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Christian Art II - Justification
[by Ricky Su, 25/01/2005]
This painting was inspirited after listening to a Sunday sermon in late 2004.
Romans 5:18
“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.”
I wanted to reflect the passage directly onto the painting. Firstly, I’ve split the background into two different colours for two different eras: Old Testament and New Testament, or BC and AD. The lush green background on the left side signifies that in the beginning of the creation when everything was perfect and that mankind has not yet cause destruction to the world that God created.
The beginning, the first man on earth was Adam and he is represented by the figure on the bottom row on the left side. He was made perfect by God. But his rejected God when he sinned against God. The heart has been darkened by the self-desires: evil and sin. But as generations move on, I feel that people are sinning more and more. People have moved away from God. And people have rejected God, especially in the society these days, many people refuse to even want to know God. Therefore, the bodies of the generations after Adam are infected and darkened by sin, more and more. This really cuts into the Lord’s heart deeply and since God is a holy God, there is a clear separation between God and man.
But God’s love for us is deeper than any water well on earth. The world that we live in was once a perfect creation and that God was pleased with it. Now, the world we see is decaying. This world is on the right side of the painting, the dried and lifeless yellow colour on top of once lush green and beautiful creation. Even though God is a Holy God, He is also a merciful and compassionate God. There is nothing we can do to pay the price of our trespasses. God knows that. God loves the sinner but hate the sin.
So, God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is represented by the red figure in the middle of the right half of the painting. This figure is in red because the people do not recognise Him as the Saviour. So they mocked, tortured and crucified him. But through Jesus Christ, one man, He has justified men who believe in him. The figures in the dark are no longer chained by sin. But they are made holy, through Jesus. They are free from the bondage of sins. The believers have become the white figures surrounding Jesus in the red figure.
From hopelessness to holiness, but only through Jesus Christ Our Lord..
Your faithful brother,
Ricky Su
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