By Pastor Chad Joyner
The Beginning
About six months ago, I stumbled upon a striking image of Jesus on the cross. It was a close-up of His feet, pierced by a spike. A man was hanging from the spike whilst being saved from a fiery pit below. This image sparked a profound reflection on the true essence of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.
The Misconception of Fire Insurance
Many perceive Jesus’ sacrifice as mere fire insurance against the eternal conscious torment known as hell. This is the only concept that’s been presented to many of us via the lens of religion & western theological thought. But if we limit our understanding to this, we miss the abundant life His resurrection offers. As believers, we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), shedding the old self in Adam and embracing our new life in Christ.
Living the Resurrection Life
The life we now live supersedes our biological existence through the procreation of our parents. It’s a vibrant, powerful life in Christ, overcoming death and the chasm of perceived fire & separation. And I say “perceived” because the reality is, there’s never been any real separation between us and the Godhead. So then, it’s only a construct in the mind of those still darkened to the victory of Christ (Colossians 1:21). Additionally, for those of us that have awakened to life in Christ, it shows our previous perceived state of separation was primarily a mindset issue. It was a mindset of our attitudes, actions and thoughts being misaligned with God. We have shed and have discarded that perceived veil of disconnection.
New Reality
Now, as believers, we no longer hold this perception of being separated from God. Whether we know it or not, we’ve been invited into the unbroken love-ring of the Trinity called the “Perichoresis.” It’s the beautiful distinction and unity found between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is one God in three persons enthralled in a dance of harmony, intimacy, and connection we’ve been invited into. We know the truth that we are fully reconciled and united with God through Christ (Colossians 1:22).
This is the reality for all humanity, but again we recognize that every one hasn’t awakened to this harmonizing truth. This reconciliation is complete and permanent, and we are encouraged to renew our minds to align with this truth (Romans 12:2). Our identity is now in Christ, and we are called to live out of this new reality. Jesus is not just our savior from what’s been presented to us as hell. He is the live-wire within us, empowering us to live victoriously with no thoughts toward destruction.
Occupying Until He Comes
Our journey is not just about getting to the “sweet by and by.” And please don’t say what I’m not saying…I’m not taking heaven away from anyone. Heaven is definitely part of the salvation package. However, the reality is that the victory Christ secured for us and invites us to participate in is for the nasty here and now! That means it’s not about destination, but occupation!
We are to occupy the earth victoriously until Jesus returns. So then, He will not whisk us away like rapture-theorists suggest, but He will reign with us and in us with Him in a renewed world. His love and victory is not just a past event rescuing us from future impending doom. It is a present reality, urging us to manifest heaven on earth. Occupying is not about preparing for apocalyptic catastrophe leading to escapism. It’s about living with a victorious eschatology leading to real-time, Christ-life engagement.
The Finished Work of the Cross
Ultimately, Christ’s finished work on the cross is more than a safety net. It’s not just “fire insurance” but life assurance, now and forever. Let us embrace this reality and live out the resurrection life He offers. Let’s do this beyond the defeated opponent of death…the western concept of hell…and the cover-over of the grave.
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