08 July 2023
Recap: I take the position that Adam and Eve started out in their eternal bodies. They did not have mortal flesh, nor a fleshly nature. But they did have a measure of free will. With free will comes the capacity to defy the Creator on any number of issues. I'm assuming it would be limited to things He commanded. I don't believe He's going to issue commands for things in which they have no agency, no power to choose, and there's plenty of that.
Obviously, we simply don't have the words to really nail this down clinically, since the subject matter itself exceeds the limits of clinical discussion. But this is more than speculation; I'm pulling together things that Scripture reveals. All I'm doing is offering a restatement from our own cultural basis. Instead of recycling the parabolic language of the ancient Hebrews -- from that land and in that time -- I'm using expressions common to our world here and now. I'm doing my best to interpret knowledge above our reason and intellect, appealing to something higher inside of you. I'm trusting the Lord to witness to what I write.
From where I sit, the core failure in Eden was the abuse of free will. They moved away from their unconditional obedience and judged things for themselves. They usurped God's authority to declare what was good and evil. The reason Satan tempted them down this path was because it was the basic nature of his own rebellion against God. This is in some way the essence of his contention with the Creator.
The problem is that I must contend with the silly imagery of our Anglo-American mythology. Our culture's attempt to address things over the horizon from our clinical understanding includes some profoundly idiotic pagan idolatry. The Devil is a highly respected angelic being with his own measure of free will. It's not that he is in rebellion against everything God wants, and by no means is he on par with our Savior. Images of a fiery being constantly battling the angels or arm-wrestling Jesus is beyond stupid. It's not that kind of debate or rebellion.
It's not all or nothing. It's horrific for you and I, but only because we took sides with the Devil in the Garden. However, Satan's work right now is all about pressing his contention using us as the test case. That's part of what the Book of Job reveals; it's one example of what's going on in the Unseen Realm. You must see beyond the obvious facts of Job's experience.
In our mortal form, we are in Satan's domain. We can't possibly understand how this does or does not support his argument, but for us, the whole issue is escaping his grasp. The only escape is to kill the fleshly nature, as the metaphor in Scripture puts it (Galatians 2:20). His grip on us is broken, but we keep choosing his ways. Whatever it is we could have in this life from our eternal inheritance, it requires reversing our decision in the Garden. We have to denounce the Master over This World and embrace the Creator of all things.
It's quite possible to do an okay job of denying the fleshly nature without understanding the imagery above. Yes, there would be some important background missing, but you could reclaim a limited share of your divine inheritance using a far more limited understanding. The issue is that you must turn against all the things Satan offers in this life and simply use all of it as mere disposable tools for the glory of our Heavenly Father.
That much is essential.
That English word "faith" is not a matter of what's in your head or what you do. It's a matter of your commitment to please the Lord. You can be misguided about the details, but He's paying attention to the desire in your heart. That desire is what makes us holy unto the Lord. Look up the term "Lordship Theology" and you'll get some idea what I'm talking about. I assure you there are some flaws in how that's taught most of the time, but the core idea as commonly defined is correct: Whatever "salvation" means, it doesn't happen without making Jesus Lord.
Biblical faith means feudal submission to the Savior. Everything else is negotiable between you and Him. All the popular church rhetoric about trusting the Lord is fine; I have no argument with most of it. We can debate the details, but the commitment itself is not a variable.
And I can fellowship just fine with folks who choke on the concept of the Covenant. There is plenty we can still talk about. I need all the allies I can get.
Don't get hung up on something I teach simply because I write it. If the teaching grabs you, that's fine, but I am not looking for followers. I'm doing my best to set you free, to help you uncover your own convictions. You need a clear view of what God had in mind for you. The issue is that participating in your spiritual freedom is why I keep breathing; that's what drives me.
This document is public domain; spread the message.