jo1952 wrote:Hi Sheryl!
Thus words we find in scripture such as "purging" and "healing". This also suggests that "sin" is not always the out-and-out disobedience to specific commandments which many think it is; but also just not being in complete alignment with God's will. As you have suggested, it is "missing the mark" which prevents our ability to be in alignment. I am beginning to see this in ways and layers I never saw it before.
Hi Jo!
Indeed! And actually it is rather simple.
When man was or is ruled by his bestial nature - always seeking for self alone - he needs a law to tell him what to do and what not to do, so that creation can endure and even move forward. And so this is how God reveals himself, or how the bestial humanity perceives God as he reveals himself - just as the pagans perceived the lesser gods: like a strict daddy that we must work to please. This is only the bestial nature's perception of God, this is not how God is, but according to the bestial nature we need God to forgive us for all the things we do that he does not like. And what he does not like is sin, or error, or just plain being and doing wrong.
With the coming of the Messiah it marked the time that humanity was ready to begin falling willingly under the embrace of love, now no longer needing a law to tell them what is good and what is not good, but having the law written on their hearts, a higher nature that loves guiding them now, no longer guided by their bestial nature. And this higher nature can perceive and know God a bit more clearly, seeing that God is all giving, all loving, the problem with missing the mark is purely on our side.
A very beautiful and simple way of putting things is that on the first day of creation, there was light, but then God divided the light into light and darkness. This Light of the first day can be called Pure Divine Desire. This division that occurred was a dividing of the Pure Desire to Give from the Pure Desire to Receive - necessary for creation to unfold. (This is the same division that occurred at another level, described as Eve being taken or divided from Adam.)
Darkness or the Desire to Receive was further separated from Light or the Desire to Give in the subsequent days, the Desire to Receive in being separated from Her Beloved Desire to Give began to seek what some call false light, moving away from the true Light. This once Pure Desire eventually becoming distorted in its delusion of separation into a desire for self alone. This distortion necessary though for creation to unfold. And so darkness, as it moves away from the light, becomes evil in following its nature, but now in a delusion of separation, and begins to seek for self, even self alone.
The outer darkness being where desire is most distorted, the desire to receive for self alone, even at the harm of others.
The Pure Desire for Giving goes after its beloved, seeking its beloved to be re-united, the Messiah (the Pure Desire to Give) seeking its Bride (the Pure Desire to Receive).
And so missing the mark or sin is desiring for self alone. Purification or healing is the purifying of our desires as we find the Truth, seeing how what we desire takes us away from our beloved, not back in union. In what is called a fallen state, our desires are scattered all over the place - we wanting this and that and this, all for self alone. Purification comes with the revealing in the Light of our Messiah, the true nature of all this stuff that we desire - temporary relationships and objects made of dust. Our scattered desire being integrated into One Desire - Loving (desiring) God with all our heart, mind, soul, and body.
And in New Jerusalem, we are told that there is no longer day and night, the Light of the first day of creation is reunited, Pure Desire to Give (the Bridegroom) and Pure Desire to Receive (the purified Bride) re-uniting as One Pure Desire.
My gosh, since EVERYTHING is a pattern, why wouldn't we each as individuals need to be crucified in order for our "self" to be COMPLETELY in alignment with Father's will? What a simple concept! Yet, what a hard road to traverse to get to the core of its simplicity. Whoa!! So even Prophets, use simpler words to describe the ultimate meaning of what they want to share. If a Prophet were to say that we all need to be crucified, instead of using the words they are inspired to use to help us get started, we would most likely never listen to what they were trying to share.
Yes! Crucifying our passions and desires (Galatians 5:24)is the purifying of our desires, through righteousness. Now what is curious about righteousness is that it means giving. Ha! So that God's righteousness is his Giving as the Perfect Giver. Now we can see how our giving or righteousness is not the same as that of the Perfect Giver, unless our desire to receive has been purified, for any giving that we would do otherwise would be tainted with a desire to receive for self alone.
When we have embodied Perfect Giving, or God's righteousness - giving for the benefit of all, then we will have purified our desire to receive, becoming the spotless Bride. Loving (desiring for) others as our self, no longer desiring for self alone.
Can you now see what the greatest commandments are actually telling us?!??!
Perhaps you can also see how Christ purified his desires on the cross, as he gave up his very life as the Perfect Giver. We do not have to die on the cross, because Jesus opened the Way of Grace, for our own purification without the suffering that he endured. Although at times it feels like hanging on a cross would be a lot easier! ;)
Well, I didn't get that until just now.....and how many times have I read it? I can't even count the number......sigh....but I got it NOW!!!! And, may I say, WOW???!!!!! I mean I knew that we all have the light of Christ within us; I knew He was the Creator; etc., but I hadn't seen this aspect where this distinction should also be a part of my understanding.
Yes, scripture is quite clear. It is only that we are blinded to its clear meaning by cultural and religious collective ignorance.
Oh my gosh, Sheryl!!!!!! And here my own understanding has just experienced a major unfolding while I am reading your gifted ability to use words.
This is so interesting; and I agree. I think there is a misunderstanding about ancient mankind. Many people think they were not very intelligent. However, I think they may have actually been more intelligent if for no other reason than they did not have the benefit of the cumulative and naturally advancing knowledge being passed down to them from generation to generation that we have today. Yet they survived just fine. Ignorance should never be confused with intelligence.
There were some very intelligent and holy beings born among humanity in ancient times, but humanity was still quite bestial until about 2000 years ago, when we could begin no longer killing one another like beasts. I would say that bestial humanity was not able to connect with the greater inner intelligence that existed within them, as it does in us.
So far, during the history of mankind, I cannot see where more than just a few at a time would be able to understand this. If it HAS been made manifest in large numbers, their records do not appear to be available to the general public. This seems appropriate, though, as testified by mankind's history. For Biblical evidence of this, I would point to how the Apostles wrote letters to various groups of church members and explain to them that they were not yet ready for more.
Jesus said only a few would be able to find the truth and enter in. A few. I don't think he was lying! Indeed. And the letters were clear, that there was and is so much more than the simple gospel being taught at most churches. A gospel that is not good news at all!
Yes, and quite telling and also beautiful at the same time.
Shalom, my friend.
jo
Shalom dear friend!
Sheryl