As good as the concept of original sin has been, since St Augustine came up with it in the fourth century, in explaining the fallen state of man and his separation from God, it has very nearly now become a cliché to those in our own country whom we seek to evangelize. What happens with a cliché is that it loses the effectiveness of its meaning through repetition. It is painfully obvious to me that new ways need to be developed to explain the Gospel message.
It occurred to me that the term original forgiveness might be effective because it is scandalous enough to remind us of the radical grace and love which Jesus spread in his ministry and by his death on the cross. It is also something that might scandalize the religious establishment, and we see that, from the time of Jesus to the Reformation, it is often necessary for the religious establishment to be shaken up in order for grace to take place, because the Christian religion has too often turned Jesus into a social conservative, which he was not. He was and is a radical, as radical now as he was in the first century.
The concept of original forgiveness says that we are already saved, if we would but know it. St. Paul said that
“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting man’s sin against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though he were making his appeal through us.” 2Corinthians.5:19-20 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
He also said that God
“chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” Ephesians.1:4-6 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
And again,
“This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2Timoth.1:9b-10 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
So we see that we were already saved from the creation of the world. That is original forgiveness.
One of the reasons why a doctrine of original forgiveness may provide an effective approach toward evangelizing those we wish to reach is that the concept of hell looming over people’s heads in order to make them feel threatened into turning to Jesus has not only been overused, but it is simply not how Jesus himself approached the matter of salvation. He treated “sinners” as sick people who needed to be healed.
Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn What this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew.9:12-13 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus says,
“‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’” Luke.5:31-32 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
From these verses, it appears more appropriate to talk about looming grace rather than looming hell. While hanging on the cross, Jesus said, “It is accomplished.” (John.19:30) The message is that sin is forgiven now; all we need to do is accept it. After coming out of the wilderness, the Bible says,
“Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’” Mark.1:14-15 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
Elsewhere Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is within you.” Luke.17:21b (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002) In other words, the kingdom of God is here right now.
Forgiveness is already here and it is overflowing so much that Jesus forgives sins without even being asked:
“Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tilesinto the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.”When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Luke.5:18-20 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
There it is. And many of us, especially we who are evangelicals, are taught to ignore such instances with Jesus in favor of a tidy formula which is black and white and has distinct boundaries. It is so ingrained in us that we do it without thinking.
The question needs to be asked, Where did this way of thinking originate? Clearly with the father of the Reformation himself, Martin Luther, who very clearly discounted the most historically accurate accounts of the doings and sayings of Jesus, the synoptic gospels, as of minor importance, and this has been the pattern of the evangelical movement ever since. No one would actually come out and say it as Luther did, yet it is the practice nonetheless. In the words of Martin Luther,
“The true kernel and marrow of all the books, those which should rightly be ranked first, are the Gospel of John and St. Paul’s epistles, especially that to the Romans, together with St. Peter’s first epistle. Every Christian would do well to read them first and most often, and, by daily perusal, make them as familiar as bread. You will not find in these books much said about the works and miracles of Christ, but you will find a masterly account of how faith in Christ conquers sin, death, and hell; and gives life, righteousness, and salvation. This is the true essence of the gospel, as you have learned….
In sum: the gospel and the first epistle of St. John, St. Paul’s epistles, especially those to the Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians; and St. Peter’s first epistle, are the books which show Christ to you. They teach you everything you need to know for your salvation, even if you were never to see or hear any other book or hear any other teaching.” Pp.18-19 (Dillenberger, 1962)
I have allowed Martin Luther to speak for himself, and we can give him credit for writing exactly what he thought. Since then, there has been the inerrancy doctrine that says all Scripture is equally inspired, but in actual practice we evangelical Christians follow what Martin Luther has described. We don’t do it consciously; it has become so much a part of our psychological makeup that we don’t even realize what we do. The book of Romans, the Gospel of John and the other Pauline letters drive evangelical doctrine, and we frankly don’t quite know what to do with the Synoptic gospels. The Sermons on the Mount and Plain are nice stories, but who among us evangelicals would actually suggest taking them seriously, much less living by them? (Notice that I use the words “we” and “us”. I am not excluding myself.) Who in their right minds, in an evangelical church, is going to say along with Jesus: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”? Matthew.6:20 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
(The preferred version is Matthew’s “poor in spirit,” so we can spiritualize Jesus’ message rather than face the issue of poverty versus affluence.)
No one wishes to alienate their best financial supporters by saying:
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.” Matthew.6:24-25(Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
Historical studies show that Jesus was living in a time, as we are today, when there was a huge divide between the rich and the poor, and he was speaking directly to it. And today, just as it was back then, it is an offense to Jesus, that there are people going without basic needs while others are living in luxury homes with more rooms than they can use and driving cars which could pay a poor family’s rent for five or more years. It is here that I believe that Mahatma Gandhi, a follower of the teachings of Jesus, puts it succinctly,
“There is plenty of wealth for everyone’s need,But not enough for everyone’s greed.”
