Grace and the Desires of One's Heart

It's so amazing to be in relationships where grace is at the center.

I've recently started dating an amazing woman who gives me so much grace and freedom. She's aware of most of my shortcomings and defects of character and chooses to love me and show me grace both as both a friend and girlfriend. And the crazy thing is that because the law has been emptied of its power, Satan has no power with which to accuse me. The accusations literally bounce off of me, because I am free to live, move, and have my being.

I think it's so sad to see relationships in which there's so much micromanagement and so little trust. In which each partner feels the need to keep tabs on the other person, lest that other person start to go down a path that could possibly hurt them. It seems as though the opposite of freedom is rigid and intense "accountability", which might be helpful if it's done right but can be very harmful and feel a lot like the law if it's done poorly. Me personally, this radical freedom and grace is actually leading to more righteousness not less, and I guess it's because I don't fear the consequences for not "obeying" the other person's rules. I know that I'm safe, acceptable and free. I know and believe that everything is permissible, yet simply not beneficial. So, help me God to walk on paths that are beneficial, not because I fear the condemnation of misstepping, but because I have great joy in that path! Because I love being free !!

I think a lot of people are scared that freedom will lead to an increase to sin, and I would say that this would be true if the person wasn't born again. Still being "married to the law and to sin" (Romans 6 and 7), the person would literally see their freedom as a greater liberty to do whatever they wanted, with what they wanted being things based upon their own sets of desires, which are rooted in their sinful patterns.

To those who have experienced Christ's life in exchange for the former Adam/self/sinful/flesh life (Galatians 2:20), they also receive a new set of desires in their core (Ps 37:4). The spirit person within them no longer needs to have the lustful pleasings of the flesh in order to feel validated. There's literally an exchange of desires - from lying, debauchery, coveteousness, lust, and theivery to patience, love, kindness, joy, self-control, faithfulness, and peace (Galatians 5). And this is such great news.

We're still given great freedom to follow after what our hearts desire...it's just the actual desires within our hearts are different. Glory be to God !!

Walking down the Wedding Aisle

I got to be a groomsmen in a wedding this weekend, and when the minister was reading from Genesis chapter 2, I had a fresh breath of revelation. It says that "in all of creation there was no suitable helper found for Adam." And so God fashioned a help-mate for Adam, and "brought the woman to him." (Gen 2:22) She was given the name woman since she was taken out of man, and the two were married.

Who was Eve's "father"? Given that Eve had no earthly father, the only logical choice is that God was Eve's father. And here is God the Father bringing Eve "down the aisle" to be married to Adam ("brought the woman to him"(!!). He was literally escorting her to the place of the wedding and "giving her away" to Adam, putting her into his care and under the banner of his protection and love!

Whenever the bride's father symbolically takes the hands of the groom and bride and fastens them together (and then himself removes himself from the altar and sits down), it's a symbol that he is no longer her primary protector and defender. There is a symbolic "passing of the torch" moment whereby the father says "husband-to-be, you are now the primary force of protection for my beloved daughter."

It's neat that this has been going on since the 1st marriage in human history. =)