I read something on a blog over the weekend that made me realize even more why we have such a hard time walking in righteousness.
Someone posed the question, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Why did God create man so weak and sinful?”
My answer to that is simple. He didn’t.
Gen 1:27-28 says:
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.
Then verse 31:
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
There is no evil, sin, or weakness in God. He created man in His image. It’s repeated in that verse, so I know it’s important that we get it. Everything God created was good. Until sin entered the Garden, man was walking in perfect righteousness with God the Father.
Satan was very convincing, offering Adam and Eve everything they thought they were missing out on. A couple bites of fruit later, man fell, and the law of sin and death began.
Too often, we relate our identity to our ability to sin.
We walk around defeated, believing we are just messed up people always on the verge of sinning.
One of the biggest phrases used is, “Well, I’m only human.”
So what? God says to live by the Spirit, not by our flesh. So being human isn’t an excuse.
Jesus paid a very high price on the Cross to reconcile us back to the Father. God has given us a chance to reclaim what is ours from the very beginning of time. Our true identity as sons and daughters of the King.
I believe it’s entirely possible to once again walk in righteousness with God the Father. Just as if man had never eaten the fruit. If it’s not possible, then what are we doing here? Jesus didn’t die just so we could get a ride to Heaven. He mapped out the Christian life for us by being born a human, and walking in complete love while on this Earth.
He made a way to reclaim our identity, our birthright.
Being a Christian isn’t about trying not to sin. It’s about total and complete transformation of life.
It’s about seeking righteousness above everything else.
Matthew 6:33 –
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Chris Martin Writes 
Excellent post, Chris. You’ve basically summed up the optimism of grace that we too often overlook in Scripture. You’re singing my tune.
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What I like is the illustration – we were made in His image, and He saw that it was good. Every one of us has something that resembles Him within our being. Like the thought of shifting from “trying not to sin” to seeking righteousness. Who wants to live trying not to do something?
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I recently read a book called RePresent Jesus Rethink Your Version of Christianity and BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST. It changed my life. The author talks about how we read The Word but don’t apply it to our everyday lives. You wear a cross on your body, but can you bear the cross? Simple ways, techniques and attitudes that we may be unaware of keep us from being Christ like. I believe we all can become Christ like in our everyday lives.
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Chris – I totally agree and think maybe it boils down to one thing we so easily deal with…IDENTITY CRISIS! Satan wants to steal our spiritual identity and his lies and temptation of who we truly are as children of God at times blinds us to the truth. We have to seek that voice of truth in all situations and find that our identity IN JESUS is greater than we can possibly imagine!
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I believe, when we choose to follow Him, He takes us on a journey. He knows where we’re at…and He knows where we need to go. One of the pivotal things He said in His Word, to me 🙂 , is that He would not only help me to do His will, He’d even help me to WANT to do His will.
I just can’t lose when I stay close…
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What a wonderful thought for kicking off the new year. Now this is a worthwhile resolution! I truly enjoy getting your inspirational posts!
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Reblogged this on TEA & TESTIMONY and commented:
This is by far the most misunderstood part of Christianity – the popular (albeit incorrect) belief that you have to be good to get into Heaven.
“Being a Christian isn’t about trying not to sin. It’s about total and complete transformation of life.
It’s about seeking righteousness above everything else.”
More awesome writings here – http://chrismartinwrites.com/
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Thanks for another great post! A total and complete transformation of life indeed: A New Creation! Happy and Fruitful New Year! 🙂
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Chris, I have also been pondering “the breath of God.” God created living creatures, but when He made man He breathed His own breath into Adam — and Adam became a living soul. God’s own breath in us! And, in a second creation, the very spirit of Christ (who modeled humanity in perfection) creates a new life in us so that we can follow Christ’s example. I wonder, do we see the breath of God, the Spirit of Christ in ourselves? Do we look for it in others?
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