Atonement and the Quest for Holiness in the Repentance and Holiness Ministry: Toward a Hegelian Triad

Abstract

The burden of sins weighs heavily down upon humanity and when humanity come to the realization of sins, they are filled with remorse and sorrow. Sin excludes them from the presence of God. Human efforts to appease God for sins are inadequate since humanity is imperfect and cannot meet His standards. Therefore, God in his own volition gave up his son to atone for the sins. Only He could satisfy himself through offering a sacrifice on our behalf. This sacrifice, Jesus Christ, made up for our sins; it became the propitiation and the expiation. Since God himself deliberately redeemed us from the bondage of sin, our response to this redemption should be deliberate as well. It should originate from knowing we are redeemed even when we do not deserve it. While this might make us despair from the guilt that another person bore the punishment for us, we on the other hand must have comfort that the death of Christ at the Cross was an act of love. It is this act of love that should assure us of our salvation. Therefore our response to God and the community around after forgiveness should be of joy and desire to serve God’s purposes in the community. However, even though this is the expectation, the Repentance and Holiness Ministry teaches otherwise. Because they consider the community around them apostate, they withdraw from the community. They believe that to maintain their standing before God, they have to be separate from any engagements with other people except those who uphold their faith. And because repentance is ignited by sorrow and guilt over ones’ sins, they are in perpetual sorrow yet Christ’s death was an act of love. Because it was an act of love after repentance, joy not sorrow should follow