“IN the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And God saw everything that he had made and behold it was very good…” Genesis 1.1.31 KJV
I love my spiritual ‘eureka’ moments when the wisdom of God bestows light in the form of an understanding about a matter or scripture and suddenly……….you get ‘it’. That confusion, ignorance, error or even self righteousness is exposed in naked form and behold wisdom in its glory; your foolishness and its experiences flash before you and you say ‘whoa! I never saw it in this form or as Einstein said “Eureka! I have got it” and as Oprah proclaimed the feeling of having those “Aha! Moments. Light is beautiful!
In those moments, I completely align myself with Isaiah’s experience that moved him to say
“Woe is me , for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips…For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” Isaiah 6.5 NKJV
For to experience the wisdom of God is to see the Glory of God - to see the LORD of host. This was my discovery that in spite of sin and its influences in the world, Creation in all its form is still good and to live from that perspective is to have the experiential joy of the WORD made flesh in us - our victory in CHRIST. Life suddenly takes on a new meaning all of the time and your relationship with God and men will improve by the day.
This is not the theology of creation where we have a mental assent of its being good. This is the practice of truth that under girds your daily life and reflects in your thoughts, choice of words and decisions. Because as you will soon discover, many of us are not living our lives from this wonderful insight regardless of our acceptance of it.
Let’s go back again to an aspect - man. Man is God’s best creative design because of the uniqueness of his creation. The Bible explains
“God said, Let Us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) make mankind in One image after Our likeness.”
God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God he created him; male and female He created them”
Then the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life and man became a living being” Genesis 1.26,27; 2.7 Amplified
God in the above scriptures ordained that man should play a very special and important role in creation and with Him. Recall that God had already pronounced everything good (perfect). How much of this truth about our goodness do we apply in evaluating our life, our relationships and even other aspects of creation like the trees, birds, fish etc. What role (if ever) does this play in our decisions?
The truth is that with the entrance of sin into the world - which came in the form of deception, the devil sought to change the perception of creation’s goodness to one of doubt and incompleteness which trend has persisted till date and now has its many compositions. He sought to cast a shadow over God’s perfect plan for Adam and Eve and His relationship with them by insinuating that all was not perfect.
“For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil” Genesis 3.3NKJV
By this answer to the response that Eve gave about God’s command to them not to eat of the fruit of a specific tree, satan was in effect questioning the validity and truth of God’s Word in Genesis 1.31 to the effect that Creation was very good. By the single decision to believe that lie, both Adam and Eve plunged mankind into disruption of the experience of that goodness and effects of sin.
However, in a restored relationship with Christ, that experience is in place. Creation didn’t stop being good but our experience of it was rudely interrupted as you would feel when you are engrossed in watching your favourite programme and…………the phone suddenly rings!
God knew about satan’s disposition to lies and deception. God knew that Adam and Eve had the potential to fall for it but He had to allow them the use of the will given to mankind to exercise judgment. God also knew that in spite of this fall, Creation in its form will remain unchanged. He also had a restoration plan in place - JESUS and so God was not MOVED!
In Genesis 1.31, God was looking at creation in its form and declaring its goodness not just in the immediate but in the eternal. This was the seal of approval given the earth and its contents (man and all). In John 1.3, we see that Jesus is the source of creation and its goodness. While sin may have entered the world bringing its influences, it never changed the form and its experience. Therefore judge all things from the position of God and The Word.
The current evil influences resulting in human and natural disasters across the world are a result of our departing from the position of ETERNAL TRUTH. We are exposed to these dangers also when we live from our limiting sensual experiences and self righteousness.
Wars, famine, poverty, immorality, greed, global warming, slavery, earthquakes and tornadoes are just a few of the consequences of acting out of the eternal goodness. We need to cleanse the earth of such or in the least minimise its effects by each taking a personal stand against sin and its influences in our lives or in others.
Jesus affirmed this truth when He spoke:
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world.( I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you)” John 16.33 Amplified Bible
The devil was casting a doubt about God’s word - that Adam and Eve were perfect and didn’t need any so called new wisdom. This has been revealed a multitude of times in the lives of men - to the effect that mere knowledge of good and evil does not lead to right judgment neither does it automatically translate to making a wise decision. It helps but not in itself complete.
Deception works in this wise - playing it like these alluring advertisements that offer us a variety of goodies and in the very smallest print shock us with the information that terms and conditions (that are often the epitome of confusion) does apply. From a high, we are jolted to reality……….like one that fell off a skyscraper to the ground, we come crashing!!!
A few illustrations - The world leaders recognise that guns, nuclear plants and all kinds of weapons are not the best for us yet despite all the cry of world peace, they are racing to developing new forms of weapons of mass destruction. On a personal note, I know as well as you that all those ‘sugary fizzy’ drinks of whatever name and colour are not good for us but have we stopped? No! Some like me are trying in several ways to beat this urge while others have since accepted their addiction (sad indeed)
Therefore, just like Adam and Eve shockingly found out as well as Isaiah and myself, without God, the experience of the goodness of creation will continue to be elusive. This perfection in its completeness that Jesus termed the ’abundant life’
“ I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever..” John 6.51 NKJV
In another place, He said with authority
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11.25-26, NKJV
Jesus was speaking of the ‘death ‘experiences that come from a disconnection from God - the Source of life. In effect, when we are hooked to Christ in practice, we will have the experience of resurrection - life in creation’s goodness.
