Dear People Who Company with God,
Have you noticed that some of God’s favorite words in the Bible begin with the prefix “re”? In fact the first recorded public message by the Lord Jesus in the New Testament began with a “re” word – repent (Matt. 4:17). Here are some other “re” words: relationship, resurrection, refresh, revive, renew, restore, redeem, reconcile, recompense. As you can see the prefix “re” is one of the most important prefixes in the Bible. “Re” means “to do again” or “to go back to the original state”. As David said, “He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3), God has truly called us back to our original state.
The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Genesis 2:8
From the beginning God created man and woman for both a spiritual and natural relationship with Him. A natural relationship with Him through what He created in nature, and a spiritual relationship with Him because God is Spirit (John 4:24). We were created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), therefore we were perfect. Unlike us, Adam did not have to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord (2 Peter 3:18); he had an intimate knowledge of God from the very beginning.
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden Genesis 2:9
God put the tree of life in the midst, more literally in the center of the garden indicating all that was natural would serve the spiritual. The spiritual was in the center of the natural so that Adam was never to seek anything outside of what God provided. God provided everything for Adam, all his needs – body, soul and spirit were met in the center of the garden, the spiritual.
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Genesis 3:8-10
There was another tree in the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:9). When Adam sinned by eating of this tree (Gen. 2:17, 3:6), he fell from the place in which he had been created. Sin caused Adam to lose his right standing (righteousness) with God; he lost the glory of the Lord and found himself naked, fearful, ashamed and hiding from God. That is a very good description of how I felt prior to and several years after my salvation.
I was born again when I was 21 years old. In a sense I came into the kingdom kicking and screaming. Although God had supernaturally revealed Himself to me several months prior in a most supernatural way I still did not want to become a Christian. What I saw was the devils “re” word, religion and I did not like what I saw. However, I felt completely unfulfilled and that motivated me toward the Lord. There is a part of us which is made to have fellowship with God, and it cannot be fulfilled by this world. It is a desire for a spiritualrelationship with our creator and it will not be satisfied by anything else, although other things may temporarily drown out that desire.
For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Matthew 13:12
I began my Christian life as a “have not”; even though I was born again I still had a “naked” mindset. It seemed like every relationship that was meaningful to me and everything I enjoyed doing God removed from my life. In theory I knew God cared for me, but practically it seemed like He did not like anyone or anything I liked. Somehow the enemy deceived me into ignoring the first part of that verse and focusing on the second part even though it no longer applied to me! I would quote it to myself to explain my less than stellar Christian experience. Little did I know that when God takes away it is for the purpose of establishing something far more valuable. (Heb.10:9).
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; John 17:22 What Adam lost, Jesus Christ restored. God created us so that He might enjoy fellowship with us (1 Cor. 1:9) and in return that we would be completely fulfilled while on the earth and to reign with Christ over His creation. God wants to restore us back to the abundance that Adam first enjoyed with the Lord. I have spent enough time living as a “have not” due to a “naked” mindset. I intend to spend the rest of my days living as a “have”, “more” and “abundance” as my nakedness has been clothed with the glory of His white garments (Rev. 3:18).
Many Blessings, BW