Getting “Salvation” and “Redemption” Right

I get the impression that some people have unequivocally embraced the New Paul Perspective (NPP)* and Emergent Church (EC)# because of the apparent view that all of conservative evangelicals have a misconception of the Bible and Christianity, especially in relationship to “salvation” and “redemption”, in which they think “salvation” consist of individuals going to this “spiritual realm” called “heaven”. This incorrect view may be true of some conservative evangelicals, but many do not embrace this view and do not have some of the dangers (in my view) of the NPP and EC movements.

Here’s a quote from Russell Moore’s (a conservative evangelical and Vice Pres. of Southern Seminary) book “The Kingdom of Christ”, explaining salvation.

“The priority of personal regeneration is maintained precisely because salvation is seen, holistically, in terms of a bodily resurrection, the reversal of the Edenic curse, and the restoration of humanity as vicegerents of the created order. The work of the Spirit in regenerating the heart is not therefore seen as purely “spiritual” matter. Instead, it is the uniting of the individual to the pioneer of salvation (Heb.2:10), the One who is “justified” by God, has merited resurrection from the dead, and who therefore can claim the cosmos as His inheritance (Ps.2:1-12; 45:6-17;Acts 2:22-36; 1 Cor. 15:21-28; Heb. 1:2; Rev.1:4-6). Resurrection is seen as central to God’s redemptive purposes because it is central to God’s Kingdom purposes. Salvation is pictured, not in terms of escape from the world, but as restoring the human person’s right to rule over the world (Matt.19:28; Rev.3:21). Thus, the writer of Hebrews pictures salvation in Christ in terms of the psalmist’s paean to the place of humanity in the cultural mandate (Ps. 8:4-6; Heb.2:5-9). Jesus claims the right to rule over the earth and to claim His Kingdom precisely because He has been raised from the dead (Rev. 1:18). Jesus’ Davidic kingship is established by His resurrection from the dead (Rom.1:3-4), as is His right to pour out the Spirit (Acts2:32-33).” pg.111

“…Thus, the apostle Paul pictures the indwelling of the Spirit and personal regeneration, not in terms of an otherworldly flight from creation, but as that which joins the believer to the resurrection of Christ (Rom.8:11), thereby enabling the believer to share in His inheritance as ruler of the earth (8:17), in His bodily resurrection from the dead (8:23), and therefore in the restoration of the liberated cosmos to its intended governance, under the lordship of a crucified and resurrected divine/human King (8:20-22,29). pg.111

My hope is that FPC wouldn’t quickly write-off conservative evangelicals, thinking that they got it all wrong, and quickly jump ship on what appears to be “new” and “innovative” .

*Definition of NPP- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Perspective_on_Paul

# Definition of Emergent Church- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergent_church