To say that in Christ we are set to face certain seemingly (or at least once seemingly) contradictions, paradoxes, and to the extreme…most impossible of situation and circumstance would be the essence of understatement itself. Yes, not merely set to, but even called and chosen to face them, and face them quite head on. The disciples were not being fey in their astonishment in response to the Lord’s instructions with:
“Who then can be saved?”
And we who are believing, perhaps even one like myself, are discovering how very sure and right is the Lord’s response to that:
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Yet it is not our surety or coming to it that supports anything, and certainly not the word of the Lord. It is always found to be quite the other way round in all, it is only the surety of the Lord’s word that supports us. We are simply those called to discover how very sure that is. Yet this coming to understanding is fraught with all manner of traps and snares, for there remains to our dealing a one who will abet, and even make seem reasonable our old ways of reasoning(s) to catch us in remaining presumption.
An adversary who, though he is completely darkened in his understanding of any “why” (yet in all presumptuous of knowing) is made terrified, and reacts furiously both to the light made to be in us, and any progress of liberty. I do not know if there is, or he is the least free (and most completely bound) of all of God’s creation or if such gradation exists, but I am convinced what bondage of being he experiences (and I am persuaded he does experience) he shares, and is driven to, with man.
By example such sharing is as a man who sneezes and shares his virus with all about, infecting. No, not “sharing” in any sense of kindly doling out of beneficence. His being, such as it is, gives “off” his nature. Really, just as everything in creation must and is purposed to. By expression. From atoms to nebulae, all pulses in its being to its assigned expression. And we now, and no less, are so assigned also. Where once we all and only “gave off” proof of our viral infection, we either have been, or are to be, changed. Even from death to life.
And yes, such is impossible with man.
My analogy/example may be poor to the extreme, even proving the depths of necessity to better understanding, but I cannot help myself. Desire of itself is never enough to even understand, for it of itself, accomplishes nothing. All that ultimately matters is who gives it. And we must be told. Be receivers of even what to desire. We are in all and every way, dependent.
Practice and practices, even those seemingly outward matters that may be observed of ourselves and/or by others mean nothing in the land of mimicry, for only what is true in heaven receives true endorsement…even here in the earth. Even in “our” earth, our tent, our very temporary housing. A man may self endorse (of which we are, or once were, very highly skilled) but only what comes down, even has come down to us of Christ, is eternal. For:
A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above.
And to whatever extent there yet remains any irksomeness or bristling at being no more than a created thing, or any pride owing to some standing of an excellency claimed to ourselves in any natural estate of betterness, or superiority: may we remember the Lord’s word to such. To such who are subject to boasting inwardly (yet seen of the Lord) of “who they are”.
And John the Baptist was not too timid to say:
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
And God sees when we admire ourselves. And no less what despite is being heaped to His Christ in so doing. Or does one not believe…God sees? Is blind? Stupid? Dumb?
Idols are.
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, is not.
O! But yes! We have entered to face the impossible for man! The best man “can do” is hide when hearing the voice of the Lord, bequeathed us in and through Adam, to everyone of his sons and daughters. That is all and only occupation of man, and can be, even must be; unless or until He who “bared His soul to death” comes to us and is made plain to us.
He sought no hiding though He entered the garden in much trembling and soul sickness. And yes, He even allows us to see all His weakness there (made so for us in His being found in fashion like a man…dare any despise it?) by a man’s expression of preference.
O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
May you be assured, if not yet. And no matter how very much a man may be conformed to the Lord, desire it to be so, or even think himself so to any measure, or hold to himself some like experience that God may give (now that’s true sharing!) to assure a right and true identity and identifying…no “other man” is that man, and none progressing will ever confuse themselves with being that man.
Paul, one of “your” (and my) apostles if once you were of the gentiles, with all his revelation(s), all his progress from being a law dog to his understanding of son-ship granted by grace, all his sufferings, resistances, tribulations, witnessing of the miraculous, diligence in labors and work on behalf of the church, sacrifices, and stripes, remained utterly unconfused, no matter his progress. No matter his granted seeing to right identity and identification.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Yet not I.
How very much hangs and was hung there.
And no man who sees that (even He who hung there) can be made to feel sorry by, nor for, those who do not. Even if he may, he does not have to, for he is under no law.
It is enough he remind them of their need of sight.
It is enough to just speak to the dead in religion and tell them to wake up.
And if, or when, they do…they will most likely wake up swinging.
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