Then and Now 10-28

   I saw a sermon using the three-circle example of our human being. The inner circle being our spirit, inside of a second circle of our soul and inside an even larger third circle of our body. It seems that I understood it in a better way than I had before. I understood the circles of Adam before eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and then after he sinned. In the illustration below God speaks directly to Adam's spirit before the fall. He did not need outside angels or messengers to talk with Adam. But after Adam disobeyed, that day something surely died as promised. Adam's heart being hardened by his disobedience was like a solid dark stone. From that point on God spoke to Adam externally, into his bodily ears. It continues to this day that God speaks to fallen man through external messengers, some of which are listed below. That is why God used prophets to speak to His people and He used various angels to deliver the messages to the prophets. Whether those messengers were angelic beings, other people or even a donkey as with one prophet in the old testament, God spoke externally to the bodily eyes and ears. Now I, of course, give room for the sovereinty of God to do things however He desires but we are all born into Adam's after fallen nature or state. Adam's after-state became our before-state at birth and we remain there until we are reborn and become a new creature, through faith in Jesus Christ. This rebirth restores us to the original condition whereby God can speak to the believer by his Spirit who now dwells in us. Scripture informs us that the Holy Spirit is sent to be our Helper, Comforter and Wise Counselor. We are told to delight in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our heart. I used to think that meant that God gives me whatever I desire. But now I understand it to mean that God places His desires into my heart. Those being desires of love, peace, joy, hope, charity, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control. If you have not experienced this change of nature or rebirth, I urge you to call on the name of Jesus today, ask Jesus to heal your heart and  to place His desires in you. If you have already done so, then I encourage you to be a messenger of God to them who only hear from God externally.