By Rev. Keith Gaebel B.A.
The ever present tension between sensually produced happy and unhappy feelings can be resolved with decisions; exercising the brain. Dominant motivations determine whether the chosen life experience is disappointingly shallow requiring temporary external fixes or is internally satisfying and fulfilling.
In the Garden of Eden episode, mankind decided to establish self-credibility (‘self’-consciousness) and make future decisions based on unreliable sensual feelings. Fear became the motivation to hide (isolate) from the parameter-creator-of-being; from a full fearless human life. The motivation of self-desire eclipses the comfort of healthy Rest and Peace. It remains inhuman to deny the creative intent for the senses; the misuse of which violates both self and others.
Necessary guidelines, parameters or laws are, on acceptance, establish the best functional avenue to any process. The fullness of healthy, satisfying life also must perform within the creators governing guidelines. Sensuality fits logically within the controlling choice function of the conscious mind.
Each person is born with the implicit, unique spirit of our physical parents with many generational influences subconsciously passed down. Each new generation can choose to accept a fear filled self-conscious sensual motivation born with, or decide to return to the originally planned full-human concept.
What then does being more fully human look like? And how do I return to what was lost? And how do I change?
Starting a lifestyle repair begins with an encounter with Christ Jesus who is the Door back into the originally created lifestyle. It is the experience of choosing a Spirit centered way-of-being with the Creator-God — a rebirth; not physically ‘self’-conscious birth but a Spiritual (conscious) re-birth. (1)
Human life began walking with God in the Garden of Satisfaction before the ‘mind-bending-control’ of sensuality. Adam and Eve alternatively were enticed to choose the experience of ‘sensory pleasures’ rather than trust God’s relational plan that one should live in healthy relationships. Sensuality turned out to be the introduction of a life of fear and hiding, the explicit result of the ‘fallen nature’; separating or obscuring behind exorbitant sensual activity and isolation.
Self extraction from parental and generational presence initiates a ‘generational gap’, but, decisions are still influenced unconsciously by the inculcated fallen nature, creating independent isolation. Seeking ‘self’ protection leads to a desire to be alone stemming from fear, anger, anxiety, bitterness, and depression leading toward violence to self and/or others. Trust is extinct.
Faith is a Divinely given ability to SEE the lengths to which God went to, to re-enable true life for humanity. This insight is far beyond a sensually driven personality; both impact differently the course of everyone’s life. It is a miraculous intervention by the Spirit of the Heavenly Father desiring to reestablish trust content to life beyond temporary physical attractions.
This experience restores consciousness of the present and purposes; seen as a rebirth. Birth always begins a new life requiring personal growth; new insights into a better way of living.
Faith described in the Bible, combines (1) believing God’s Word, (2) believing the New Testament Messiahship of Jesus, and (3) our unwavering quiet confident reliance on the assured character and strength of God’s creative design; the freedom of a satisfying Joy filled and Peaceful life experience.
Christian faith is not based on human feelings (sensuality) but is based fearlessly on the fact of God’s Word. God’s Spirit is not manifested in the temporal earthly body sense realm. God’s Spirit is manifest in Christ Jesus, the Word, Who dwells in the inner heart instilling Wisdom, courage and ability to change. It is trust in God’s relational truth; restored in the Messiahship of Jesus. Spiritual welfare and continued confidence begins with a change of direction; from just a physical birth to a Spiritual re-birth.
By which will (God’s will) we are cleansed from the past through the offering of the sensual body of Jesus – once, for everyone. God’s Word became the same flesh as you and I and lived in the same world as you and I. To SEE Jesus is to SEE the Father; substantive convincing evidence of God. Christ Jesus became the Door to our new Father and a new way to live.
Faith then is Christ Jesus who is the substance of the Old Testament shadows and hope, and the evidence of the unseen God. The shadows and hope are replaced (the New Testament) establishing a new dwelling place for the Spirit of God; in one’s inner heart is the loving-Spirit-experience of a new Father.
Hope concretizes into confidence and literal trust that God’s plan is Truth. Expectation always hopes tomorrow will come. Christ Jesus has established tomorrow and gives us today, the present; unwrap it carefully. Complete trust and love has ‘no fear’, needs not to hide, and is never alone.
The Patriarch’s faith, trust in God’s Word (revealed later to be Christ Jesus) was counted as the right thing to do — Righteousness. For New Testament believers, confessing and believing that Jesus the Christ is truly the re-establishment of God’s human plan, is the right thing to do — Righteousness.
The requirement of believers is to remain steadfast in that confidence and work out the ongoing Salvation interactively with the Word and others (the Church). Here, renewing the mind activates relationship repairs. God’s plan is that each person, each situation, and each experience becomes soul-healing (mind, will, and emotions) to self and others: a necessity toward a transformed way of being, and eliminating the bondages of self-consciousness.
Living an earthly existence on the unstable base of the mis-use of sensuality deliberately steps away from a Joyful, Peaceful, and satisfying life and destroys relationships. Faith communities not based on the foundation of God’s plan in Christ Jesus has differing ‘faith’ definitions than the Biblical record.
Prayer: Father in Heaven, I confess that my image for satisfactory living is not working for me. Forgive my impetuousness for not putting in place what You have already done. I am unhappy, confused, and depressed. I want to really ‘see’. I want to see Jesus the Christ and in doing so I see you Father-God and get a vision of your creative plan for the Joy and Peace announced at the time of Jesus’ birth. I want Your Spirit to enter my spirit so I can begin my New Life in Your creativeness. I invite you to come to remake my life experience in your image as my Savior, Lord, teacher and guide. I want to be Spiritually reborn. Thank you for your faithfulness to want me. Forgive my unfaithfulness to your satisfying path and whole way to be; maturing in the interactive life style that You Father created. I now receive your Spirit to replace my defective spirit. Amen.
Rev. Keith Gaebel B.A. is part of the Mission to Northern Canada First Nations countering epidemic drugs, alcohol, and suicide among teenagers with Bible College/Addiction Rehab on site training. Partnering with God and supporting believers. New partnering supporters welcome. He can be reached at: gaeb@mail.com or mailing address: Box 144, Honey Harbour, ON, CA, P0E 1E0.
