Imagine a person making a foolish decision to swim where there is a dangerous whirlpool or tidewater. When that person nearly drowns unless rescued, who receives the admiration, the foolish swimmer or the risk-taking lifesaver? The same is true when a person or non-profit organization liberates an addict, abuser of any sort, or is on a deadly path of life.
Did Adam and Eve’s act of rebellion serve only a negative purpose? If so, why would God allow them to choose to disobey? The negative fruit of their sin saturates scripture, but so does God’s grace and mercy. Would His grace, mercy, justice, and righteousness be clear to us if He would not have given them the free will that allowed them to sin? Sin certainly is bad, but when we have godly repentance and seek His forgiving grace, the honor and glory go to God.
But what happens when the foolish swimmer or person on the destructive path refuses to acknowledge he or she needs to be rescued? Can that person be rescued?
A brief Bible lesson: Genesis 1:26 reads, Then God said, let us [plural] make human beings in our [plural] image, to be like ourselves [plural]. (NLT2) The Bible shows God comprises three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We also find, The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground [seen/body] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [unseen/spirit}, and the man became a living being [soul]. (Genesis 2:7, NIV) With those three components we can effectively communicate with two worlds at the same time. With free will, our soul can choose to make foolish choices that ultimately lead to our destruction, as it did for Adam and Eve. That does not need to be our destiny. God the Son, laid aside His deity, became a human so He could regenerate us and rescue us from our demise. Because of His sacrificial life, we can also choose to follow His intuitive whispers deep within our spirit. Following the unseen voice within will lead us to live the best life possible in this world and the unseen world, we enter when we die.
What is it that motivates a foolish swimmer to swim in unsafe water, or to live a destructive lifestyle? The same motivator drives both. The delusional, alluring fantasy that by doing things our way we will beat the system and experience greater pleasure or benefit this physical world offers us. “I got it! I can do it and enjoy a better life.” The visible attractions of this life trump the invisible principles. The peer pressure, the pleasures, fears, lusts, rush of adrenaline, logic, or approval of others distract us from getting better grades, being a better friend, or studying to find invisible but everlasting truth. Paul explained, The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature [natural mind], can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. (1 Corinthians 2:14, MSG) Unless you pay attention to the intuitive whisper deep within, following your visible delusion will cost you more than you will want to pay. You can’t afford to refuse God’s generous rescue offer for an abundant life.
What do you allow to motivate the daily choices you must make in your world? How much attention do you give to the spirit God breathed into your life that will guide you, not only into an abundant life here and now, but also prepares you for a more rewarding eternal life? Jesus said, And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? Luke 9:25 (NLT2)