There is always hope in Christ and there is the path of life that God has prepared to bring our restoration in place. How do you get back on track?. Simply, Begin from God’s view. Every experience of good must start from HIM.
“IN THE beginning ( before all time) was the Word ( Christ). All things were made and came into existence through Him and without Him was not even one thing made that came into being.
In Him was Life and the Life was the Light of men.
And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it( put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it and is unreceptive to it)” John 1.1,3-5 Amplified Bible
Creation is good and is still good for the very simple truth that it was made by the Word - Jesus! Nothing made by Him is imperfect or incomplete. This truth is emphasised in the scripture.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” James 1.17 KJV
So the first step is to receive this truth into your spirit, acknowledge it and analyse all things from this position. This gives you the liberating ‘feeling’ within to challenge any lies, errors including religious biases that may hinder this experience of goodness. Remember the presence of evil influences manifesting in various forms as immorality, greed, envy, hatred, racism, homosexuality, lies murder does not change the form of creation. It only came in as an elusive intruder - like a thief in that unexpected hour into a house - to spoil the ‘goods’.
This is the place of discernment that is very critical - the ‘watch and pray’ so that these types of temptation do not come in. This is where Adam and Eve failed and where we have also failed in many ways and need to get back.
This is where Jesus passed the test - both at the beginning of His ministry till the end. In Mathew 4.1-11. We see the story of how the devil used cunning words in an attempt to deceive Jesus but he failed.
“Then satan tempted him to get food by changing stones into loaves of bread.
“It will prove you are the Son of God”, he said. But Jesus told him,
“No! For the Scripture tell us that bread won’t feed men’s souls; obedience to every word of God is what we need.” Mathew 4.2-4, Living Bible
Jesus recognised that satan was not really interested in the miraculous because he already knew that Jesus was the Son of God. What he wanted was to bring Jesus into obedience to his authority. That is why Jesus pointed him back to the Word of God. If it was about discussing the finer points of miracles, Jesus would have done that, after all, He went on to feed the multitude with five loaves and two fish, calm the storm, raise a stinking corpse and finally overcame death by His resurrection. No! he understood that acting in self righteousness is wrong and sinful.
In practical terms, the circumstances of life, opinion of men, societal and sometimes wrong religious doctrines will attempt to cast a doubt on creation’s good and your life but be wise, vigilant and like Jesus, don’t fall for such deceit. Stay with the Word! Many of the ways we feel this heat is in your self evaluation and societal pressures.
The next step is the acknowledging of this good in your life. It is similar to downloading information from a website. The scriptures speak to us on this;
“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” Philemon 6. KJV
Take note that it speaks of acknowledging (declaring) with certainty the good which is your identity in Christ. Therefore, that your life is good in Christ must be the basis for analysing any information about you or the circumstances of your life. There is more about this life of yours that is good- the life which is of the same substance as Christ (being created with the character of God). The Bible describes the quality of this life as:
“For in Christ there is all of God in a human body; so you have everything when you have Christ and you are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power” Colossians 2.9-10
Can anything be more perfect than this life that has been restored in Christ? I certainly don’t think another better than this exists. So if we even believe this truth, why is our experience of it not visible in a higher dimension? The answer may lie in our ignorance of how to really live this experience. This is because we are affected by various limiting influences in our society.
A good illustration is what I discovered to have operated for quite a long period in my life. Reading through my nursery report card (yes, I am good at keeping personal records), I saw the teachers’ remarks that stated “rosemary shows intelligence but is too noisy and restless”. Well over the years, I and my parents and anyone who took notice kept on validating that remark as my true personality. As I grew up, I told myself that I was an impatient person because I couldn’t sit still for a long period. It never occurred to me that I was acknowledging what was not my true nature but an external influence. Therefore I didn’t repel the attack.
Was I in denial of the facts of my behaviour? No. but facts as you will discover are not always a mirror of truth. Lots of times they are just perception from a point of view, which view may be tainted. The consequence of not processing this issue correctly was that over the years, it affected my decision making and choices. I was often too quick to act without taking the time to think through issues. In short, I lacked the patience for such matters. It also affected my speech as I would a lot of times shoot from the mouth before taking in the effect. That left unpleasant and often unintended consequences. Even my spiritual life was not spared as I couldn’t sit still enough to meditate on God’s word for a deeper understanding of truth.
Meditation is very critical in a Christian’s life. I recall a time about five years ago when the turnaround began, I would read Philippians 4.6 that advised one not to be anxious about anything and I was super anxious. Oh those days of foolishness! I suffered! I hope you are aware that they are two types of suffering. The sufferings of Christ that bring glory in the end and the sufferings of foolishness/ ignorance that reaps more suffering- no reward. Because of my impatient attitude, I didn’t have a deeper appreciation of the Word.
