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::Kevin's Weekly Thought August 6/2008::Nakedness Avoided?? (as published in the Herald Leader)Have you ever felt naked? The term naked doesn't just relate to physical vulnerability but also other areas of our lives. One of the definitions of "Nakedness" is inadequacy - using that substitute let's ask a question: Have you ever felt inadequate (naked) in the area of your job, family, relationship, finances, health, mind, spirituality? Most of us would plead to a feeling of inadequacy in one of these areas and guess what - this isn't anything new! What's the origin? God wondered the same thing. God even asked this question, "Who told you that you were naked?" (Gen. 3:11). Since that "apple-eating" day (or "The Fall") we still find ourselves with the stigma of…well…inadequacy. But this inadequacy does not originate from God. Rather it originates fro m ourselves. Paul alludes to this in Romans 7:9 when he says, "I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died." Before the fall we were experiencing full life, contentment, and joy in the completeness of this utopian world God had created - but through the fall we lost our innocence and "fullness" and became aware of God's laws and commandments (we were now able to discern between good and evil Gen. 3:22) and sin was realized within us - or as Paul puts it, "…sin came alive." The law was in existence before the fall but mans realization of it had not yet been awakened. A quick note before we go on: Evil or sin is the absence of good. Many people ask the question, "How could a good God create evil?" But they miss the realization that evil is the absence of good. Just as dark is the absence of light. Keep this in mind while reading the rest. In the garden man was in complete wholeness and therefore could not realize any inadequacy within himself and dwelt in perfect love ("God is love" 1Jn 4:8) which castes out all fear (1 Jn 4:18). But when man sinned there was an absence (evil/sin) of good and wholeness caused and two things happened - sin "came alive" for the perfect love was no longer complete and therefore fear was not cast out. So subsequently we found ourselves left with the self-realization and vulnerability of "nakedness." But this is why God made it clear that He did not come to condemn the world (Jn 3:17) but that the world may be saved through Him. His laws have never changed but our awareness of them has. God never accused our condemned us of inadequacy - it was our own realization of inadequacy to follow His will that torments us! But here's the good news, "there is no condemnation for those who are found in relationship with Christ Jesus." (Rom.8:1) God's desire is to restore us back to that perfect walk with Him where there exists no condemnation and no guilt but only newness and joy of life. God still asks us this question, "Who said you were inadequate?" Through Christ we can do all things (Php.4:13) and we no longer remain "naked," vulnerable, and inadequate but rather clothed completely in the armour of God (eph.6:11) and the realization that in Christ I am complete. (Col2:10) ::Kevin's Weekly Though July 10/2008In the Garden of Eden we read an interesting question posed by God - "Who told you that you were naked?" (Gen. 3:11). Since day one, the enemy and adversary of our lives has longed for nothing more then the mere satisfaction of pointing out areas of weakness and shortcomings - subsequently "our nakedness." Ever since our falling out of perfect abiding in that famous Eden, we continue to be buffeted by our apparent inadequacy. An individual just asked me the other day how can we tell the difference between God's hand of discipline (i.e. showing us our inadequacy in our own strength) and Satan's accusations. At times this seems to be a hard line to draw but I believe it lays in simply this: God cuts down to build up, whereas the enemy cuts down as an end to itself. After the fall God exposed the "nakedness" of our inability to save ourselves and live lives pleasing to Him. The reason? So we may grow and draw our strength from Him - cut down to build up. Whereas Satan's accusations always cut down as the end means.> What is the practical application here? Many of us, if not most, (except for the odd narcissist) have self-doubts about our areas of work, relationships, finances, etc., at times and wonder whether we fill these roles sufficiently. Sometimes self-reflection in these areas is beneficial. James Allen once wrote, "The man who cannot endure to have his errors and shortcomings brought to the surface and made known…is unfit to walk the highway of truth." We see at the end of this quotes how the mistakes and deficiencies are a means to an end (i.e. walking the highway of truth) and not an end to itself. Shortcoming and inadequacies in our lives should only be surfaced as a means to this end: self-improvement. Through healthy hind-sight we see failures and mistakes in the past and correct them for the present. The question posed to us is simple, "who is telling you about your inadequacy?" We read a humorous "turn-of-events" later in the New Testament (Col. 2:15) when we read that Christ "apekduomai,"(Original Greek) or "unclothes" the works of the enemy. How wonderful to see that Christ has now exposed the nakedness of the enemy and put his works to shame. Whenever we find inadequacies or accusations arising up against us we first must ask ourselves, "is this a means to an end (self-improvement), or an end to itself (self-destruction)?" There's an old Jewish maxim that states, "The knowledge of ignorance is the beginning of knowledge" - and so is the characteristic of life. The more we live the more we realize our ignorance and lack of understanding in many areas of life. When we become aware of our nakedness let's become proactive and cloth ourselves with the whole armor of Christ and knit ourselves sweaters of self-improvement! Who told you of your inadequacies? ::Kevin's Weekly Though July 2/2008"We as Christians have no authority or right to tell others how they ought to live or act just because we may feel uncomfortable with some of their actions or lifestyles." This was a frustration expressed to me from the wife of a Main-line denominational minister. This is a true statement - since, for us to base our beliefs of morality (right or wrong) on strictly a "feeling" is faulty and quickly leads to the ethical philosophy of Emotivism. What is Emotivism? Quintessentially, (my apologies to any Emotivists for not having the space to lay out their philosophy entirely) the belief that the highest good (what is right) in society can be based on "rational feelings." Unfortunately, what constitutes a "rational feeling" can cover a wide range of possibilities- many of which have been seen as extremely un-ethical in the past. One such example is Genocide - Whereas individuals who headed these movements "felt" thoroughly, through reason, that they were accomplishing the greatest good for society. Does this then excuse their actions? I think most of us would agree not. Thus it is also fallacy for Christians to use "feelings" as the barometer of what is moral or unethical. For us to dictate a moral stance (of what is good or bad) based on feelings effectively makes the issue "about us" and our emotions rather then the best interests and greatest good for the other people involved. Genuine "Christian" or "Godly love," is concerned about the individual's well-being and commands us to live in such a manner as to protect ourselves from effective self-destruction. My response to the minister's wife was that I agreed "feelings" should not be the motivating force behind labeling something or someone moral or immoral- rather love should be. Why? True wholly (and/or Holy) love is concerned about the whole well-being of the individual and society and seeks what is best for all people involved. In other words this is not a sentimental love - but a tenacious love. This love would not hesitate to challenge or confront a person's actions and/or behavior if it was being detrimental to themselves - even if it wasn't popular opinion or even politically correct. The truth will set people free (John 8:32) when based in genuine, sincere, Godly love. Be it far from us to base morals and ethics on what we "feel." Rather let us be guided by God's love as the moral standard- a love which is concerned for the greatest good for our neighbor, fellow worker and fellow Canadian. This is much more far-reaching and important of a matter then merely one group "stone-throwing" at another, etc., etc. This is about searching God's word and discovering the moral and ethical law that He has placed to protect ourselves from ourselves. Kevin Mills Discography:
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