Wouldn't it be great to be able to wake up one day and start all over? I mean, what if I could right all the wrongs in my life, have a "redo" on all of the stuff that I screwed up so badly. Or what about the things I just could have been better at. How different would things be if I could redo them now? How about you? How would you like to do this - have a life "do-over"?
Well, God is all powerful, and I would imagine if He wanted us to have that ability, he could make it available. But, God actually chose a much better plan. God developed a plan which can allow you and I to be able to learn from our experiences, and still have a "do-over" of sorts (well kinda like that but really a "re-start" more than a "do-over").
Its a pretty cool plan. I'd love to share it with you. I've actually got some pictures and charts and stuff. Would you like to see it?
I'm going to need your help though. I mean, if this is your "do-over" you've got to be involved, right? Great!
Ready? I want you to think way back. Think back to your earliest child-hood memory. Well, however wonderful or unpleasant that may have been, it was not far back enough. Actually we are going to have to go way back.... back further than you or I or anyone you know can remember. We are going to have to reach back to the beginning. We're going to reach back to the beginning.... not quite the beginning of time. We are going to go back and look at the beginning of man.
So, here's the deal. If you are a Christian this will make some sense pretty quickly. If you are not you may be tempted to shut down, close-out, or click the back-button....but hang-out just a few more minutes. I think you may see something of value here that could still intrigue you, too. Ok? Cool, cause this is really fun.
So, as the Bible, states, on the sixth day God created man. This is how it says it:
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
And it pretty much nails it. Do you see it? Well, ok, do you at least see the dominion part. Do we or do we not, as humans, have pretty much complete control over every resource here on earth? Well, that my friends is truth. And thats what we really need more doses of, each one of us and...... (Started to go somewhere else. Sorry!)
So, how about the other part? How about the part where it says he created man 'in our image'.
Two pretty intriguing things here, huh? The crazy thing is that it says God, being one entity, said we shall create man in our image. Man math, in English, tells me God=one. Man math, in English, tells me our > one.
Looks like a rabbit trail for me, huh.... Thought we were going to talk about a kinda like-a "do-over"? Its cool, though. I'm getting there.
What I want to talk about has been a question for many believer's and a detour sign for many who are seeking God or who don't know him..... I want to now show you a picture (I promised), exhibit one, if I may, in God getting you ready for what's next.
This is what God was talking about. He said in our image. All the way through the Bible we see references to multiple parts of God. God is one entity, made up of three parts.
Check it out: Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit.
Some places you will see this called 'the Trinity'. That word is not found it the Bible. But it does a pretty good job of describing God... Probably a better description of God is Tri-Unity, though.
God is one entity, made up of three parts that are in unity. Said again, God is triune.
And that is how you get a "do-over", right? Somewhat. We're getting closer, anyway.
Remember God said 'Let us make him in our image.' Now thats a good one! I have heard so many times, "If God looks like, acts like, is like most men I know I don't want to have anything to do with Him!" Hallelujah! (this means I agree). But, see, that is not what happened at all.
If I look in the mirror, do I see an exact replica of me? Will it talk like me, will it think like me, will it be like me. Well, as long as I animate it yes. It will appear to do so. But If I took a picture of me and left it with you, would it talk like me, think like me, act like me. Of course not. That's silly, isn't it. Why? Because it is simply an image.
God did the same thing when he made man. He made an image. He made us a triune creature just like him.
Check out this, Exhibit two:
Man is made up of three distinct parts. We have a spirit, a soul, and our flesh (body in the natural sense). Just like God, but simply an image of God.
Next week I will break down each of these parts so that we may study the function of each.
But for now.... the "do-over"!
And man, Adam, used each part of himself, as he was created.
- With his spirit he communicated with God
- With his soul he thought about what God was teaching him, he felt the emotions of his life and of his love for God and for Eve, and he chose the things to do, the ways to lead, and the ways to follow.
- With his flesh he learned reflexes, carried out developed instincts, survived the elements, and carried the life God gave him all around creation.
Adam had it made. But, just like us, no matter how made we have it, we desire some companionship. So God made for Adam, Eve. This is what the Bible says about that.
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
And as we already talked about, Adam loved Eve and they made a life together. Eve, just like Adam was made in God's image. Eve as well was made into a triune being. And she was able to talk with God through the spirit, think, feel, and choose with her soul, and act on these things with her flesh.
***When I read more about where these two lived and how they lived with God, the more I would like to have my "do-over" right there***
Anyway, so Adam and Eve lived their lives before God, literally naked and unashamed.... Everything was exposed, inside and out: no hang-ups, no depression, no disappointments.
