Back To The Future

We trust those we know.

This is why we must be careful about those who are closest to us. Show me your closest “friends” and I can almost show you where you will be in 5 years.

1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

This is a Biblical concept not just necessary for our younger members but for all of us.

We trust those who are “like” us.

This is an unfortunate reality if we are not careful. This is to some extent the “exception” to the previous statement. By default we will trust someone who looks like us if we do not know them and have to chose between to “unknowns”.

The problem: looks can be deceiving.

We do not see things and people clearly. Each month, at least twice, I get together with an individual to help make sure I am seeing things clearly. The goal is not to doubt my calling nor abilities but to make sure I am seeing the big picture, not unintentionally missing something, or seeing something which is not truly present.

Question: who will we trust?

This is the fundamental question of life, or at least I think one of them. As we open up Genesis and the Scriptures this is the question which runs through all stories. Who will you, me, we, they, the nation trust?

Our battle is old.

Sometimes we think what we are going through is “unique and new” to the world we live in. However, as we engage in the Spiritual battle we must constantly remember it is an old battle. This is not new!

Our “enemy” is created.

There is no “dual and equal” forces, aka Star Wars. Though our enemy, as we learned last week, is powerful he is still created. Genesis depicts this struggle with a snake/serpent, was used the “divinations” of the other religions of the day which the nation was not to mess with.

We must discern the true struggle and temptation.

Adam and Eve, and we are absolutely not different, got caught in a matter of semantics and whether the “fruit” was going to be beneficial.

The battle requires us to be patient.

One of the issues Eve presents is the need to have things right now.

The battle requires us to be active.

The issue Adam presents us is one of inaction.

Sin has consequences.

As the saying goes, you choose your actions and the world chooses the consequences. One of the results of the sin was each person would become lonely desiring one thing and getting something else.

Can you trust a God who is different?

The tempter places a seed of doubt into their minds about God’s character and whether because He is different whether He can be trusted. For the nation of Israel this was also the question they had to answer; can I trust a God who is not like any other god I know?

The true issue was trusting God’s character.

Is God really good? Maybe God is withholding something from you that you ‘deserve’?

Action step: learn God’s character not just His words.

Eve knew the Word of God but failed to see the character of God. After the sin Adam and Eve doubted who God was and hid from him. Our battle is one where we will be tempted to hide from God because of sin. However His character is not just of justice and holiness but also of grace and mercy. His question was one to promote confession not condemnation.

John 3:17 NIV

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Trust God today!

This is our task.