It stands to reason, If his creation was perfect and redemption brings us back to perfection and then beyond...that we will have more freedom life and liberty then Adam and Eve.
If we are to understand what we have in Salvation we must first understand what we had in creation.
I love creation. I love being outside I love watching bugs and animals. I love to study plants and earth science. One thing you will learn if you observer creation very long is that no two things are alike. Just take a look at the bugs... how many different species are there? To many to count. How many different kinds of trees, flowers, rocks, clouds, snow flakes.... I don't know either. Now imagine for a moment that Adam and Eve never sinned, do you think their children who all look the same, act the same, dress the same, like the same things, have the same dreams? I think it is safe to assume no. It wouldn’t be consistent with God’s character in how he revealed him self in the rest of creation. It would be much more consistent with his work to assume that each would be vastly different from each other and that they would all be able to live in great harmony with each other. This would be consistent with the rest of His creation and His character.
Ok so now fast forward 4-6000 years...the fall has happened but our great redemption has also come!! I happen to believe that the work of His blood is full and complete. Christ and Christ alone has redeemed us, it is not by works but by grace through faith alone. I believe most people who call them selves Christians would agree with these statements. However some where along the way I believe we have lost our consistency in how we interpret scripture. Why do I say this? Well...growing up in the conservative Christian circles I have noticed something... there is an unspoken or some times spoken expectation most of us have... it kind of looks/sounds like this... “Oh now that they are saved/have joined our denomination they will learn the right way to act/dress. Soon they will look and be like the rest of us.” In short we expect that once people see the “way” that they will conform. The circles I rubbed shoulders with expected skirts to get longer on girls, shirts to get less fitting. Some expected woman’s hair to get longer, other expected certain movies and music to be eliminated from home libraries. Most expected young peoples dating lives to conform to the popular courting doctrines that were being taught. Each group and church had their own exceptions some over lapped some were more strict then others some spoken some not, but still the exceptions were there big or small spoken or not they were there. Although none of us would say it or even think it in so many words we had these expectations because we thought we were doing it right or more biblical then the next person. We thought we were pleasing God by what we did and therefore if other peoples hearts were in the right place like ours they would begin to do the same things we did. At the time I didn’t see the folly in this line of thinking. I didn’t see the pride or self righteousness but most of all I didn’t see God’s love for what it really was. The real reason I thought this way was because I didn’t truly understand who my King was or how much he loved me. I didn’t understand how secure I was in His redemption and I didn’t understand what being His creation meant.
If we hold this line of thinking, these expectations, we have all had up next to scripture, If we look at them in contrast to His constant character reveled in creation and His redeeming work on the cross it is quite obvious that there are some discrepancies...in fact if we want to look just a bit deeper we can take a look at the Pharisees that Jesus talked to while He was on the earth. If you see what I see our expectations are much closer to that of the Pharisees then to the character of our wonderful Creator and Redeemer.
It is my belief that as each of us come to a greater knowledge of His love and are conformed more to His image we will become increasingly like our selves. With the effects of the fall loosing more and more influence on our thinking and Redemption bring us closer and closer to creation and eventually beyond we will become increasingly different from each other yet each one more and more like Him. As humans living free from sin in this world we will come more alive and be able to live in more and more liberty in how we dress, (Adam and Eve didn’t wear anything...just a thought ) in our dreams, how we act, our likes and dislikes etc...yes I happen to believe in a God who loves diversity and wants each of His children to reach their full potential in Him. I believe it is His greatest delight to redeem us and heal us and bring life from the springs he placed in out hearts. I happen to believe that creativity is one God’s strong points and that He is wild with his artistry.
I think we should have a new expectation...to have our minds blown by His creativity each time a lamb is brought back. We should expect Him to make the unexpected in each newly created redeemed heart.
I think the possibilities would be endless and really we would never again be able to expect people to conform to our idea of Christ likeness because He would be revealing Him self yet more and more every day with each heart He made new.
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