Complements and Catalysts: (Christ and the New Testament)
Of the present, the faith I speak of, Christianity, is founded upon the concrete process started by God's call in Abraham, and the development of the children, Israel. But the movement from Judaism to Christianity comes when a new catalyst enters the fray and a new complement attached to God's people for eternity.
Catalyst
This new catalyst was something akin to adding a small slow stream of vinegar to a bucket of baking soda. To those who are looking, there are things happening, but to those looking for something utterly dramatic it will be almost invisible. This new catalyst came in the form of a man who was also utterly God, Jesus Christ.
For 30 some years this man walked the earth maturing and growing but leaving God's fingerprints everywhere he went. But unless you were looking for him, he was just another person. For 30 years others would declare his coming and for these years people were still oblivious, but still he poured himself out. The reactions became more evident, the blind could see, the mute could speak, the possessed were freed, and the dead would rise. Here and there small eruptions came, but still some would doubt, and they would heap more of their own baking soda, their "law" to smother these eruptions. It would not be till they did smother Christ, would they see the full outpouring of the catalyst, and ironically, it would be his last drink, vinegar, before He poured himself out, in mass.
At the peak or climax of this catalyst's effect is the crucifixion and death of Christ, and for three days this catalyst would show its effect on both the mortal and the eternal. For when in three days Christs blood covered humanities sin, and his descent into hell just to come back, defeating death and its effects would consume and transform law into grace, maintaining yet changing it, adding to it.
This catalyst would blast open the gates and make heaven available to all who decide to accept the gift of grace offered upon the cross. Faith as the world knew it, dependent upon acts of service, following rules, and needing priests to act as go-betweens was shattered into a million pieces, but the road to righteousness was just beginning.
Complement
During his time of ministry, those three years Christ gathered and taught his disciples, it was He, God, who worked signs and wonders, but at his command he also empowered the disciples, but it would appear that the disciples lacked the faith to do similar acts. It must have been difficult to think that one could perform the same as God, when God Himself, broke bread with you in the day and you attempting to perform His miraculous wonders as an ordinary man.
However, when Christ ascended into heaven he also sent down His Spirit to join mankind, empowering, and yet more importantly driving and giving us conviction towards a Christ-like way of life, to become one with Christ within us.
Speaking from experience here, growing up before living with Christ within me, I feared "sinning" however, I got a thrill, a rush of adrenaline from "sinning." But after Christ and the Holy Spirit took resident within, committing sin would go so much against who I was, and am, that would make me feel physically ill to challenge the purity that Christ desires for me. This same Spirit dwells within all of us whom take up our identity in Christ. It's desire is to lead us down this well paved road towards a better life. And when in our peripheral vision we see that shiny, sparking glint of sin in the jungle, the Spirit warns, even begs us not to go after it. But we separate from the Spirit and pursue what would seem treasure and turn out to be nothing more than trash, a broken mirror laughing at us as we observe our broken image, dirty and torn up in the pursuit of ungodliness. But the Spirit continues to call after us, and when we decide to let the Spirit come help us, he leads us back to the pavement, machete in hand, cutting down all that would seek to harm us. It was simply waiting for the call for help from us, and the act of repentance.
As we continue down this road we come to the crests of hills, and we see the glory of God's majesty ahead of us, and the perilous valleys ahead are made for more starkly obvious. But knowing of the things ahead, we can trust the spirit when we enter the fens, the marshes, the steep sided gorges, and we trust that the Spirit knows the way to God, and we simply follow in those footsteps. And when more shiny things catch our eye, we must turn away, and watch for where the Spirit has set itself and follow forth. There are other things as well that the complement offers. The Spirit is here to empower, and teach us what great things we can do in God, to heal, prophecy, provide wisdom, cast out demons, all these things. Take refuge in the complement, look forward to the kingdom ahead.
Zach
