Page One - The Way to the Good Life

I'm sure I'm not alone in this but it seems as if there are times I'm put into the classroom in learning mode, perhaps even training mode, while not being granted permission to speak. This seems to be one of those times. I definitely have not hated it. There is an almost insatiable drive to read and listen, while sitting back at times to let the ideas roll around in my head in order to seek a greater understanding of the things I'm being taught. While I enjoy writing, I'm learning to respect the time in His classroom. I'm starting to appreciate sitting quietly as a student and receiving. I'm also finding out it's easier to choose education than feeling there is no choice at all. 

 A part of my education has been looking again (and afresh) at the beginning of history as recorded in the Hebrew bible; our role in the creation narrative in particular. When reviewing the sequence of events in the first page of the account, we see God separating and filling. He creates environments in the sky and on the land for specific beings to inhabit and flourish, and then plants them in those spaces. Then came the mandate to further fill those spaces through fruitful multiplication, tending and cultivating, ruling and subduing all of it. Don't let our humanity tainted view laced with political power, violence, and chaos dominate your view of the latter or you'll find yourself on an awful path.  God's rule is more like Matthew chapters 5-7, a very good section to read and upon which to think on.

 He's essentially invited humanity to partner with Him to join him in reigning over his good (and very good) creation, and to continue what he started with the raw materials he provided on page one. What an amazing calling. What a huge responsibility. All we have to do is trust him, and look to him for what it means for humans to flourish. In other words, allow the creator to define what it means to live the good life. 

 However, we failed in a big way. The one and only test (the choice of two trees) proctored to the first couple was a major failure on the part of the new humans. Would they continue to look to God to define good and bad as well as allowing him to define what it takes for HIS creation to flourish, or would they take matters into their own hands and define those things on their own terms? His warning concerning their choice was specific. If they chose against him, they'd get what they wanted, life on their own, but outside of His presence...plus death, the awful consequence of which he warned them. Banishment from the environment in which they could flourish including the tree of life (presumably everlasting life) was swift. Yeah, we (humans) were tricked and deceived, but it was still our choice to make. The spiral toward chaos and de-creation was all but inevitable. 

Thankfully it didn't end there. God quickly resolved to remedy the plight of humanity by promising and providing the model human to absorb the guilt and punishment for all of humanity who continued to habitually choose the wrong tree. At that point, God was taking away the biggest barrier to human flourishing, namely our rebellious human nature. 

 Jesus came as that fulfillment and promised a kingdom which would restore God's intention found in the first page of the bible, a kingdom in which we could partner with Him to rule HIS way. He absorbed our wrong choices, our sin, taking them on himself and allowing humanity to put him to death, but then conquering death (the warning on page two) by bodily raising from death. By turning from the dogged determination to live life on our own terms, ruling and subduing in a way which leads to chaos, violence, abuse, hurt, pain, and de-creation, and turning to Him and trusting Him to define those things for us again, He promised the ability to do so. The promise was a heart change...a death and a new birth had/has to take place. 

The offered new birth involved/involves His making a home with us by His Spirit, His presence, to lead, guide, teach, console, encourage, and slowly transform us to be like the ideal human that he created us to be in the beginning. It's a way to partner with us once again, rather our partnering with Him. He also promised a time (see the last pages of the bible) that Jesus would return and deal with sin once and for all because the kingdom of God will not have spread to encompass everyone and everything. The choice to determine human flourishing/the good life on our own apart from the creator remains, and many (perhaps even you) still make that choice. 

The same consequence still exists. He'll always give us what we want. He'll also give the same to the deceiver, the satan. If we want to live without Him and continually usher in an environment of chaos, violence, degradation, division, hatred, etc., not at all a life that sane people would define as flourishing or the good life, by all means He'll let us. It's sad but true. The day of judgment spoken of in the Revelation is not a matter of Him rejecting humanity, it's a matter of humanity rejecting Him. For those who turn to God in trust, accepting His amazing offer of forgiveness by his loving grace, He promises a new heavens and new earth, free from the awful and horrible effects of sin and those who are determined to continually live in it. He provides once more a separating (see page on of the bible once more) and providing an environment where he partners with humanity to provide a place for human flourishing and the good life without sin being a part of it. 

 What am I to do in the meantime? Yes, I should continue to tell people about God's amazing promise of forgiveness through Jesus' death on the cross and subsequent burial and resurrection (showing that death was defeated and we too have the promise of resurrection) and invite them to life in His kingdom which can start NOW, not when he comes back the second time. 

We can experience little bits of Eden as we turn to Him and accept forgiveness. It's not going to be perfect because sin hasn't been fully conquered, but at least we can get tastes of it. It seems our job as a part of the kingdom is to partner with the one who created and forgives us to create mini Edens, environments in which humans can flourish. 

We can also partner with Him to remove the barriers to the good life. What that means is stuff for a future post but it's certainly not too early to begin to meditate on what that means for you. What does it mean for you to flourish? What is required and necessary for you to flourish? How would you define the good life for yourself? What components are necessary for you to experience the good life? How does it line up with the way the Creator would define these? What is hindering or killing your flourishing, what's keeping you from the good life? We can partner with God to remove those barriers. What about for your marriage and family? What about your extended family? Next, consider your friendships, your neighborhood, your workplace, your town/city and beyond. 'Beyond' may seem out of reach, and it may be for now. But your life and family are right there, right within your scope of influence! Start there! 

 I believe the inauguration of the kingdom by Jesus was the removal of the largest barrier to our flourishing which was sin and it's consequences. Then the ability to choose rightly and create environments for flourishing and continue to remove the barriers to the good life. That seems to be what image bearing is all about in the here and now. It seems to be more than 'getting saved and dealing with this crappy world until we get to go to heaven' (the idea of 'going to heaven' will probably be another post down the road). I believe God intends us to begin to life at least a better life right now, even in the midst of some incredible pain and suffering from time to time as well as some greater flourishing in the midst of a currently imperfect world as we wait for the perfect existence to come. FG