A few days ago I was contemplating Colossians 3:1,2 where Paul encourages the readers to set their minds and their hearts on “things above”. I was asking myself “which comes first? My mind is where I make my mental choices, but they only become really part of who I am when my heart echo’s that. So I decided to have a look at my great….great granny Eve in Genesis ch 3. At the process that she went through to end up causing the SPOT of trouble we still live with today. Come with me to the little conversation in Genesis ch 3. Vs 5 Satan says “God knows that when you eat from the tree your eyes will be opened and you will be like God. She looked, saw and desire to sin was awakened in her heart. It started with a mental attack, a challenge to look. Then through her eyes desire was aroused and her heart was moved. (Incidently she saw that she could obtain wisdom through eating, but that for another day)
I want to pass to something else which came to mind. A few days before I had been speaking to God about freedom. In Colossians 2 the readers are warned “not to let anyone take them captive by hollow philosophy”. Col 2:8. Later my conclusion was that God has set us free, Jesus has paid the price, it is up to us to appropriate that freedom. We need very much to use our minds to obtain wisdom and discernment, so that our hearts aren’t swept away by what is worldly and appears to be desirable.
So Sunday as I quietly sat with the Lord the word freedom came up again. I started by thinking again of Eve. Then it occurred to me that she had sought freedom. She had looked past the offer of God in Gen 2:16 “You are FREE to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from this one tree”. So she was so busy looking at the one thing she was not allowed to do that she missed the fact that in ALL other things she and Adam had been given full freedom. But her desire focused on that one prohibition and she wanted to be freed from that. In the process she not only ruined her life but every other person’s life since then.
So this is what I wrote in my journal: The Lord is saying true love sets free – like you hold a bird – you hold it gently to give it security but it is free to fly away at any time – if you hold too fast that is bondage. He is setting me free – rather reminding me that I have been set free – free from bondage to Satan, sin and the world, but – yes – even bondage to Him. My relationship with Him is not one of a slave in bondage but of a son. He sets me free, but invites me closer – “If you draw near to me I will draw near to you”. You have been set free, do not become enslaved again to rules and regulations Col 2:16. See your relationship as one of mutual joy, free to spend time with each other and an invitation to depend totally on Him as my Father.
Yesterday freedom was on my mind again “Jesus is setting me free so that I can come back to Him of my own free will to walk with Him – I choose intimacy “Lean in to me” He says” and I will give you that intimacy – the intimacy of a real son, even a brother”. I lean in to Him, aware that He is the source of all grace “grace upon grace” John 1:16, grace lavished upon me Ephes 1:7. My grace is sufficient for you, given without measure – as much as you need and desire at any time.
What a privilege to know my Creator, my Redeemer like this – yet there is so much mystery that I am still plumbing the depths of – how exciting. Dear reader this immense privilege which I am experiencing is not an exclusive. It is open and available to each one of us. The promise is just “draw near to me and I will draw near to you” and so let us all start really listening to Jesus.