Thursday, September 20, 2012

Open Your Eyes -- Which Ones?

I wear glasses -- so you could call me "four eyes", I guess.

At first reading, it appears that Adam and Eve both had four eyes, too. When they ate the Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of God and Evil

But I do not think that it was the physical eyes of Adam and Even which were opened when they ate the fruit:

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." (Genesis 3: 6-7)

Which eyes "opened"? I do not believe that they were walking around blind, nor do I believe that they were blindly led by some spirit.

Adam had two eyes to see "Whoa, man!" when she saw Woman made from His flesh.

Pastor Creflo Dollar has advanced a revelation which I receive -- that their conscience, their sense of right and wrong, this was opened, and this awakening in turn made them conscious of themselves, that they were naked, and thus they resorted to salad to cover themselves.

Needless to say, it did not work. The sense of shame then produced fear, which pushed them to hide when God came walking in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3: 8).

The eyes of their conscience, of their "full understanding" were opened to themselves, and looking at themselves, they found themselves wanting, lacking, full of shame and reproach.

Spiritually dead and cut off from God the Father, they surely died. The whole account from Genesis 3: 15 to the Cross is about reconciling man to God once again!

That our eyes would be open not to our shame, our sin, our death, but to Christ Jesus, our life. After Jesus met with Cleopas and his wife, who were walking on the road to  Emmaus, after He expounded on all the Scriptures all things concerning Himself, He then broke bread with them:

"And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight." (Luke 24: 31)

When we see Him, we are transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3: 18). By the final sacrifice of our High Priest, we have received perfection regarding our conscience:

"Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;" (Hebrews 9: 9)

and

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9: 14)

He is our life, and all things with Him, so no longer do we look at ourselves, bu Him:

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3: 1-4)

Paul also writes to the Ephesians which eyes to open, and what to look for:

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power" (Ephesians 1: 17-19)

This power is Christ in us, the hope of glory, of course!(Colossians 1: 27)

Do not look at the  law, do not look at yourself, do not look at others, look at Him who has perfected you, for:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

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