Two Men part 4
Two men. Also known as two mindsets, if I can say it that way. Adam, of the earth, earthy. Tied to the earth realm, or the sense realm. Walking by sight, but stumbling around because in the beginning it was dark. The light of the world wasn't shining yet. The light that Jesus is. The light that we are. Jesus, the Lord from heaven. Bringing heaven to earth. And here's what I want to say today: "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). And what I want to focus on today is the word "set." Because, like I said, its a mindset. An attitude of gratitude. Or an attitude of lack. Living out of what you think you have according to what the world tells you you have, and working to try to get more (and, as always, I'm not against hard work. Paul said, "If you don't work, you don't eat. I'm talking about working WITH what you have instead of working FOR what you think you don't have). Or receiving the gift you've been given and sharing what you've got. Setting your affection, or your thoughts, on things above. The higher things. The high life. The abundant life that Jesus gave us when He gave His life for us, and to us. The days of heaven on earth. Ruling and reigning as kings and priests on the earth. Knowing who we are, and BEING who we are through that knowledge of Christ. Remember, you can't believe something you don't know. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God. You know it, then you believe it. And that's important because what you do flows from what you believe. I think we have a lot of insticts, but I think one of the most powerful truths about humans is that we do what we learn. So much of our lives comes from learned behavior. "Why did you do that?" Because that's what I was taught. Or because that's what I saw someone else do. Monkey see, monkey do, right? Which, of course, is why that light we were talking about earlier is so important; what you see is what you be. When you see God clearly (as a loving heavenly Father), you be His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. And, since we're kind of comparing and contrasting those two men, I want to point out that Luke 3:38 identifies Adam as the son of God. The difference between Adam and Jesus (both sons of God) is that Jesus KNEW He was God's only begotten Son. Jesus KNEW the love of His Father. While, even though Adam was absolutely loved by God, Adam didn't know it. He tried to eat a piece of fruit in order to be like God. He was made in God's image, but didn't know what God looked like. Didn't know what he HIMSELF looked like. So he tried to be someone else. When all God has ever wanted for us is for us to be our very best self. Not to try to live Jesus' life (nobody can do that except Jesus), but to EXPERIENCE Jesus' life as HE lives it HIMSELF in us, and through us, and as us. And we do that by LETTING Him live His own life. By setting our affection on the thing (singular, love) that really matters. By letting go of all that "stuff" that holds us back and holds us down, and letting the love of the Father come out of us as we fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've been filled with!