Copyright
© 1998 by Jason Michael Sr.
Many people think they are familiar
with the bible's message.
But actually, the bible is widely misunderstood...
To see just how misunderstood it is, simply ask someone the following question
---
If there really is a 'heaven'
and a 'hell', where would you end up?
When faced with this question,
many people (even many bible believers!) say something like,
"Well... I've done the best I could and I'm a pretty good person..."
or "I've tried to live a good life..."
Many folks offer responses like these
because they truly believe the bible teaches that a place in heaven can be
attained if one is 'good enough'.
But guess what?
That is completely wrong.
That is not at all what the bible teaches.
In reality, the bible's standard
is much much higher...
A place in heaven requires more than just being 'good'...
As you will
see, it requires being perfect.
Now... before you become dismayed
at what sounds like an unrealistic standard, let me assure you that the bible
says that 'perfection' is indeed possible. As you will see, the path to perfection
is defined in the diagram seen earlier. But in order to understand the diagram's
symbolism, we first need to establish some basic biblical principles. Thus
our story will begin here in chapter
two of Genesis, with the creation of man ---
Genesis 2:7
"... the Lord God formed man of the dust of
the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ..."
Genesis 2:8 "The
Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom
He had formed ..."
Genesis 2:9 "And
out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to
the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the
garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ..."
Genesis 2:16-17
"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree
of the garden you may freely eat; (v 17) but of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you
eat of it you shall surely die."
In
verse 17, we see that God has set a boundary around
the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil"
and said that it must not be crossed. This
boundary
is quite significant, because its establishment shows that man has been given
two very important things... He's been given ---
the
ability to recognize God's boundaries, and
the
freedom to choose whether or not to accept God's boundaries.
In other words, the
establishment of that boundary shows that
God has created man with a 'free will'.
But how 'free' can we really be if
we are subject to boundaries?
Wouldn't real freedom mean no boundaries at all?
In order to answer these
questions, we can use the following allegory ---
Begin by imagining that you are
on your own private planet, spinning somewhere in your own private universe...
Just you... no one else, and best of all, no boundaries! Not a single rule or
regulation.
Now we come to the big question...
Are you free?
I suppose you could say yes.
But the important thing, is that you are also... alone.
So, now let's imagine
that you eventually tire of being alone all the time, and you find yourself
desiring a companion. We'll assume that your wish for a companion is granted
and that this person will also have the freedom to do whatever he or she likes,
without any boundaries at all, just like the 'freedom' that you have yourself.
Sounds great, right?
Now let's assume that
you have a great love for animals of all kinds and you've filled your environment
with them. Unfortunately though, your new 'roommate' doesn't care for the critters
and 'zaps' them out of existence at every opportunity. This would probably not
make you very happy, but what can you do? Remember now, there are no boundaries
and your roommate's desires carry an authority equal to your own.
To make the allegory
even more obvious, what if you love a forest environment, but your roommate
loves to set fires? Or what if you have a passion for building things, but your
roommate lives for the chance to tear things apart? And last but not least,
what about the cap on the toothpaste... should it be left on, or off?
Seriously,
the point in these examples is simply that
there is potential
for conflict and suffering if
you try to share an environment while recognizing no boundaries except those
that you choose for yourselves individually,
The proof of this dynamic
can be clearly seen in the world around us today. All you need to do is turn
on a television or read a newspaper. Either one will give you a daily accounting
of the conflict and suffering that results from various individuals or groups
insisting upon the right to choose their own boundaries in one way or another.
These conflicts surround us and
range from the 'individual' to 'international' level.
As both
our allegory and the world around us shows, it is pretty clear that
'freedom without boundaries' is really no freedom at all.
If anything,
'freedom' without boundaries is a false 'freedom', and it offers nothing
but various degrees of pain, suffering and conflict. That type of 'freedom'
only works if one is alone, or, if one is in the company of others who believe
similarly and are willing to live with the conflict and pain that results.
This brings us back to the true freedom
that the bible describes ---
If both you and your roommate are
willing to to recognize and accept some boundaries,
peaceful coexistence can then be achieved.
( The 'boundaries' in this case obviously
being set by God. )
The benefit of accepting
God's authority and boundaries should be apparent... Instead of being driven
apart by conflict and frustration, the roommates would now have a relationship
of peaceful coexistence.
Thus, (unless you wish
to be alone or constantly engaged in conflict), as you can see ---
Real
freedom requires 'boundaries'.
It is only through the
use of God's authority and boundaries that mankind can be 'free' from the pain
and suffering that otherwise results from sharing one's space.
God's use of boundaries
are not just some arbitrary limit that He chooses to impose for no reason. They
are intended to unite people in relationships, rather than allowing
us to become isolated from one another through independence and conflict. This
is the freedom that God intended humanity to have.
But again, this
freedom depends upon our willingness to accept His authority and
boundaries.
God has given each one
of us a free will, and allows us to choose whether or not to accept the boundaries
through which true freedom (and unity) are available.
By setting a boundary
around the "tree of the knowledge of good and
evil", God gave us the choice... He was basically saying, "If
you are willing to accept My authority and boundaries, we'll all be united in
relationship with one another and everything will be just fine. But if you are
unwilling to accept My authority and boundaries, there's going
to be trouble."
In other words, ignoring
God's warning and 'eating the fruit' would represent more than just a rejection
of God's authority... It would also represent a rejection of the protection
from conflict that His boundaries are designed to provide.
At this point in our story, conflict
with others wouldn't seem to pose much of a problem,
since Adam has the whole garden to himself.
But things are about to change...
A 'roommate' is about to arrive on the scene,
as the following passage suggests ---
Genesis 2:18 "...it
is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper comparable
to him."
This new 'roommate'
will bring some big changes as our story continues.
NEXT
CHAPTER
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© 1998 by Jason Michael Sr. All rights reserved.
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