COTR CG Leaders Week 4 Devotional

Hi Group Leaders!

I hope The Lord God is unsettling your hearts a bit with His Majesty, Holiness, Wonder, and Grace!

As I read, prayed and pondered Genesis 2-3, The Holy Spirit kept “nudging me” that I am skimming over something that might be very important….in fact, it “might” have been reason for both Adam and Eve’s first rebellion and it definitely “seems” to be Satan’s reason for rebellion- If you disagree with my reasoning, totally fine- I’m a wannabe seminarian….but, I invite you to think, read, and pray under the Spirit’s guidance…

Here’s the “nudge” (in part) that started me thinking…

What about God’s HOLINESS? GOD’S HOLINESS is the bedrock foundation of everything- It makes HIM who HE IS AND PUTS HIM TOTALLY IN A CLASS BY HIMSELF. And we humans have a very hard time with the concept that GOD is so much “OTHER” than man. Makes us feel a bit uneasy? Kind of like-well, one of us is SO MUCH MORE and WORTHY of ALL GLORY, PRAISE, HONOR, ADORATION and OBEDIENCE, and, so, why isn’t it me? 

Don’t we all struggle with not making life all about ourselves in one way or another?  Humans tend to have an inward, self-perspective.  (at least I tend to!) Trying to “define” GOD by looking at ourselves? It’s like trying to assess the scope of the stars and heavens by looking through the wrong end of the telescope-such a skewed viewpoint we end up seeing!

The foundational truth that GOD is “complete in HIS OTHER-NESS” and is GLORIOUS and WORTHY OF ALL ADORATION, doesn’t fit well into our “man” centered brains and hearts.  GOD, the TRIUNE GOD, was fine and ok without Man. GOD, being GOD had and STILL has every right to do and think as HE pleases, for HE IS GOD! So, truthfully, in our human story- it is humans who need to “realign” their hearts and minds to the CORRECT reference point if we are to know ourselves through knowing the GOD whose image we bear. 

THIS HOLY GOD is defined by an “OTHERNESS” that surpasses human understanding, knowledge, and imagination and defies understanding by molding beings of lesser magnitude and holiness into a HOLY image of himself!

Strong’s #6754 for the word “image” says: “The Hebrew word “Tselem” is literally a shadow which is the outline or representation of the original. AND ELOHIYM, the GREAT POWERFUL ONE, filled the man with a representation of HIMSELF.”

Humans, as originally created, reflected holiness because of IN WHO’s image we were made.

But, man and Satan- both could not “bear” being ONLY an image of Holiness. 

And that is the “seed” of sin and rebellion that’s tainted all humans’ (and Satan’s) existence.

We are introduced to the “serpent” in Genesis 3:1

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made…”

Why a “crafty” serpent? God would not make anything sinful, so how/why is Satan first

spoken of in God’s word as “crafty”?

The word “crafty” is translated in Hebrew as the word ‘arum- which can mean “prudent” as in Proverbs 12:16-

It’s the ability to deal subtly- which is not always a negative connotation- “wisdom” can also be correlated as being “prudent”-

So- this “subtle” serpent is about to do what with Adam and Eve? BE SUBTLE.

Satan was going to lie, entice, lure, and introduce “self” directed thoughts into the “innocent” 2 human “GOD BEARERS”, that had experienced ONLY perfection, peace, purpose, and relational oneness with GOD and each other… WHY ON EARTH would those 2 first humans who knew ONLY good even CONSIDER looking elsewhere for all that they’ve already tasted and found good?

Their temptation “hook” surfaced as they remembered the ONE command that GOD gave them that carried a choice that led either to life or death: Genesis 2:16-17

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, BUT of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”

God set ONE protective, cautionary boundary on Adam and Eve’s life and their freedom to enjoy HIM and the life HE was GIVING to them-

It was as if God said in that one command: My dear children, born in my image-TRUST ME. OBEY ME.  Allow ME TO BE GOD ON THE THRONE IN YOUR LIFE.  You are not MEANT or equipped to sit on MY THRONE.

There’s only room for ONE GOD, ONE LORD!  I am meant to be that GOD in your heart, for ONLY I AM GOD!

Dear ones, humble yourselves and bow and submit to MY HOLY AND LOVING authority and LORDSHIP?

And, unfortunately, our first parents listened to the crafty one; they “bit” into the SAME LIE and SIN that was SATAN’s destruction and fall from grace: PRIDE AND SELF RELIANCE.  Satan was not content in being a lofty “anointed” cherub who covers… (See Ezekiel 28:14)

God says of Satan in Ezekiel 28:17 “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.”

And further in Isaiah 14:12-14

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!...For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of GOD; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH.’”

Satan ceased to be content finding his identity, joy, and fulfillment in delighting and worshipping GOD, so he arrogantly looked elsewhere and sought to “esteem” himself more than GOD.

 Pride and love of “self”- what we today call “self-esteem” or “self-worth”, can either remain safely, securely and graciously rooted in GOD and HIS TRUTH and HIS SUPREMACY or we can foolishly seek to “esteem” ourselves “elsewhere”- you can see how that worked for our forefathers!

As death entered Adam and EVE as a living, potent reality- they DID DIE spiritually- the “light” of the supernatural image of God dimmed out.  They were still image bearers, but now, their image was horribly tainted with rebellious sin, their freedom turned into bondage, and they would have a constant adversary who would seek to destroy them. 

There IS NO WORSE, more horrific story of treachery, rebellion, and ungratefulness recorded.

How can man ever hope to return to what was once so perfect and complete? Such despair and shame and guilt- and the worse part was- Adam and Eve KNEW they were guilty. THEY HID.

This is a hard way to end our time together, but I will ask you to pray and think….

Is my/your “self-esteem” or “self-worth” rooted in knowing and loving and esteeming GOD above all else?

Or, do I look to “self” and its many manifestations to find my life and worship?

We live in a culture that HIGHLY esteems “self” esteem!! We tend to want to breed it in ourselves and our kids as a “good” thing-

Our opinions, perspectives, likes and dislikes, personality quirks, knowledge, and service, gifts and talents, jobs, house, money, poverty, image and social status all tend (to some degree) to “rival” our love and worship of GOD, if we are honest-

Who deserves our worship? How HOLY is your God?

Our Gospel sharing can often times become very “man” centered-

But, as we share the gospel with ourselves and others as we go on our way-

Reflect more, and more and more on THIS MIGHTY and HOLY LORD that is so worthy of our praise JUST BECAUSE HE IS!  In that frame of mind and heart, seeing our sin and guilt against such a worthy Holy God, with no means to redeem ourselves, then- the cross and blood of CHRIST intensify in meaning and value.

HIS FREEDOM given for our bondage. Our filthy rags traded for HIS ROBES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!

I want to close with a quote from a godly brother, now gone to be with JESUS-

R.C. Sproul-

“Two things that every human being absolutely must come to understand are the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. These topics are difficult for people to face. And they go together: if we understand who God is, and catch a glimpse of His majesty, purity, and holiness, then we are instantly aware of the extent of our own corruption. When that happens, WE FLY TO GRACE- because we recognize that there’s no way that we could ever stand before GOD apart from grace.” (The Holiness of God and the sinfulness of Man. April 27, 2018-www.ligonier.org)

Next week we will see how before man could even ponder how to “fly to grace”- God was already providing

Grace upon grace upon grace…. Keep reading and praying and pondering over Genesis 2-3…

Pray and humble yourselves before this mighty, holy loving LORD GOD!

Your sister in JESUS!

Mary Kaye