Consciousness part 3
What you are conscious of is what you are aware of. What you are focused on. What you are... awake to. In the garden of Eden Adam (humanity) fell asleep. Our natural eyes were opened when we ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but our Spiritual eyes closed. We couldn't see things clearly. We couldn't see GOD clearly. And if you can't see God clearly then you can't see yourself clearly, because you are dead and your life is hid with God in Christ. The day Adam ate of the tree of death... he died. Then, at the appointed time, Jesus came to wake Lazarus (again, humanity) from sleep. To bring us--who were dead in our trespasses and sins--to life. And not just any life, but HIS life; abundant, eternal, everlasting, Resurrection Life. And look at 1 john 3:14, which spells out the difference between death and life: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." To be dead--spiritually speaking--is to be without love. And I say "without love" because the only way you can NOT love your brother is if you don't know (and believe) that YOU are loved. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you DO have. That's why Paul spoke to their shame when he told the Corinthian church to awake to righteousness and sin not. He said, "...for some have not the knowledge of God..." (1 Corinthians 15:34). He said, "Guys, WE know this. And since we know it... we need to throw it. Since we have it... we need to share it!" That's what Christ-consciouness is all about. It's about knowing and beleiving that we are loved. Seeing God--seeing LOVE--everywhere we look because we are looking with the eyes of grace. Seeing clearly because the light is shining in us, and shining OUT of us. Shining THROUGH us! If I'm awake to righteousness that means I understand that Jesus became sin (and took away my sin) so that I might be the righteousness of God in Him. If I'm awake to righteousness that means I'm awake to--or conscious of--who I really am. Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in MY flesh. Love in MY body. And if I'm aware of love IN my body, that means it can (and will, and does) flow OUT of my body like a river of living water. And watch this: When the light shines the darkness flees. So I don't even have to be conscious of the darkness. I don't need a sin consciousness. I don't need to focus on the "bad stuff," even to fight it. Why should I keep fighting when Jesus already won the war to end all wars? The ONLY fight we need to take part in is the good fight of faith. Laying hold of eternal life. Believing the truth and letting the truth set us free and make us free. Being conscious of the cross and what it means that it is finished! (And what it means that it is finished is that I am conscious of just how loved I am. And because I'm loved... I can love. I AM LOVE!)