The Good Of the Father (Something New)

 

He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love

First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

What is your idea of God?  How is it that you see Him in your life?  I would say that the way which we see God in our own life directly affects how we see the world around us and treat other people.  This morning I received a email from a dear friend on how it is that he had seen others in the past.  Instead of seeing those around us as created in the Fathers likeness, we all too often look upon them in a negative way as jerks or sinners.  I thank the institutional Christian religion for this line of thinking.  For if there is one thing which I learned in the church it is that there are good and wicked people in the world.  I would agree on this, to a point.  Yes, there are good people in the world, but there are also those who choose to act in a way that is contrary to how it is in which we have been created.  Many churches will tout that mankind has been created in the likeness of the Father {Genesis 1:27}.  While this is definitely true, something happened along the way to who we now perceive ourselves to be.  We forgot who we are in God.  More importantly, we've forgotten who those around us are in the Father as well.  For how can we look upon someone with a straight face while condemning them of being a sinner?  Were they not created in the very same likeness of the Father that we were?  I admit that I've struggled with this a lot in the past.  In fact, I'd say that seeing those around me as the Fathers loved creation is something I continue to struggle with.  The fact that we're bombarded every day with messages that depict others in a negative way does nothing to help matters.  I'm not just talking about the slanted mainstream media either, but of we who claim to be in Gods likeness.  Everyone who has been around other people for any length of time is familiar with the gossip which we humans can and do produce.  Yes, I've been down that road one too many times both on the giving as well as receiving end.  The funny thing is, it feels well and fine to gossip about others, but when the script is flipped and someone gossips about us we suddenly take it seriously.  THAT is the definition of hypocrisy.  While much of this behavior has been learned through the church, each one of us also makes our own decisions that not only affect our lives, but the lives of those around us. 

And not to be configured to this eon, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for you to be testing what is the will of God, good and well pleasing and perfect

Paul to the Romans 12: 2, Concordant New Testament 

I am not naive enough to believe that everyone has been exposed to the truth of the Fathers love as I have.  I recently received an email from a good friend who spoke of the words of the apostle Paul in renewing our minds {Paul to the Romans 12:2}.  Paul speaks of not being conformed to this eon, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  I can honestly say that I have seen these words of Paul from a different perspective lately.  I've had to renew my own thinking of how it is that I see those around me.  Not as how the world looks upon them, but as they truly are in the Lord.  How liberating would this be if everyone adhered to this truth?  Would personal conflicts even still exist?  The words of Paul also have gotten me to thinking that our beliefs we have about those around us are also an error in our own way of thinking.  There is a reason by which Paul called for a renewing of our minds.  It's because that we have forgotten the truth of the Father.  One of the best examples is the reluctance of the mainstream church to grasp the truth that God desires all be saved.  The truth is, ALL HAVE been saved, many are simply not aware of it.  They need to have their minds renewed.  Our error in thinking continues to believe that we are under the control of the deceiver Satan.  That we have been separated from the Father.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  A good friend commented to me this week that the power of identity is the key to our transformation.  Who do you see yourself as?  What is your identity?  Have you looked unto the face of Jesus to see who He truly is {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3:18}?  Once we see ourselves and others in Christ, our own thoughts will have been renewed.  

Now we all, with uncovered face, mirroring the Lords glory, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the spirit. 

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3: 18, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~