As if once that’s dealt with, in whatever way my theology makes room for, then everything is hunky dory and life can go on and I can enjoy myself blissfully unconcerned about eternal fire.
Nor is your sin the problem. As if all that matters is whatever bad thing you’ve ever thought or done or thought about doing was now erased from the divine ledger and now God says you’re cool.
Nor is sin our problem. As if human beings are the only thing God loves or cares about. We might very well bear culpability for enacting sin and need to be set free from our own self-inflicted suffering, but there is a lot more that suffers from the consequences of sin than people.
No. Sin is the world’s problem. As in the whole world. As in everything in the world. All things. Humans and animals. Plants and minerals. Mountain ranges and bacteria. Sequoyas and mushrooms. Blue whales and gray herons. Lava and wheat. Glaciers and mold spores. Coral reefs and acorns. Big things and little things. Seen things and hidden things. Beautiful things and ugly things. All things.
Jesus isn’t interested in getting you or me or even all of us into heaven. He’s interested in getting heaven back into everything.
“Look! the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
