Tuesday, June 21, 2016

The beginning of redemption



I have a desire to write a book that will help believers, especially new believers, to possess fundamental understandings of the foundation which they have in Messiah.  When the need for such a project began to percolate in my soul the question of where to begin became primary.

 It seemed an obvious answer at first that I should begin at repentance from dead works and faith toward YHWH. This is the place of the divine spark when men are born again from above and where men become disciples of Messiah. However as I prayed and sought what YHWH would have me say it became obvious that it was needful to go back further.

After all when the scripture speaks of our salvation it states that Messiah was slain before the foundation of the world. This understanding of where we came from to understand where we are going is not without its difficulties. For one many a great mind has tried unsuccessfully to give a definitive explanation of man’s inception and though I love to think and study my mind is an amateur by comparison. A second hindrance is the combination of perception of me and my reader as to what is true about will, fate, and sovereignty on an all-inclusive scale.

These considerations, though they are unarguable, have been trumped. To the first YHWH has responded that it is to be no longer I who am working but Messiah in me so my life is not my own but His shared in me. To the second it has always been those with ears to hear who have heard, and it is YHWH who is the teacher not the mouth speaking. So I will begin…

YHWH uses the name ELOHIM when He speaks of being the creator. A lot of speculation has been had over the nature of this name being plural; think of Him saying we instead of I. John in His commentary beginning his gospel says “In the beginning was the word and the word was with YHWH and the word was YHWH” this statement is meant to give additional understanding to the statement of Moses which it echoes “In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.”

Understanding Elohim is not as complex as theologians, historians, and YouTube would make it out to be. It is not a word left from a time before monotheism; to quote Moses “YHWH is our Elohim, YHWH is one”. Often in scripture we see parables used to convey understandings so let’s use ourselves to understand since we are made in His image.

 You are a three part being body, soul, and spirit.

•Body-that part of you consisting of matter by which you affect the physical and are affected

•Soul-that part of you we call consciousness (mind & heart) thought, will, and emotions

•spirit-that part of you called life: vitality, energy, force, presence

You however are one being.

At this point I would understand if the mind begins to drift to the various beliefs on the nature of the Godhead but I would ask that such thoughts be suspended for the time being. Our goal is to understand only at this time how redemption begins before “in the beginning”.  In the witness of the apostles we see YHWH revealed as the Father (generator), the Son (the physical body of the living word), and the Spirit (the Fathers life within the Messiah before death and bringing forth the resurrection).  When we take this understanding back to before anything existed other than YHWH we arrive at Elohim.

Let us return to the example of ourselves. If we determine to make a new work; then we will first in our mind determine its design, purpose, and limitations. With said work completed in our mind we use our energy to use our body to bring the work into physical existence. This example of course is flawed because I am finite causing me to not foresee problems, have limited energy, and limited skill.

So at the start of creation before anything except YHWH exist   

•The Father conceives His work of creation within Himself

•The Spirit (breath) begins to move so as to energize the word

•The Son (living word) forms substance as it is given substance

*It should be said that the breath and the word are not created for they have always been the Father; they are simply revealed.

Since the lamb was slain before the foundations of the earth we know that YHWH made salvation before there was transgression; not only this but He knew all who. The question has been posed many times “why did YHWH make Adam in such a way that He could fail?”

I do not pretend to have a complete answer but perhaps a starting point of consideration.

Everything that Elohim spoke into existence was a reflection of Him in some way; after all everything that He spoke had its source in Him and from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Adam was not spoken into existence but was formed of the creation and YHWH breathed into Him and he became a living soul. This means Adam was the first physical creature to be one with the Father.

If we can extract from our thinking the fable of Adam and Eve being childlike, naive, and unwitting then it becomes possible to understand that their temptation was much different than we have assumed. It has long been propagated that Adams temptation was akin to a child being deceived by the promise of candy only to find their selves taken captive by an evil taskmaster. The temptation of Messiah as a mature, capable, and adult participant is the true way to consider Adam.

Yeshua was not without the ability to choose to do things His own way; however He instead chose to trust, depend, and expect the Father to live and work through Him. YHWH choses to be who He is and as such those in His image also can chose to be who YHWH is or choose to seek after a self who is separate from the life of Him.

•temptation of body

 Adam & Eve in a lush garden saw a fruit that was edible and chose it over YHWH’s provision

Yeshua in a barren wilderness and a starvation state chose to trust in YHWH to provide for life

•temptation of the soul

Adam and Eve found the fruit appealing and chose it over what they had been taught.

Yeshua when tempted to obtain recognition of himself as Messiah chose to depend on YHWH

•temptation of the spirit

Adam and Eve chose to define and generate for themselves good and evil over knowing YHWH as their maker.

Yeshua tempted to obtain the whole earth which He came to redeem by his own actions; He chose to expect YHWH to do the work through Him.

Men tend to see that everything was perfect and man ruined it and that now YHWH is doing damage control. With this perspective they see the time of man as rocketing toward an end. Perhaps YHWH provided grace before transgression so that which He had formed and breathed into would have a certain eternity.

This redemption is given to those who repent of Adam’s self-reliance and place faith in YHWH’s salvation. Next we discuss the mistake of "original sin".

 

 

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