Grace - A Wrong View of God Robs Us

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!  For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."  Genesis 3:1-5

Man's first inclination was to trust God.  He was without sin in a personal, intimate relationship with his Creator and Provider.  When satan appeared before Eve to deceive her, he brought into question the instructions God gave to Adam and Eve.  We've all heard that Eve messed up by including the you shall not "touch it", but I want to introduce another idea.  Could it be that the added condition on Eve's part was a result of the process satan intended all along?  In other words, once she began to consider the possibility that God was not good and trustworthy as Provider, satan was then and only then able to completely flip the table on her and, through his outright lie ("you surely will not die"), cause Adam and Eve to believe and act accordingly to opposite of the truth about God.  When we believe lies about God, we also believe lies about ourselves.

So now, instead of man's first inclination being to trust God implicitly, his nature became one which would first distrust God.  This tendency continues today not only in the lives of unbelievers through their nature, but as believers, we are still in a place where our thinking must be renewed, even though our nature has already been made like Christ's.  This is why Paul constantly alludes that our thinking must change:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!  Romans 11:33

"Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?"  But we have the mind of Christ.  1 Corinthians 2:16

...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.  Ephesians 1:17-19a

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding....  Colossians 1:9

...that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.  Colossians 2:2-4

God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.  It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.  2 Thessalonians 2:13b-15

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind....  Romans 12:2

But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  Titus 3:4-7

I've highlighted portions of the scriptures above.  You must understand that the instruction from Romans 12:2 is for us not to conform, which speaks of our effort to adapt to or comply to an external model without any change within us.  Transformation, however, is the work of the Holy Spirit in us and our minds coming to realize and believe that work.

In light of this, I pray that you will understand that it is your mind which must be renewed to the goodness of God.  As you allow Holy Spirit to do this, you will begin to see yourself and all your circumstances differently.  Temptations will no longer have the power you once attributed to them.  You'll experience joy and freedom like never before.  You will be able to enjoy the REST that you have in Christ through faith.  You'll be positioned to let the life of Christ work supernatural wonders through you and around you.

Why do Christians struggle with sin and temptation?  Why do most Christians never see supernatural healing and miracles?  It's because they do not understand our sonship with Christ.  Slaves can't bear the fruit of God, but sons can.  Slaves can't work miracles and heal the sick and raise the dead, but sons can.

We've struggled with sin and temptation long enough; it's time for our sonship to be revealed to us (Romans 8:19) and to walk as Jesus walked (John 5:17).

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy