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Genesis 3:4-5 (NIV) "'You will not surely die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'"
Matthew 4:3 (NIV) "The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.'"
Original sin began with the serpent successfully tempting Adam and Eve. The serpent tried this same cunning persuasion to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. Now, due to our fallen nature, the serpent attempts to persuade to believe that we can get our life outside of God’s will through the same cunning words of IF…. THEN…. thereby leading us down a sinful path of idolatry.
IF we have money, THEN we will be esteemed..
IF we have a good marriage, nice house, high position, THEN we will truly be happy.
IF we have good looks, THEN we will be well liked.
IF we don‘t show our weakness, THEN we will be respected.
IF we weren’t defective, THEN we wouldn’t struggle.
These are all things that cause us to look outside of God’s design, that keep us from experiencing freedom and keep us trapped in the web of SHAME. Shame was brought on by the words "IF… THEN…." and thereafter we were naked. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil presented mankind with the pain of being separated from the true SOURCE of LIFE, GOD. We look for outside, external rewards to give us life instead of from the one who we were meant to get life from. We can ONLY gain life through the working of the Holy Spirit, by being crucified and having our identity in Christ, thereby gaining access back to the Father. Shame is the device that the enemy uses in an attempt to keep us from experiencing this union with the Trinity -- to keep us from finding our life.
by Sheri Rosencrantz
e-mail her at sherirosencrantz@msn.com |
