There Is No In Between II
To understand the brightness of God's light, I think it is also important to understand how utterly dark is the darkness of the fall.
When Adam and Eve walked and talked with God it was complete light, with no darkness at all. None. Then when the fall happened, it was indeed a long fall. It wasn't a partial fall, where it only affected the behaviors of some, and then to others they were able to avoid much of it's influence. No. It was a complete fall, where there became a wall separating us from God...and where there is no God, there is pitch black darkness. Then when Christ died, the curtain of separation was rent in two...so that all people would have access to salvation. All people.
Matthew 27:51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
Many people say that they could NEVER, ever be a homosexual for instance...or as far as the most extreme behaviors a murderer, or NO WAY a Hitler! BUT, with the same circumstances as what befell them, you and I could have very well become just like them or any other person...or they just like us for that matter!
We live in a world that is trying very hard to make it's way in utter darkness. A condition that has permeated everything, the entire creation down to the cellular level. However, we are so used to living in it that we don't pay much attention to what had actually happened to us when Adam and Eve made that fatal choice. We treat others as though they could do better...but the fact is, that without Christ we only have the carnal nature, and many of us a seared conscience, to guide us, and so all we can hope for is that the world just do the best they can with what they have.
Romans 8:18For I consider that
the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that
will be revealed to us. 19For the creation is
eagerly awaiting the revelation of God’s children, 20because the creation
has become subject to futility, though not by anything it did. The one who
subjected it did so in the certainty 21that the creation
itself would also be set free from corrupting bondage in order to share the
glorious freedom of God’s children. 22For we know that all
the rest of creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth up to the
present time. 23However, not only the
creation, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit also groan inwardly as
we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For
we were saved with this hope in mind.n Now a hope that can
be observed is not really hope, for who hopes for what can be seen? 25But
if we hope for what we do not yet observe, we eagerly wait for it with
patience.
But to most, the world around them just seems 'dim', and then when they do think of real 'darkness' it only pertains to the ones their Pastor preached about on Sunday....you know, 'those' homosexuals over there....now THEY are IN darkness! This attitude that the church (in general) has today is what is keeping many from coming to Christ...as Paul speaks about in 1 Cor. 9-11. They have created for many an obstacle to coming to Christ...as homosexuality has been chosen out of the long list of sins to point out and preach loudly against. Partiality stems from not understanding or accepting our own utter sinfulness, as well as our common vulnerability to the effects of the fall.
Take for instance Romans chapter 1. Spend a few minutes and read through Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. It starts out greeting the believers there and then in about the middle of the chapter it begins sounding as though God seems pretty angry about all the sin that's in this world! Yea, those sinners!! It keeps on going too from verse 18 all the way to 32!
But then He seems to do a switcheroo. While I am busy reading and thinking about all those sinners God is talking about, then He suddenly begins talking about me before I can say WOE!!
He immediately begins telling me in the next chapter without warning that while I am pointing my fingers at those sinners over there, that I am just as guilty as they are! They may be engaged in sexual sin, but God sees my gossip, hate, pride, heartlessness, causing fights and so on just as much...and so I had better get myself right because in verse 11 He says that He does not show favoritism!
Partiality/favoritism...or choosing this sin over all others...also stems from fear. A fear that keeps me from wanting to discuss it...because if there are gender issues that do have some genetic origin, then that would shake my core beliefs to the ground! What would I do then?? How would I handle this new information??
If I show disrespect for a ruling authority that I believe is making wrong decisions, then wouldn't I be doing right? Or are my actions to be ruled and regulated by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5: 22-23) in any given circumstance? There is no in between.
To deal with partiality and fear one has to come to realize that nothing gets past God. This is something I've learned the hard way. I've also learned that God's written word has an answer to everything. This is why I've learned not to jump to conclusions or be afraid of discussing any topic, because I know that God has the answers...even if I am not aware of them yet.
Ok, but don't I have authority to judge sin? In the following- Jude is writing to a church that is being led by their carnal nature...by whim and human instinct! They have allowed some people to worm their way in who are saying they have been given the right (through their dreams) to scoff at authority as well as mock and talk about things they know nothing about!
Then Jude makes a comparison to remind them about what authority and rights are really for...as they are not for using to one's own advantage or just according to how one feels. I may have the right to do this or that, but it does not mean I use this advantage.
He reminds them about the angels that fell from heaven that are now chained in darkness because of their behavior, thinking they could take advantage of their authority. And even tho the Archangel Micheal himself had authority over Satan, he was still very careful not to take advantage even to the point of not directly rebuking the devil himself when he fought him.
Jude 1:8-11
"8In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. 9But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.)
10But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts (carnal nature) tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. 11What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion."
I can not find anywhere in scripture where it says it is OK at times to step into the parameters of the carnal nature (Gal. 5:16-26) and operate from there. Even if I thought I had the right or authority to do so, God is still telling me I am not to use my authority to please my carnal nature...to slander, or scoff, or mock, or desire to cause harm to someone...to anyone!
The following are two URLs that explicitly show many of the extreme conditions that the fall has created. The 1st URL is important to understand so that when this subject comes up we WILL know at least a little bit about it...as well as understand that many of these people are judged as sinners, when it was the fall and medical science that made a mess of their lives. These people (well, actually all people - John 3:16) need compassion so they come to Christ to be saved and healed.
The 2nd URL shows what the fall is capable of doing...of course there are images that were mixed in that are not real, but most of them are...please open this URL with caution. I volunteered at a hospital with my HS youth group that housed and cared for extremely deformed children, and so I can tell you that a majority of these images are real.
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