Independence(A perverse notion) => We cannot sustain our own breath, we cannot suspend and reactivate it at will[Job 33:4, Isaiah 42:5]. That is sufficient proof, that we are not the gods of our own lives. We are not equipped to be independent[Jeremiah 10:23] and all such attempts are doomed to failure, like trying to drink hot tea from a mug made of ice. We find the origin of this madness in the beginning. The god of this world was the first to aspire to independence[Isaiah 14:12-16] and then turned to spread the disease to God's ultimate creation, Adam & Eve[Genesis 3:1-7]. The unfortunate twist in history is that they bought into his plan and fell from glory[Romans 3:23, 5:12-14].  Independence from God, left us empty of Him and exposed our deficiency[Genesis 3:7-19, Romans 7:18-24].

Fig leaf therapy => Finding themselves in a state, they were never created for, Adam & Eve reached for the fig leaves to cover their nakedness(revealed inadequacies)[Genesis 3:7].  Their inner nakedness was exposed as  they ran from God's presence, knowing that they had truly been deceived[Genesis 3:13]. The fig leave detached from source, was destined to die, dry up and flake out, rendering it useless as a covering[John 15:6]. God in His love, sacrificed an animal to cover their outer nakedness and declared His eternal solution to cover their inner nakedness[Genesis 3:15, 21, Revelations 13:8].

Reaching for the Fig leaf => Man has been reaching for fig leaves ever since, to cover up the inadequacies of self, independent from God. Created for unconditional love and acceptance, that only God can give. They seek it in significance, success, fame, wealth, relationships, sex, religion etc; none of which are up to the job[Ecclesiastes 2:3-11]. The endless quest for fig leaves, arise from the failure of any, to truly satisfy[Isaiah 55:1-3, Hebrew 10:1-5]. There is nothing else that can even come close to filling the void, all fig leaves disappear into oblivion when applied[Isaiah 55:8-9]. We try one fig leave after the other, in the false belief that the next one will be the one, and on and on the deception goes. We eat, yet the hunger remains. We endure the journey, only to discover that we are not where we want to be, so we take another turn, hoping this will take us there. Going round in circles, we fail to arrive at the destination that never was. A journey in futility, yet the sands of time tick away at our chance to find the true way that leads to His life[John 14:6].

The Fig leaf of Religion => A special mention for religion. Nothing more than "Self" cloaked in the respectability of godliness[Philippians 3:1-8], denying the power of the one it claims to represent[2 Timothy 3:1-7]. It abandons the full provision of God in the new covenant and seeks to lead people in the futile attempt to do in the flesh, what only God could do through the spirit[Romans 8:1-4]. It has an impulsive habit of focusing on the ability of the individual rather than the love, grace and power of God[Ephesians 2:4-9]. It seeks to either replace or at least complement the perfected and finished work of Christ[Colossians 2:10, Hebrew 7:19; 12:23]. Religion values you on the basis of your service, people therefore seek acceptance through performance and strategic networking[2 Corinthians 10:12-17]. The travesty for a Christian, is that we are walking straight past the banqueting table, laden with all we need[2 Peter 1:2-4, Ephesians 1:3] to try meeting our own needs. We favour our own futile efforts rather than enter into the rest that God has provided[Hebrew 4:1-10]. The rich dying poor.

Junk the fig leaves, reach for the real thing, Christ in you and through you, the only guarantee of fulfillment[Colossians 1:27].

Selah

Be first to comment this article

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4