But the serpent said to the woman: Not to die shall you be dying; for Elohim knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be unclosed, and you will become like Elohim, knowing good and evil. Then the woman saw the tree was good for food, that it brought a yearning to the eyes and that the tree was desirable for gaining insight. So she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3: 4-6, Concordant Old Testament (The Pentateuch)
There is a story that is told of an elderly man who once offered a woman his mansion, which contained one hundred rooms. The woman, perhaps knowing that this might be a offer too good to be true, inquired of the kind gentleman what the catch was. "No catch," said the man. "However, the only thing I ask is that you never enter the room at the top of the stairs, the one hundredth room of the house." The woman thought this was an odd request, but accepted the mans offer nonetheless. In time, the elderly man passed away and the woman was left alone by herself in the mansion. Also with the passage of time, her curiosity burned over the room at the top of the stairs. What was its secret? Why had the old man forbid her from ever entering it? Eventually her curiosity got the best of her and one day she climbed the stairs towards the forbidden room. As she stood at the door of the room, her hand on the doorknob, she again pondered the old mans warning. Slowly she turned the knob until she gazed upon the interior of the forbidden room. Imagine her surprise when the room the elderly man had insisted she never enter contained...nothing. It was exactly the same as the other rooms in the mansion. The moral of this story, of course, is that even though we may be curious about such things which we have been warned are not beneficial to us, our own curiosities may eventually lead us into that forbidden room we were once warned about. Adam and Eve had the perfect life in the Lords creation. Some might say that they were in paradise. They had it all, food, drink, everything they would ever need. More than that, they also had a relationship with their Father creator. But there was an issue. Along with His paradise He had created, God instructed Adam and Eve that they must never eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden {Genesis 2:16-17}. Now, to be totally honest, it wasn't the curiosity of Adam and Eve which eventually led them into the fall in the garden. The prodding of the serpent (AKA Satan) was the final nail in the coffin of their perfect life in the garden. The lie of Satan convinced Eve that once she ate of the forbidden tree that she...would be like God the Father. Not knowing any better, Eve bought into the lie and took of the forbidden fruit. Adam, well, he was simply along for the ride at that point.
With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but LIVING IN ME is Christ. Now that which I AM NOW LIVING IN THE FLESH, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.
Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament
(Italics added for those questioning the meaning of this passage)
I've done quite a bit of thinking of the actions of the first couple in the garden. They truly had all they would ever need, God had assured them of that. Yet apparently Eve, with Satan's prodding, somehow came to believe that she could actually be like God. Eve had to have known who God was, she and Adam communed with the Father on a regular basis. However, what Adam and Eve did not know is that they were already like God. Both had been created in the image of the Lord {Genesis 1:27}. Yet all Adam and Eve knew was their benefits of living in the garden, they were unaware of how they came into being...but God knew. Like the old man warning the woman never to enter into the forbidden room, God cautioned Adam and Eve never to take of the fruit of the tree He warned them about. The rest, as they say, is history. Adam and Eve bought into the lie that they were somehow separate from God. Nothing could be further from the truth. The apostle Paul reveals to us that it is Christ who "LIVES IN ME" {Galatians 2:20} Yet, if Paul has been crucified as he rightfully claims, how can Jesus LIVE IN ME? The only thing left of Paul was his flesh vessel. There was no Paul, yet he claims that LIVING IN ME IS CHRIST. For the sake of conversation with those who will not answer questions, who is the "me" Paul is referring to? The "me" which Jesus not inhabits. Yet Paul adds something important to his iconic passage of the indwelling Christ. He stakes the claim that "I am living in faith that is of the Son of God." Paul knew that he lived as Christ Jesus who now dwelled in him. Going down rabbit holes of scripture seeking the key to some forbidden room to unlock the meaning of Paul's verse is a fools errand...and we are anything but. We have died to our old nature. Christ Jesus has now filled that void left empty within us. It is not I who live, but Christ lives within me.
So that, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: the primitive passed by. Lo! There has come new!
2 Corinthians 5: 17, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
No comments:
Post a Comment