" . . . yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parent upon the children and the children's children..." (Exodus 34:7)
Really? What happened to God removing our sins...as far as the east is from the West?
Jump to Mark 1: John proclaims a baptism of repentence for the forgiveness of sins.....okay, good, but keep reading. John promises the One who is coming (Jesus) is greater than he because Jesus provides a baptism with the Holy Spirit.---Ah, here's the addition. Not only are we cleansed and forgiven, but we are infused with the Spirit, the divine. The New Covenant is embodied in Jesus---humanity infused with the divine--when we are baptized, we are infused with the divine. Empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in a new way.
Jesus declares: the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news. Believing in the Good News is not a mental status; it is living out this new way. And we see this right away in this first chapter of Mark--person after person who is freed; released from that which makes us not our true selves---person after person cleansed, restored, made whole. God giving us true peace--shalom--wholeness---infused with the divine.
This new Way not only cleanses us, but by living it, we are empowered so that we might be freed from that which shackles us.
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