In yet another DOT Talks webinar, Tetso College invited Dr. M. Sashi Jamir who enlightened the participants on the topic ‘The Mission of God: Garden of Eden 2.0’ held on 21st September 2020.
The resource speaker is the Director of Foundation for Church and Society and an Associate Professor of Old Testament Interpretation.
Dr. Jamir began his talk by stating that in order to understand the mission of God, one needs to start from the book of Revelation specifically Rev 21: 1-4. This passage clearly articulates that the new heavens and new earth will unite and God will tabernacle or have fellowship among his people, he said. The intention of God in creating this universe was to have “fellowship” with his creation both the humans who were created in his own image as well as with the environment, he added.
Speaking on the notion of redemption, Dr. Jamir explained that God entered into his mission of redemption by first calling out Abraham (Genesis 12) and through Abraham his descendants – the Israelites – to carry out the mission of redemption.
However, the Israelites failed just as the first humans failed to create fellowship and extend God’s communion to the whole universe, he said. It was in this context God had to send his only son Jesus Christ to redeem us and to show us the way to have perfect fellowship with the creator.
Therefore, the speaker noted that the death and resurrection of Christ not only redeemed us from sin but it also provided the impetus to carry out the mission of God. The implication of this is Christians’ mission is to be God’s royal priest and be agents of love, peace, equality, justice, truth, and kindness, he said.
However, he maintained that this does not mean that every Christian has to become a pastor in a church but it means as Christian no matter what one does and where one positions, his/her task is to create “fellowship” with one another and with God.
In conclusion, Dr. Jamir pointed out that this can be possible only with the aid of the Holy Spirit working in and through the lives of the believers.