The evangelical church has too often coddled the rich instead of challenging them, and it has to do with church structure and financing. Make no mistake, Jesus could not be clearer: this is a scandal and an obscenity. How about this—
“He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” Luke.1:53 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
Is there any doubt where Jesus’ sympathy’s are? Yet I have heard evangelical Christians claim that the poor need to solve their own problems. And we have told ourselves that it is all about believing the right formula. That has been so much easier than radically changing the way we live our lives, because if we had been paying real close attention to Matthew and Luke, with all the resources we have had, instead of pouring them into the issue of someone’s sexual behavior, we would by now have turned this country and its material values upside down. My own sin has been my silence, year after year.
But thank God many younger evangelicals are addressing this issue and others, and what I am asserting is the original forgiveness of Jesus Christ. This is tremendous news because we in the church need saving perhaps more than those we would like to reach. The kingdom of God is at hand; to the extent that we let the words of Jesus fill our hearts until they overflow with good words and works. We also need to rid ourselves of condemning works. Good works are the fruit of a good heart.
Luther called the epistle of James “an epistle of straw, because it contains nothing evangelical.” Pg.19 (Dillenberger, 1962) He correctly read that James was strongly critical of Paul’s justification by faith alone:
“You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” James.2:24 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
There he says it straight out, because he says it is unacceptable to be rich while others in your community have not had their basic needs met. He says earlier,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James.2:14-17 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
Here James is speaking to the average Christian, but for those who are rich, he has choicer words,
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded your wealth in the last days….You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.” James.5:1-3, 5 (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 2002)
But the people who James refers to are those who are rich and do not have a generous heart for giving to the poor.
Returning from a rather long but necessary digression concerning rich and poor—as this subject is essential in understanding Jesus and the kingdom of God—our message is not moralism; it is love and forgiveness. Instead of convicting people of their sins, perhaps we need to convict them of their forgiveness, “to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.” Luke.1:77 (John A. Gurrieri, Executive Director, Bishop’s Committee on the Liturgy, 1988)
In order to expand our view of original sin and man’s fallen state, I have drawn from Vedanta, which has a certain synergy with Christianity that has been discovered by Christians such as Jules Monchanin, Henri Le Saux, Bede Griffiths and others (see Hindu-Christian Meeting Point by Abhishiktananda. Bangalore-Bombay: 1969).
Vedanta teaches that the main culprit of man’s separation from God is the ego’s ignorance of its total dependency on God and of the spark of divinity inside the heart. The problem is that the ego wants to satisfy its own selfish desires independently of God. This is Vedanta’s view of what Christians call “original sin.” But it does not teach that we are inherently evil; if we but realize it, we are children of God. (John.1:12) The spark of divinity inside our hearts is obscured by the ego. In this sense, the human ego is sometimes spoken of as an illusion—not a true reflection of our true self—and so it must die in order for us to be reborn to the Lord. This is also referred to as yoga—union with God. According to the Bhagavad-Gita, through a person’s surrender to God, “Thus they come to know Brahman (God), and the entire nature of the Atman (the spark of divinity inside the heart of man), and the creative energy which is in Brahman.” Pg.51 (Prabhavananda S. a., 1995) When we consider that in 2 Peter 1:4 it says that as Christians we share in the very nature of God, we can further understand our relationship to God as his children. (John.1:12)
The Christian mysticism of Meister Eckhart has been compared to Indian Vedanta. The discovery of the Atman—the turning of the person (repentance) from the selfish ego to God, from the self to the Self—Eckhart could speak of as the “birth of God in the soul.” Pg.108 (King, 2001) Like Vedanta, Eckhart spoke of the union of the soul with God. In salvation theology, we can say that this union is entirely facilitated by grace through Jesus Christ. We can also say that, through Christ’s sacrifice and the agency of the Word of God that was present before the world began (John.1:1), we are called back to the state of original forgiveness. Through his life and teaching, sacrificial death, and resurrection, the “second Adam” enables us to return to the original fellowship with God enjoyed by the first Adam.
According to Ursula King, “For Meister Eckhart, human union with God is made possible through the divine spark of the soul,…both the center and the ground of the soul, partaking of the very nature of God….The soul’s union with God is immeasurably deep and is the soul’s greatest desire. Through such union the soul becomes through grace what God is like by nature. The soul knows God as God is in Godself.” Pg.109 (King, 2001)
Original forgiveness is but one way to understand and present the wonderful message of Jesus Christ. It is called thus because God planned and accomplished it before the world began. “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting man’s sin against them. 2Corinthians.5:19a (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 1984)
Works Cited
Dillenberger, J. (1962). Martin Luther: Selections From His Writings. New York: Doubleday.
King, U. (2001). Christian Mystics: Their Lives and Legacies Throughout the Ages. Mahwah: HiddenSpring.
Zondervan NIV Study Bible. (2002). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
