“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV
Before the fall of man, God’s heart longed for Adam and Eve to partake of the Tree of Life in the Center of the garden. Our generous Papa God told Adam he could freely eat of every tree of the garden…except one.
Had he and Eve chosen the right tree, they would’ve continued to live in the glorious grace that flows from simple trust and total dependence on the Lord. Their spiritual eyes would’ve been opened to see Jesus – the Tree of Life. And they could’ve forever fed on the revelation of His lavish love and never-ending life source.
Instead, Eve was seduced by the serpent’s subtle lies. Together, Adam and Eve tasted of corruption and their eyes were opened to all their shortcomings, sin and shame. The blame game started and the curse that comes from snacking on the “Law Tree” (the tree of the human knowledge of both good and evil, making themselves their own little gods) continued from there.
Until Grace and Truth came in the flesh (John 1:17) and our Second Adam restored what was lost by the first Adam. Jesus Himself took our nakedness on the cross and became our curse, setting us free from death and the slave-system of strife and sickness. He then clothed us with Himself, crowned us with glory and honor and became our REST from religion and dead works.
The crux of the gospel is that Jesus became our filth to gift us His righteousness (innocence before God) so we can forever have an unhindered (never-have-to hide-again) intimate relationship with our Father; relying only on Him, His strength and His goodness.
But with all that’s going on globally and how connected we are today to endless voices and information, our minds can very easily be led astray from the absolute simplicity that is in Christ.
“I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who He is; then Jesus and what He did—Jesus crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:2 MSG
The Apostle Paul pleaded with the body of Christ that was in Corinth to beware of false spirits that were behind imposters (or “big-shot apostles”) preaching a pseudo-Jesus and a “here’s some good news but now it’s time to follow me and get busy” type messages. They were flashy ministers of Satan, cunning and misleading. And they were dangerously luring Paul’s sheep away (from the Truth that saved them) into a dangerous pasture of performancism, pretensions, and hypocrisy.
Beloved, it is the message of the cross; the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, the message of His resurrection, and the message of who you are now in Him, that is the power of God in your life! It is feasting on the simplicity of the one true gospel that is our moment by moment saving grace.
The truth is, you are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. Meaning, you have been made right with God, receive all His blessings freely and experience the miraculous in your life by right believing, not by right doing.
When we are not hearing the simplicity of Jesus and all He accomplished (which “quickens” and heals us in every way), our minds become overwhelmed and tainted with distractions, fear and confusion. But you, dear one, have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). You wear the helmet of salvation to keep you from “stinkin’-thinkin.”
Faith comes by hearing…and hearing…and hearing the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Yes, we are always growing in character and maturity. And yes, it is important to sometimes address those things for loving correction and change. But those attributes are actually fruit that grow effortlessly by transformation when we hear the truth of who Jesus is, trust in His unearned supply and believe our true identity in Him!
“Faith, then, is birthed in a heart that responds to God’s anointed utterance of the Anointed One.”
Romans 10:17 TPT“So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.”
Romans (Rom) 10:17 CJB
There is therefore now no condemnation. But take heed how you hear (Mark 4:24). Make sure you are listening to the right messages and voices. Make sure the message is pure; that it exalts, glorifies and points to Jesus, His faithfulness and His finished work not your good works. Hearing right and believing right is what causes you to walk in the power of Holy Spirit. It’s what sets you free and brings peace, wisdom and victory to your mind, body, soul and situations.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
I Corinthians 1:18, 23-24 NKJV
Resting In His Love,
Annalee Reyes
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Jesus has been pursuing you relentlessly all your life. If you’ve never received Jesus Christ as your forgiveness, your Lord and your Savior, you can pray this simple prayer from your heart and become born again, a brand-new creation and child of Daddy God, your loving Father:
“Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending your Son for me. I believe He came to earth to be born in the flesh to die my death on the cross. I believe His blood washed my sins away and completely cleansed me. I believe He redeemed me from every curse by becoming my curse and was raised from the dead because I was declared justified and righteous. Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I am now fully forgiven! I am a child of God, blessed, favored and incomprehensibly loved. In Jesus Name. Amen!”