Lesson 2

Church: The Community of the Redeemed

  •                                God sent Mosesand Aaron to liberate the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt. They went to the Pharaoh and said: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Let mypeople go, so that they may celebrate a feastival to me in the wilderness.” (Ex.5:1). But, Pharaoh did notallow the Israelites to go.S oG o d s e n t n i n ecalamities upon theEgyptians one after the other. After each calamity,Pharaoh would call Mosesand request him to revoke it. But when revoked, Pharaoh changed his mind and refused to let the Israelites go.Therefore God decided to slay all the firstborns of the Egyptians, both man and beast,beginning with the house of the Pharaoh himself.
     
                                  As the Lord commanded, they killed the Passover lamb and took some of itsblood and put it on the two door ports and the lintel of the house. That night the destroyer passed though Egypt killing the first-born of both men and beast. A great cry arose from the house of Pharaoh and the whole of Egypt as there was not a single house where one was not dead But God protected the houses of the Israelites. In the same night,Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them: “Rise up, go away from my people,both you and the Israelites!; Go, worship the Lord, as you said.” (Ex. 12:31). TheIsraelites left Egypt the same night.
     
                                Thus the people of Israel were freed from their slavery in Egypt. From slavery, they were led to an experience of freedom and salvation.For Israel, salvation mean tliberation. But salvation in the full sense means liberation from the slavery of sin. It is an experience of living in freedom and love with God. The liberation of Israel from their slavery in Egypt was a fore-taste of salvation in Jesus that was to come The Passover lamb of the Old Testament is a symbol of Jesus, the lamb of God who removes the sin of the world. The blood of the lamb on the door parts became a sign for the destroyer to sparethe Israelite houses and pass by them. It became forthem a sign of salvation. In the same way Jesus, thelamb of God was destined to give salvation to the entire humanity through his blood So, we can saythe blood of the only son of God liberated humanity from their sin.

    All are Called to Salvation

     

               We were all under the power of sin on account of the sin of our first parents.But God willed to bring salvation to all through His only son, Jesus.St. Paul makes it very clear in the letter to the Romans that sin came into the world through one man (Adam)
    and righteousness came through another man, Jesus (Rom 5:12-19). Again Paul Says:“ There is no one who is righteous, not even one”(Rom: 3:10).St. Paul highlights the universality of sin to show that the whole mankind was in need of salvation.

    Obedience to the Commandments; the

    Basic Condition for Salvation

     

                                        God entered into a covenant with the liberated Israelites and made them His own  people (Ex. 19:4-6). He gave them commandments so that they may become aredeemed people who are God's own. The commandments that God gave them through Moses constituted a way of life that ensured salvation“Now therefore, if youobey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of allthe peoples.(Ex. 19:5).”people and being united to HimThis experience of union with God was lost to Israel through sin.

                                          The Jews thought that mere observance of thelaw would ensure their salvation and that belief made them keep the law in a literal sense. However, they failedin understanding the real meaning of God's law and living it out. But God in His goodness willed to lead thispeople on the path of salvation throughan inviolable covenant. The terms of this covenant will be written in their hearts and not on tablets of stone. This covenant was established through Jesus,the son of God.

    Jesus : The Saviour of the World

     

                                           The promise that God gave to human kind that he would send a Saviour, was fulfilled in Jesus. He was born to save us from the slavery of sin. This is depicted in the words of the angel addressed to Joseph, asking him to call his name 'Jesus': “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Mt. 1:21). Announcing the glad tidings of Jesus' birth the angels told the shepherds that a Saviour had beenborn for them in the city of David. While Jesus was presented at the Temple of Jerusalem Simeon spokewith a prophetic vision: “….for mine eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples…” (Lk 2:31) Jesus, through his suffering, death on the crossand glorious resurrection saved humanity from the slavery of sin and fulfilled all the prophecies that had been made about him.

    Jesus : The Only Saviour

     

                                               Peter, the leader of the apostolic group, while replying to the high priest and others in Jerusalem said “There is salvation in no one else, for there is noother name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).St. Paul in hisletter to Timothy says: “For there is one God, there isalso one mediator between God and human kind,Christ Jesus, himself human who gave himself aransom for all….”1 Tim. 2:5-6). Jesus saved the world through his death and resurrection. The church is the community of those who profess this faith. This isexactly what we pray towards the end of the 'Epicletic Prayer' in the Eucharistic celebration: “we praise youLord, in the Church, redeemed by the blood of our LordJesus Christ.” This belief that the Church is the community of the people, who were redeemed by theblood of Christ, has been constant and firm from thevery beginning of the Church. However salvation is notdue to our merit but by God's mercy.

    In order to be Saved, Accept the Word

    of God and Live it

     

                                             If we want to be saved, we should believe thatJesus is the Saviour of the world, and live according to his words. Jesus says “It is the spirit that gives life…”(Jn. 6:63). Again we read in the Gospel of John, “Very, truly, I tell you, any one who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.”(Jn. 5:24). St. Paul says: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel; itis the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also tothe Greek” (Rom 1:16). 

                                              As a covenant people, we are bound to live the Word of God. The covenant is that you should keep My word and obey My commandments that you may be My own people and My beloved ones. For Jesus says Those who love me, will keep my word;and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”(Jn. 14:23). It is clear that, in order to belong to God and to the community of the redeemed, we should keep the Word of God.

    The Sacraments: Means of Salvation

     

                                        The sacraments are the means to obtain the forgiveness of sins and salvation or eternal life given by Jesus.By offering us forgiveness of sins and divine life, the sacraments lead us to the experience of salvation, by the power of the Holy Spirit 

                                       The Church can be seen as the custodian of the salvation achieved by Jesusand she is the one who distributes it. It is this salvation that the Church ever proclaims.This salvation becomes available to us through the Word of God and the sacrament sadministered by the Church. The Church always invites and inspires people to come into the salvation through conversion and baptism. Thus the Church, redeemed by JesusChrist, offers salvation for all and remains in the world as a sign and instrument of salvation for all people.

    Word of Godto Read and

    Meditate

     

    John 14: 15-24
     
     

    Word of God to Remember

     

    “Now therefore, if you obey my
    voice and keep my covenant, you shall
    be my treasure possession out of all
    the peoples.” (Ex. 19:5)
     
     

    Let us Pray

     

    God who made me a member of the
    Church, the sacrament of salvation,
    I praise you. Help me to walk through the
    path of your commandments and reach the
    glory of heaven.
     

    My Resolution

     

    I shall always walk on thepath of salvation by reading
    the word of God and livingaccording to it.
     
     

    To Think with the Church

     

    (Vat. II, The Church, No. 9)
    All those, who in faith look towards Jesus, the author of salvation
    and the principle of unity and peace, God has gathered together and
    established as the Church, that it may be for each and everyone the
    visible sacrament of this saving unity
     
     

    To Know the Mother Church

     

    The Mar Thoma Christians who received their faith from St. Thomas, grew
    in their faith in association with Churches in Edessa, Persia and Selucia,
    who also received faith from St. Thomas, the Apostle. The immigrants
    who came from Persia under the leadership of Kanai Thomman enhanced
    our Church in its growth considerably. The Mar Thoma Christians were
    Catholic in their faith, Oriental in their liturgy and Indian in their culture.

     

    Find out Answers

    1. What does St. Paul say to show that all men are in need of salvation.

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    2. What is the experience of salvation?

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    3. Why do we say that obedience to the commandments is the condition for salvation?

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    4. Jesus is the Saviour of the world, Explain

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    5. How are salvation and the sacraments related?

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    Let us Discuss

    Activity

    Let us Enlighten our Hearts

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