Have you ever seen the show on TBN where Kirk Cameron walks up to random people on the street and asks them if they have ever told a lie, or have ever had an impure thought? The usual answer from these poor, unsuspecting strangers is, “of course I have.” Then Kirk tells them, “that makes you a sinner and unless you ask Jesus into your heart and ask for forgiveness, you’re going to hell.” I’ve never tried Mr. Cameron’s approach in street ministry and probably never will. It seems a bit too harsh for me. But is there some truth in what he says? I mean, did Christ have to die because of our lies and impure thoughts? Or was God’s plan for our salvation much bigger than the fact that we’re simply not very good humans? I believe so. I’m convinced, we are all born with an unexplainable, divinely crafted, longing not just to be better humans but a new creation all together.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
When I came to Christ, at the age of 16, I went down to the alter and asked Jesus into my heart fully expecting to be overwhelmed with some life changing, spiritual experience. I was a little disappointed when I finished the salvation prayer and still felt the same. Nothing came over me. No instant relief, no overwhelming sense of joy, no spiritual enlightenment, I still felt very much human. I’ve been a Christian now for 15 years, almost half my life, and I still don’t feel like I’m a new creation. Sure, I’ve had experiences over the years where God has touched me and I know God has made me a better human but I’m still just human, not a new creation. Or have I been a new creation the past 15 years without even realizing it? And what does God mean by “a new creation,” in the first place? Before we can begin to understand this new creation we first need to understand how we were originally created and why we long to be recreated.
Genesis 1:26-28 “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature... God created human beings godlike.”
First, I think it’s important to note when God says, “Let US make human beings in OUR image...reflecting OUR nature.” Our being plural means it was the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit all taking part in the creation of the Heavens, Earth, and us. We are created, reflecting the mirror image of God’s nature. Meaning our wants, needs, and desires at their core are the same as God’s wants, needs, and desires. You may be asking, if my desires are the same as God’s than how can God be a good God when my desires seem to be mostly self-centered and perverse? We were created by God from the Earth not created by God from God. (Gen. 2:7) That’s the first major difference, and reason why our desires seem to be a bit skewed compared to our idea of what a good, loving, just, and perfect God’s desires would be. Let’s take a look at the first insight we have into this newly created man, Adam, and maybe it will help explain what I mean.
Genesis 2:18 “It’s not good for man to be alone; I’ll make him a companion comparable to him.”
After Adam is created the next thing God says is, “it’s not good for man to be alone.” Keeping in mind that this story is about God more so than Adam it gives us a good idea of the empathy God shares with man, a longing for companionship. “I’ll make him a companion comparable to him.” God formed all the animals and birds the same way he formed man, from the dust of the Earth and gave Adam the job of naming each one. (:19-:20) Notice how God said he will make Adam a companion comparable to him and not a companion that would be just like him, or one of his kind. Adam spent the first weeks, months, possibly even years of his life with nothing but animals to keep him company. Can you imagine living your life with only animals? We have a dog named Brooke Shields and since Sydni and I don’t have any kids yet we probably treat her too much like she’s our child. She isn’t living with us right now but when she did it was so fun when we would get home from work and she would get so excited to see us that she would make all these weird noises and couldn’t contain herself or her bladder. Coming home to a dog will always beat coming home to an empty house, even if you have to wipe up the dog’s pee every time. However, my relationship with my dog is pretty limited. It’s hard to share life’s meaningful moments with something that only wants her belly rubbed or wants to play tug with a sock. You can only share the things that really matter with someone of your own kind.
Genesis 2:20 “...but he didn’t find a suitable companion.”
From Adam’s rib, not from the dirt in which Adam was formed, God created woman. When Adam saw her he said, “Finally! Bone of my bone flesh of my flesh; she was made from man.” It’s hard to imagine the excitement Adam must have felt when he woke up to find someone that was one of his kind, a woman. (Probably pretty similar to the excitement Brooke Shields feels when we come home and she pees). The moment Adam laid his eyes on Eve he knew she was made from him and for him. That moment put Adam’s deepest desire, of longing for companionship, temporarily at peace. You have to remember while you are reading this story of Adam and Eve you’re not reading a story about Adam and Eve or a story about you or me. This story is ultimately about Jesus, and this story gives us a glimpse at His longing for us to become a suitable companion for Him. It seems clear to me that there is so much more separating us from our creator than our actions alone. In part two I would like to take a look at how Jesus not only forgave us of our poor decisions but radically changed our entire being into a begotten child of God.
I’m sorry if you were wanting another Sydni blog and you came across this and were disappointed. However, if you made it this far I’m taking it that you’re not completely disappointed
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