There was peace and there was joy. And there was no need for hope..... Wow!
But, God gave them a soul and the ability to choose. And, one day Eve chose to do the one thing God had told Adam to never do. What happened? Adam stood right there and let her. Then He did it himself, as well.
Whoa! Now that sounds like my life! Wonder why?
God could not abide this sin. So. God took away this life, and took away the lives of all of their offspring as well.
Adam and Eve were meant to live for an eternity, but when they chose to be separated from God, one of their three parts began to die. This part, was the most precious part - the place where God communicated to them, their spirit. Their spirit became dormant, dead. As well, the soul, was left on its own. It was not intended to be making decisions without hearing God's will through the spirit. The result.... sin became active. That is, those things that were out of God's will became the norm because the part of man that could continually speak and hear from God was dead.
And this is what man has looked like without God since that day. Exhibit three:
Dead spirit, empty soul, and dying flesh.
But God had a greater plan than this. And, He sent himself, the Son part, to live here, to show us Himself, and then to sacrifice himself for us that we may live - that we may have life.
The Son said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. None can come to the Father but through me."
The Son said, "I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly"
The Son said, " If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."
And that is what happened. The Son part of God, took all of our stuff (its called in general, sin) that we continually do that is out of God's will i.e. - lie, cheat, steal, murder, envy, brag, sex outside of marriage, etc.... God took all of these things that create death, steal hope, steal love, bring depression, whatever, and said, "I love my created people so much that if they will believe on my Son, that he died their death for them, pouring out His blood - His life for them. If they will believe in Him I will give them a re-start.... A new beginning. I will give them life"
There it is. History tells us that Jesus was crucified before men and died. History also tells us, with over 500 witnesses to attest to it, that three days later He came back to life.
Get this.
- He died to take on our death.... our forever death. The death our spirit was already in.
- He rose out of the tomb, completely alive three days later, to give us forever life.
So, here it is: the look, the reality, the product of how I look.
Its: how you look if you believe on the Son - how you can look if you will receive him.
I give you exhibit three:
When you believe in Christ everything changes. A supernatural event happens, even if you do not feel it.
Check these statements out from the Bible... and then I'll wrap this up.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (from 2 Corinthians)
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (from Romans)
Remember what the Son (Jesus) said the Father is going to do? He is going to send a Helper, the Spirit of truth....
That is where the "do-over" the "re-start" happens.
When you believe in the Son - that simple - believe in Him.... Then, God the Father part, sends God the Holy Spirit part, to make alive your dead spirit. BAM! Right then! Your soul is then filled with the awareness and presence of God. And, your flesh, even still dying, is under new management...
You are now a new creation. You are brand-new. You can be as Adam and Eve were designed. It can be for you now, as it was for them then:
- with your spirit you can now communicate with God, walk and talk with Him daily
- with your soul you can think about and learn from what God is teaching you , feel the emotions of your life but still be lead instead by God through his love for you, and you can chose well the things to do, the ways to love, and how to lead and to follow
- with your flesh, even though it is still dying, you can relearn the right reflexes, instincts, and carry this brand-new life all around God's creation.
And really, now you can wake up.... Brand new, each day a complete re-start.... Just as God intended it.
As a Christian this may not be news to you. But for most Christians it gives them a perspective on what they truly have in Christ. Not some religion. Not some man-made tradition. But, new, brand new life.
If this is all new to you, but you would like to have all God intended for you..... If you need hope... If you have no idea where you are going or what is next.... God wants to put the foundation in and around you to get you there.... That foundation is Him and it comes through the Son.
Below is a prayer that can be prayed by you to help get you there:
Jesus, I'm sorry for the ways I have lived without you. Please forgive me. I believe you are the Son of God who came to this earth to save me from a life that I have lived apart from You. Please save me from this "sinner" identity and give me a new identity that is holy, acceptable, and (as unbelievable as it may seem) in your likeness. I believe that I am now in You, and You are now in me. Change me from the inside out. I mean this. Though I will surely fail at some point, I believe that You will never fail in me. Thank you. Amen.
Time and again God has changed lives and He has just changed yours. If you didn't feel it or see fireworks or hear heavenly choirs like in the movies... remember God doesn't work like we do. But nothing any more real has ever happened than what was just described. You are new, saved. Your "re-start" has begun!
I'll talk next week about this "re-start" and how God designed us to be new in our spirit, soul, and body.
I love you!
Doug out....
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