WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
April 2nd 2006
Communion Meditation
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“What is Salvation?”
Jeremiah 31:31-35; Hebrews 5:5-10
I have heard it said that a sermon should do one of three things. It should say yes, no or go. This morning our sermon will focus, as many of these sermons on doctrine have, on the no. When it comes to the issue of salvation there is much which can be focused on. Unfortunately time will not allow us to wrestle with all the questions you may have. So for this morning I will spend most of our time challenging some commonly held assumptions regarding salvation.
What is salvation? On my return trip from my parent’s home in Indianapolis I noticed a billboard which seemed to have the answer. It read: “Where will you spend eternity?.. Jesus Christ is the answer.” Despite having some real questions about the billboard, it does line up with the common understanding about the doctrine of salvation. For many people salvation is only about what happens to us when we die. It is commonly understood that salvation is how God, through Jesus, washes away our sins and gets us ready for heaven. In other words, we are supposed to ‘get saved and then wait around to die.’ And this is where the no comes. This understanding of Salvation is deeply flawed and simply misses the meaning of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Much of my own understanding of this doctrine is influenced by the work of theologian James Cone. He says that the salvation found through “The death and resurrection of Jesus does not mean that God promises us a future reality in order that we might tolerate present evil.” Cone gets to the root of the problem with much of the teaching regarding salvation. The problem is that when salvation only deals with life after death it can allow us to accept hell on earth. The hyper-focus on heaven too often allows for the acceptance of suffering and misery on earth.
This is not the plan of God. This is not salvation. It is an inadequate understanding of the ways of God. Too often this type of teaching has been used as a way to preach that things will get better… after we die. This way of preaching and teaching has even been used as a tool for social control. This understanding of salvation simply offers no hope on this side of the grave. This way of understanding about salvation must always be rejected as short-sided and potentially dangerous.
Beyond this limited view of salvation there is another caution that must be raised. Much of the rhetoric and understanding about salvation has a rather selfish undertone. Many of the concerns about salvation have often been about self-preservation. In other words, ‘how am I assured that I will not end up in hell?’ If we are talking about the salvation found in Jesus Christ then it is safe to assume he meant that our concern should not be about self-preservation but about concern for others.
So, what is a better understanding about salvation? Again, my favorite definition comes from James Cone. He says:
Salvation is release from slavery and admission to freedom, saying no to the fear of principalities and yes to the power of liberty. This is not to deny that salvation is a future reality; but it is also hope that focuses on the planet.
Without a doubt, salvation does include the future but it is also so much more. Salvation, found in Jesus Christ, has to do with present day realities. It is an invitation to live as free people and is about being released from selfish concerns to serve God in the world.
In the two passages we heard this morning, there are words about new covenant and about salvation in Jesus. These passages have often been used to sort out who will miss out on salvation. That sort of use of these passages is perfectly acceptable if you ignore the context and are ignorant of the salvation history of God.
In the covenant which God makes with Abraham and Sarah, God promises a blessing. They are called by God and are in special relationship with God. This special relationship means they are responsible to be a blessing to all people of the earth. God’s relationship in the original covenant, the new covenant mentioned in Jeremiah, and the covenant in Jesus Christ was never meant to exclude anyone. It was instead a call to responsibility. However, we human beings have not responded well to this calling. Too often we have taken God’s salvation and limited it in ways which were never intended.
When we humans have worked to narrow the salvation of God it seems to only include a small select group of people. Interestingly this select group always seems to be people who look like us, act like us, worship like us, and think like us. However, despite our best attempts to limit God’s love for all people, the undeniable truth is that God’s salvation is for all people.
One of the ways we are reminded about God’s salvation is through our participation in communion. When we gather at this table we eat bread and juice. The use of such common foods is to remind us that this holy sacrament is not about taking us out of this world but leading us into deeper engagement in the world. At this table we come face to face with some very concrete everyday implications for participation. The bible, the stories of our faith, is very clear about this. The reality of salvation is that we are invited to live as free people in our world right now. We do not have to wait passively for life-after-death for release from the places of bondage in our lives. And most importantly, we are called to work actively and joyfully for the freedom of all people in this life, as well as the next. Christians are called to proclaim that salvation in Christ is about living free in this life and the next. Let us proclaim this reality loudly: Salvation does not begin after death despite news, and billboards, to the contrary. Amen.
