Colossians: "Works Contract"

Works Contract: Collosians/Ephesians/Genesis/Mosaic law   Within this narrative, creation itself is understood as a kind of Temple, a heaven-and-earth duality, (body becomes a temple of the HS) where humans function as the “image-bearers” within a cosmic Temple, part of earth yet reflecting the life and love of heaven.     Humans don’t simply “keep moral standards” but “live” enjoying God’s presence here and hereafter: to celebrate, worship, procreate, and take responsibility within the rich, vivid developing life of creation.     According to Genesis, (literally reading the scripture) that is what humans were made for.   The problem we humans have gotten ourselves into, the “sin” that has exiled us from God, is that we have rejected the vocation or purpose for which we were created — to be God’s image in the world, his royal priests who reflect his glory back to him in worship and into the world in faithful stewardship — and we have turned from thus serving the living God to worship idols. This has unleashed the powers of disorder and corruption to enslave humans and the good creation and we now essentially have turned God’s good creation of earth into HELL.   - death is the intrinsic result of sin, not simply an arbitrary punishment