Then! I discovered this truth about living life from my true nature - acknowledging the good in me as Philemon 6 said. It enabled me recognise the ‘intruder’ behaviour that should be dealt with. I proceeded to look into the scriptures for help. I saw several in Proverbs and other books that were right on point. Some were Colossians 2.9-10 (earlier quoted), James 1.3
“But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”
Hebrews 10.36
“But you have need of endurance so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promises”
Proverbs 25.28
“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down without walls”
I recommend the book of Proverbs as a guide to practical living because it gives you a comparison of the ways of the wise and the foolish man. It is a reality check book.
In acknowledging that I am a patient person and that I have rule over my spirit to know when and how to act, I was declaring the good that I am in creation (Genesis 1.31). Also, I recognised that impatience and a restless attitude are not of God and therefore could not be my true identity (Genesis 1. 26). This daily affirmation began to make its way into the spirit of my mind to transform me (Romans 12.2). I also ensured that I didn’t accept any thoughts of such wrong habit as mine (Proverbs 4.23) In other words; I kept my heart guarded from such errors.
The result has been remarkable and amazing. I often pinch myself with delight. My words, thoughts began to change. Most importantly, I became more patient and began to sit still and meditate. I love the new me and what I am becoming. It is an on going work but I LOVE IT. It is a spiritual labour and a process but we must all engage in to deal with those ‘falsehood’ experiences in our lives but like a butterfly emerging from the cocoon, you will love your true identity as God created you. The layers of dirt will be removed and it will come as a shock what lovely personality lies within.
We must never accept that our wrong behaviour is our true nature. No! it is the weakness that came in to our lives when our guard was down.- when we lacked discernment and wisdom. Consider this, does anyone accept an intruder as a part of his household just because he is on his property? I do not think so. We all know how we seek for innovative ways to destroy cockroaches, rats and other insects in our homes because we recognise them for what they are - INTRUDERS.
That misbehaviour in your life and in others is an intruder. Don’t accept it. Repel that opposition with the Word by declaring your identity in Christ and acting on it. You are created good and are still good. Don’t label yourself by your wrong and bad habits. These are areas of weakness and should be dealt with. To do otherwise is to reinforce that behaviour.
Do all these sound simplistic? Never. There is a work in the spirit to cause your good nature to emerge. It is not a piece of cake but a process. It is warfare of faith with corresponding actions. It is an active rather than a passive life. It is what the scripture terms the ‘ labour to enter into the rest of God’ ( Hebrews 4.9,10-11). The rest being the experience of creation’s good.
Even in the face of challenges, do not speak of yourself or your circumstances in a defeating way. It clearly shows a lack of understanding regarding the substance of life within you to succeed. Don’t make the devil happy and yourself frustrated while the issue still remains unresolved. Distinguish between who you are and whatever you are dealing with (whether weakness or challenge). Just because a counterfeit looks like the genuine does not make it one. Creation and you are good and still good. Live from that insight.
Consider Abraham. God spoke to him about his true identity - a father of many nations. But for a time, he considered the facts of his circumstances and that limited his acceptance of the truth. This led to a wrong decision to conceive of an heir, Ishmael through Hagar his servant. At last he got it and changed his perception of the facts. Today, Abraham could not have imagined the magnitude of his legacy as our father of faith - truly a father of all nations. What an honour.
While dealing with various influences that may affect our lives, the goal is to grow in the experience of Christ within while getting rid of the ‘self’ life that is a reminder of our past carnal nature. A helpful way is to ensure that while acknowledging the good in you on a daily basis, there is a corresponding action to deal with the wrong thought patterns from where these actions emanate from.
These thoughts begin their journey like a seed in the ground in an upward manner to develop into the wrong choice of words and actions. They form strongholds that hinder the expression of creation’s good in you.
“….But I don’t use human plans and methods to win my battles. I use God’s mighty weapons not those made by men to knock down the devil’s strongholds. These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep man from finding him.” 2 Corinthians 10.3-5, Living Bible.
You must be ready to engage in the warfare of faith to deal with such strongholds of errors and ignorance and be set free. There is an exceeding abundance of help from Heaven on your side. The Godhead is present in your life. The Father ordained creation. Jesus Christ is the Word by which creation came into existence and the Holy Spirit is ever present and helpful to assist you to experience the Word - Creation’s good. Don’t live life without them.
The Word in Scripture and also in the guidance that the Holy Spirit will give you tells of your true self. A simple glimpse is that written in 1 Peter 2.9
“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people…”
God cannot describe you in this glowing terms and you choose by ignorance, error or unbelief to accept that you are less?. Step up to the truth today and begin to draw the conclusions of life from your Godly heritage.
A parting prayer for you
“.. I ask - ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory - to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, Oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him - endless energy, boundless strength! All these energy issues from Christ… Ephesians 1.16-20, The Message
CREATION IS STILL GOOD! YOU ARE STILL GOOD!
As Jesus asked Martha, so I ask
“Do you still believe this”. Oh! If only you will believe and see the Glory of God become your daily practical living experience.
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