As I mentioned in last week’s column, I often think about the small farm I grew up on where we raised your typical barnyard animals.
But on occasion we would take in unusual offspring, like the orphaned raccoon I was given when I was a teenager. The animal was just a few days old when I acquired him, and immediately my heart went out to this little fella.
“Boonie” would sleep tightly curled around my wrist at night as if he were hugging a tree limb, or perhaps his mother. I made little diapers for him, and fed him on a tiny bottle of a wildlife formula that my Dad prepared for him.
And like a surrogate mom, I loved and nurtured him until he was full grown. Now, my Father had warned me that this was still a wild raccoon by nature, and to respect that, and not trust him.
But I didn’t see any such behavior in Boonie, so I chose to ignore my Dads warning. I thought my love could keep him tame, so I treated him as a close friend. Oh, he would get into some mischief from time to time. Going through our kitchen cabinets, pulling things off the shelf, typical teenage roughhousing.
But then I started to notice a change taking place as he approached adulthood. He was becoming more aggressive towards people.
And then one day, Boonie turned on me, and almost bit me. My dad said, “that’s it!” He released Boonie in the back of our land.
I was sad for awhile, but it opened up a lot of questions in my mind. I wondered about our origins, and the true nature inside mankind? What caused this behavior in a creature I showed kindness to? And why did I navigate toward the wrong things, why was it so easy to do wrong, instead of right? Why was I rebellious towards my own parents who showed me love and kindness?
The Bible teaches that,”the heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked …” and it also poses this truth “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.” (Jer. 13: 23,17:9)
You know, my raccoon was simply behaving according to the nature that he was born with. Likewise, the sinful human nature that we are born with is what separates us from God, and pulls us in the opposite direction. It is a heart condition. Even though we can modify our behavior, if we choose to, it will not change the true fallen nature inside.
This is why we must be born again in order to have a relationship with God, and be reconciled in the spirit to our Heavenly Father. When a person receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior by putting faith in Him, a miracle takes place inside- we receive His sinless nature in exchange for our own born again sinful nature. This must happen because “nothing that defiles can enter heaven.” It’s not the good or bad things that we are doing that determines how God is relating us, relationship depends on what Jesus did for us. All of God’s wrath/punishment for man kinds sin/rebellion against God, was directed at His Son on the cross.
There is a huge difference between animals and people. Animals cannot choose to change their true nature, deep down the nature of a dog is to be a dog, a bear will be a bear, and a raccoon …. will still be a raccoon.
Animals were created by God, but animals were NOT created in the “image of God.” People were created in the image of God.
And I use to have a sinful nature but praise God I chose to be reborn by putting faith in God’s grace through Jesus Christ. I received mercy through Christ sacrificial death and resurrection for ALL mankind. Therefore, I am no longer a sinner by nature.
Although, I still sin at times, that is no longer my true nature. I no longer naturally gravitate toward it. I hate sin!!! And the destructive nature of it.
In truth, my new born again spirit is perfect (Holy Spirit living in me), and my mind is still being renewed through the word of God, and my body has yet to be redeemed.
It took a period of time to erase wrong teachings/philosophy in my mind, and replace them with the correct teaching/knowledge of the true nature of God. Now, I have faith to grow closer to God, and enjoy intimacy with my Heavenly Father.
When I was first born again I knew I was forgiven of all my past sins because I was taught that message of God’s grace and mercy, and the Holy Spirit confirmed this in my new born again spirit.
Yet, I had not heard the full gospel message, that ALL of my sins were paid for/forgiven- past, present and future. I still had a sin consciousness (so I believed that deep inside I still had a sin nature), and I was constantly coming to God and asking Him to forgive me of my sins.
But, instead of bringing me closer to God, this mindset actually caused me to build MY own wall of separation between He and I. We may move away from God in our minds/hearts, but He is never the variable, His love for us is unfailing and not based on our actions/performance. The unconditional love of God!! If you will receive this revelation, it will change your life!!
This is how we “fall from grace”- I quit putting my faith in what Jesus did for me, the “author and finisher of my faith unto salvation”- instead I was identifying with my old sin nature.
Yet, 2 Cor. 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
But late one night the Lord woke me up and I heard Him say, “You are free to love Me!” Wow! This changed everything in my heart, now, I just agree with Him and say “yes and amen.” When I don’t feel like I can “boldly come before the throne of God” I chose not to go by my feelings, I walk by faith, “the just shall live by faith.”
The revelation that all my (our) sins have been paid for, past, present and even future sins, has not caused me to sin, rather it actually freed me from it. It caused me to love Him even more, and to release this love toward others time and again.
I live more Holy now by accident, than I ever did on purpose. It is a fruit of the born again spirit inside of me, and now it just comes naturally.
Born again believers do not have to wait until we get to heaven to experience all the fullness and goodness of God living in us. I rejoice in Him every day. (“Re-visiting the joy of my salvation.”)
When I get up in the mornings the first thing I profess out loud is something like this, “Thank-you Father God for making a way for me to know You. Thank-you Jesus I am clothed in Your righteousness, thank-you Lord that I am Yours. I am a true child of God’s. I am so grateful you exchanged my heart of stone for a heart of flesh. You are faithful and I love you very much!!”
I am not boastful or proud-full in myself, but I am confident in who I am in Christ and Christ living in me.
We may have been born to be wild, according to Satan’s plan of destruction.
But God had another plan for us, to be re-born in Christ and change our DNA. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Gal. 5:22-23
It is our choice. “Choose life.”
(John Chpt 10; Gen. 1:26; 1 John 2:5; Romans 12:2; Eph. 1:14; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 12:2; 2 Cor. 5:17; Heb. 4:16, 10:38-39. The book of Galatians and Ephesians are rich in understanding who we are in Christ as born again believers. Also the book of Roman’s and Hebrews
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
