HOLISTIC REDEMPTION (ROMANS 8: 18-25)

The Very Rev Canon Dr. Rebecca Nyegenye
Provost.

We welcome you all to the July Mission week. It is a moment of experiencing the love of Christ in its entirety. Our desire is to fulfill the mandate of raising believers who know Christ personally as Lord and savior and whose love for Christ permeates all areas of their lives. A holistic Christian is one who practices their faith in both word and deed, in private as well as their public life. For holistic redemption to happen, we must not walk in the flesh or live according to the flesh as seen in Romans 8:12-13. Living in the flesh brings death but holistic surrender to the spirit brings life and complete redemption from the power of death. In Galatians 5:16-17, the works of the flesh are at war with the works of the Spirit therefore one must make a choice to walk according to the Spirit.

Holistic redemption is the recognition that we are not slaves to sin, not controlled by fear of prevailing circumstances, but as adopted children in the household of God with the freedom to call him Abba father, he is close to us and his love makes us whole and strong. We are children of God, joint heirs with Christ and even when we go through the pain and suffering in this world we have confidence that our father will deliver us (Romans 8:12-17).

Holistic redemption takes us away from the current tribulations to the future glory that we have in Christ Jesus. We cease to see the current as an end but a means to the heavenly glory. The groaning and pain that we go through, the bondages holding us, the sinful and empty engagements that affect are all seen as strategies of the devil disorganizing the beauty of heaven that has been prepared for all who believe. The hope we have is not seen in the physical and it is not easily noticeable, it is kept for those who persevere the challenges of this world, it is this hope that brings salvation
to all those who believe, it is the hope that is eternal.

Today we are struggling with life and many people have lost the faith, we are groaning in sin, in debt, fighting with family, friends and neighbors, we are struggling with land grabbers, family grabbers taking our wives and husbands into ungodly relationships, we are struggling with anger and buried pain, domestics violence, addictions, LGBTQ+.

We have freedom of speech, women struggling for emancipation, feminist movements, addictions to sex, pornography, drugs and alcohol and many other struggles. The end result is mental illnesses, depression, stress, broken families, broken marrriages, children and all kinds of infirmities which have eventually led to death.

Holistic redemption releases unto us the fruit of the Spirit which is life for all. In Galatians 5:22, we are encouraged that since Christ has set us free we need to stand firm and not ever submit to the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:13-15). Holistic redemption should touch the heart, hands and head. May God bless you.

The Very Rev. Canon Dr. Rebecca Nyegenye,
Provost.