. It seemed so horrendous that an almighty God could not forgive unless someone died a cruel death when I as a mere mortal could do so.
Nor does it make sense to me that sin can be paid for. Even if it could, what could Jesus' dead body have to do with it? How does a material or physical body translate into spiritual gain with God or with human souls?
Besides, I have not been able to see that humans are intentionally evil. I know that humans, myself included, are fallible and prone to error and serious mistakes and bad decisions. But not intentional evil. Even the most horrendous things humans do seems right to them at the time; thus I do not see it as intentional evil or sin.
Thus, I don't think there is any sin to be paid for by anyone. Responsible human beings will correct their mistakes as they go, as they are able. Irresponsible humans beings will probably be especially irresponsible if they think their sins have been paid for by Jesus.
Those are the main reasons I cannot accept what I was raised with. But I get the impression on here and in conversation with other Christians that there are other meanings for terms like atonement and Messiah that are different, and perhaps there is something out there that I can buy into or accept. I would be interested in what some of these meanings are if people are willing to share.
Ruby