You might be thinking, if they do not have a fear of judgment or sin then what is the need of salvation? That is a good question! Salvation for the Africa is not about a world to come, it is about his present world. The main need of salvation is in this life. The person wants a salvation that blesses in this life, and he does not worry so much about the life to come. Here is another quote to illustrate:
'Instead of speculating about life after death, salvation in African Religion is better located in this world. A big number of children who continue the family lineage, a healthy livestock and a good harvest are the expression of salvation, the assurance that God and the ancestors are blessing the community. Blessing and curse are defined from the perspective of the community, not of the individual. It implies also the just recompense of good and evil deeds in this world. In African Religion, there are no heaven and hell. Every evil is punished directly and executed either on the individual, his community or his children. The Luo tell a story of a family whose house was swallowed by the earth because they didn’t receive an old woman looking for shelter at night. The people say that this happened in reality, and the place of the incident is remembered.' (Mbiti, African Religion and Philosophy)
So to the African, he is not looking for a hope of forgiveness of sins or a hope of eternal bliss, but the hope of earthly blessings. The salvation of the average African is not about the future and the eternal, but about the present and the physical. This helps to explain the great spread of the prosperity gospel preaching that is fully embraced in most Charismatic churches.
To help you understand, let's look at the use of African language to express salvation.
'The main Twi term for salvation is nkwagye. It is made up of two words: nkwa and gye. Nkwa means vital life, vitality, vigor, health, happiness, and felicity. In short, nkwa means abundant life, that is, “life in all its fullness”. Gye has several meanings. But when used in the salvation sense it means to: rescue, retake, recapture, redeem, ransom, buy out of servitude or penalty; it also means to release, to free, to deliver, to liberate, to save. It could also mean: to lead, to conduct, to guide, to take along with; or to protect, to defend; or to preserve. The term nkwa-gye therefore is pregnant with rich meaning.' (Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Kingsley Larbi)
This term is correct, and when properly explained it lets the true believer understand that they have been rescued and given life. But when not taught or properly understood, the Asanti takes it to mean that God will give us all that we want for our ‘earthly salvation’. This is an area that the missionary must understand. The missionary needs to teach the real focus of eternal salvation and redemption.
From these blogs you can see the great differences. The African is not a person slaving away to get approval of God so that he might obtain forgiveness. He feels that he already has what he needs for eternity. His main focus is happiness, prosperity, and harmony in this life.
This has been a long three blogs, but here is the gist of it all. We need to be very thorough with Africans when we speak to them of our precious hope. Just because you use the same terms does not mean you have the same definitions.
Sometimes we need to return and rebuild, as there can be no building without a foundation. Hebrews 6:1 “…laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God..."
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