Mankind's Punishment For Disobedience
Adam & Eve's disobedience resulted in 8 serious punishments, all of which serve as a stark reminder of the fall from grace:
God impacted all aspects of life as a reminder of our separation but gave us everything we needed to be reconciled with Him.
Sin Separates Us From God
God hates sin, it separates us from Him and causes us to be hidden from His presence (Genesis 4:14).
It also causes God to hide His face from us so that He will not hear or see (Isaiah 59:2).
All wrongdoing is sin (1 John 5:17), everyone who sins breaks the law (1 John 3:4) and if anyone knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them (James 4:17).
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment (Hebrews 10:26-27).
We must understand the true nature and gravity of sin, so we can understand how to be saved from it as all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away (Isaiah 64:6).
Why God Created Us
God created us in His image and likeness, so that we may rule over His creation (Genesis 1:26-27).
Most people gloss over the image and likeness part and focus on the ruling, but it's critical that we understand the whole of God's intention which is that we were created to reflect His character, attributes and nature and to take dominion from that place.
He then instructed Adam and Eve to be fruitful and increase in number (Genesis 1:28) and to fill the earth and subdue it, making us parents, family and stewards and creating an interdependence.
We are to live for Jesus who died for us and was raised again, as opposed to living for ourselves, so we can be reconciled to God and be Christ's ambassadors, as though God was making His appeal through us to reconcile others (2 Corinthians 5:15-20).
We were also created to fulfil a unique calling and purpose, as God’s handiwork, created to do good works, which God prepared in advance (Ephesians 2:10), plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
Embracing Our Purpose
Understanding these basic truths enables and empowers us to live with clarity, purpose, intention and meaning as we align ourselves with God's will and draw strength from a deep well.
We are equipped with everything we need, we each have our own gift from God (1 Corinthians 7:7) and we are called to a life of service, to bring light to a world in need of God's redeeming love.
We are not to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2).
We were called to be free, but we must not use our freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, to serve one another humbly in love (Galatians 5:13), transitioning from acts of the flesh to life in the Spirit, the Spirit being the Holy Spirit of God.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
We Are Spirit, Soul & Body
We are a tripartite, consisting of three parts, spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Our spirit is the breath of the Almighty, it gives us understanding (Job 32:8) and it returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
Our soul is our inmost being (Psalm 103:1) and it finds rest in God, for our hope comes from him (Psalm 62:5).
The body is our earthly tent (2 Corinthians 5:1) and our heart and flesh cry out for God (Psalm 84:2).
We can receive the spirit of the world or the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us (1 Corinthians 2:12).
The Purpose of Male & Female Union
The bringing together and blessing of a man and a woman was that we be fruitful and increase in number, through procreation, to fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28).
It is not possible for any of the members of the LGBTQI+ community to be fruitful and multiply, at least, not in the natural sense, and natural procreation is imperative for fruitful multiplication, without which, we will cease to exist.
When a man is united to his wife, they become one flesh (Genesis 2:24), and a merging of opposite yet complementary genders takes place in order to create unity.
The original person disappears and both transcend their original individuality in the creation of a third.
Men and women are complementary in their roles, what is God ordained and sacrosanct cannot be changed to suit our whims, God's design is perfect and our existence has a deeper purpose, which is to merge with God.
Marriage Is Not Necessary
It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman, but since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband (1 Corinthians 7:1-2), this is a concession (1 Corinthians 7:6).
It is good to stay unmarried, but if we cannot control ourselves, we should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion (1 Corinthians 7:8-9).
An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs, how he can please the Lord, but a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife, and his interests are divided.
An unmarried woman is concerned about the Lord’s affairs, her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit, but a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, how she can please her husband.
Paul tells us this for our own good, not to restrict us, but that we may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).
The Spiritual Realm
The spiritual realm is a difficult subject to get one's head around as it's both scary and marvellous, but it definitely merits exploration and consideration.
If you look at the world and everything in it, it's obvious that there is a Creator, as something cannot come from nothing, it has to come from something.
For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
Both God and the devil operate both independently and through people, and by their fruits, we shall recognise them (Matthew 7:16).
We can see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not (Malachi 3:18), we must discern for ourselves what is right and learn what is good (Job 34:4).
The Struggle Is Real
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).
The journey is one of surrender and not striving, abstinence (1 Peter 2:11) not embracing and correction not affirmation, so that we can turn away from sin and turn back to God.
Entry into the Kingdom of Heaven is exclusive not inclusive and conditional not unconditional and nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight, everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:13).
We must circumcise our heart, not be stiff-necked (Deuteronomy 10:16), clothe ourselves in humility and cleanse our minds from conceitedness and the belief in our own abilities and attainments.
We have to conform to God's standards, not Him to ours, Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes, but it is they who went away changed, not him.
The Devil Sows Confusion
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:31), there is nothing wrong with us and nothing is missing.
It is not possible to change our gender, nor is it necessary or wise, we must set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).
The bending, twisting and attempt to re-assign gender and affirm any sexuality other than the natural union that God intended is one of the devil's schemes to sow confusion.
The god (lower case g) of this age (satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; Jesus came that we may have life to the full (John 10:10).
Slaves To Sin or Righteousness
We have swallowed the lie that we are in control of our destiny, but the truth is, we are slaves of the one we obey - whether we are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness (Romans 6:16).
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Holy Spirit of God have their minds set on what the Holy Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5)
We must submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from us, if we come near to God, God will come near to us.
We must wash our hands, purify our hearts and become single-minded in our focus (James 4:7-8) and watch and pray so that we will not fall into temptation, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Mark 14:38).
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? (Matthew 16:26 & Mark 8:36-37).
The Truth About Gender & Sexuality - Part 3
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