Establishing familiarity….
In order to discuss what is unfamiliar, we must first define what is familiar. We look at the world and see pain, suffering, hunger, poverty, injustice, murder, war, and many other effects of the wickedness of mankind. Unfortunately, our world is full of various symtoms of the “brokenness” after the fall in the garden of Eden, and this has sadly become the world with which we are familiar. How exactly did we get to this point?
The story of creation is quite amazing for many reasons, but there are a few key ideas we would like to highlight and expand upon. First of all, God’s creation is good. This fact is stated clearly after each creation day in the book of Genesis. Secondly, we think it’s apparent that God created mankind to partner with in relationship and to keep His creation. In Gensis 1:26-28 we read that God created mankind in His image and gave us dominion over His creation. He commanded man to be fruitful and multiply, filling His creation with His image. Later on, in Chapter 2, we read that “…the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.” Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden, cultivating and keeping His creation, and they were “naked and not ashamed.
” Mankind was in union with God and all of creation was in perfect harmony. During this time death, shame, anxiety, and pain were unfamiliar.
Sadly we know that this harmony would not remain. Adam and Eve were tempted to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – an action which the Lord God had explained would lead to death. Despite the clear warnings from the Lord, the prospect of being like God proved to be to enticing. They ate of the fruit, and willingly entered into a union with death. As a result, the Lord killed the first animal and made coverings for Adam and Eve out of skins to cover their shame. God promised that the land would be cursed, and makind would experience pain. Shortly after the expulsion from the garden of Eden, Cain killed Abel and the rest of the depravity of mankind is history. Thousands of years later makind is still elevating themselves to the position of “god” in their own eyes. Wars are raging, people are starving, the Earth is at odds with itself, and all of the effects of the curse are our normal. This is the world, a domain of darkness, with which we are familiar, and a right standing with our Creator seems so unfamiliar. But there is infinitely great news for all, and hope is not lost!
Our Hope…
Through Jesus Christ alone the unfamiliar may become familiar once again, and the kingdom of darkness is no longer our home. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Col. 1:13-14
In our walk with the Lord, Jesus Christ, He has given us an increasing desire to become familiar with the unfamiliar. We have had a passion to know who He is and what He is doing in the world, how He’s restoring and reconciling all things to Himself. We would be horribly remiss in claiming to possess all knowledge or wisdom from Him, and we pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide me into all truth. The words written by Paul in his letter to the Colossians says it well: “I have become [the church’s] servant, according to God’s administration that was given to me for you, to make God’s message fully known, the mystery hidden for all ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Col. 1:25-27. As we embark on this blog, exploring what is unfamiliar to us, this framing is imperative: God’s mystery is revealed to us through His Son, which is that Christ dwells in us!
Grace and Peace,
Aquila and Priscilla
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