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Antichrists subvert the purpose of Christ (Jan 2, 2020)
The world cheers over Christmas. Coincidentally or not, people spend a lot more this season, and companies make a lot of money around this time. But we Christians are invited to ponder the meanings of the Lord’s coming into the world in flesh. And, among all the meanings of his coming, we should reflect first on the purpose of the Incarnation. Jesus had a specific purpose in his earthly life. It was to sacrifice himself at the cross. He came among us as the redeeming victim. His whole life pointed to his death. He lived to die for our salvation.
However, many Christians paint him as a reformer. Perhaps it is true that his teachings may bring changes in society as we practice his teachings. But the purpose of the Christian life cannot ignore the purpose of the life of their Lord. The Christian life is meaningless unless it is meant for salvation. And this salvation is not of this world but of the world to come after death. This purpose, or this goal, sounds so obvious to Christians, but it is too often forgotten or ignored.
As St John warns in his letter, antichrists insidiously deny the purpose of Jesus. They seduce us away from his sacrificial death. And they teach that Jesus lived to reform our society by fights for justice and freedom. Justice and freedom are undeniably precious values. However, Christ’s kingdom is not of this world or the present life. Antichrists attract our attention toward this world and the present life. As people follow those antichrists, they practically deny Jesus as the Christ, who saves us by his sacrificial death from our sins for eternal life. It’s because now they attempt to build a kingdom on earth. The purpose of Christ Jesus is forgotten. Instead, ideological values and social changes become the working principles.
Where is your salvation? Is it here on earth? Are we building our heaven in this world by justice and equity? But let us not forget that only by death we will reach heaven as Jesus opened the door to salvation by his death on the cross. Christians also have one specific purpose of life – to arrive at salvation at the end of our journey of this life, following the Way of Christ.
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By Fr Swann KimThe world cheers over Christmas. Coincidentally or not, people spend a lot more this season, and companies make a lot of money around this time. But we Christians are invited to ponder the meanings of the Lord’s coming into the world in flesh. And, among all the meanings of his coming, we should reflect first on the purpose of the Incarnation. Jesus had a specific purpose in his earthly life. It was to sacrifice himself at the cross. He came among us as the redeeming victim. His whole life pointed to his death. He lived to die for our salvation.
However, many Christians paint him as a reformer. Perhaps it is true that his teachings may bring changes in society as we practice his teachings. But the purpose of the Christian life cannot ignore the purpose of the life of their Lord. The Christian life is meaningless unless it is meant for salvation. And this salvation is not of this world but of the world to come after death. This purpose, or this goal, sounds so obvious to Christians, but it is too often forgotten or ignored.
As St John warns in his letter, antichrists insidiously deny the purpose of Jesus. They seduce us away from his sacrificial death. And they teach that Jesus lived to reform our society by fights for justice and freedom. Justice and freedom are undeniably precious values. However, Christ’s kingdom is not of this world or the present life. Antichrists attract our attention toward this world and the present life. As people follow those antichrists, they practically deny Jesus as the Christ, who saves us by his sacrificial death from our sins for eternal life. It’s because now they attempt to build a kingdom on earth. The purpose of Christ Jesus is forgotten. Instead, ideological values and social changes become the working principles.
Where is your salvation? Is it here on earth? Are we building our heaven in this world by justice and equity? But let us not forget that only by death we will reach heaven as Jesus opened the door to salvation by his death on the cross. Christians also have one specific purpose of life – to arrive at salvation at the end of our journey of this life, following the Way of Christ.