God says,
“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
Genesis 2:25
I want to talk with you about true purity and the nature of Christian intimacy. If I am blunt, it’s only because I truly believe in the importance of speaking directly to this issue that some may be set free.
The origin of shame
Have you ever wondered why the first consequence of mankind knowing good and evil was the realization that they were naked? This has always seemed a bit odd to me. Perhaps God wishes to convey a basic truth about the effects of sin through the story of the fig leaves.
Adam and Eve lived naked and unashamed. This was how God created mankind and our Father did not deem it necessary that they hide their bodies. The Bible is explicit that Adam and Eve “were not ashamed.” Furthermore the scriptures state,
“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…”
Genesis 3:8
Today in our world we rarely, if ever, run around naked. Why is this so? In the beginning, when everything was perfect and very good, everyone was bare. The point I am trying to make so shockingly is that they were both naked and it was not sin. The question that must be asked is “why wasn’t it sin to be naked?” Furthermore, and more importantly, “why was there no shame?”
To the pure all things are pure
The central point of this essay is:
“Where there is no sin in the heart there can be no sin in the action”
(I am aware of sins of omission but for the sake of clarity I am focusing on sins of commission in this essay)
This principle is found the scripture as follows,
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
Titus 1:15
If someone is pure (that meaning pure in mind and conscience) all things are pure. To be pure in mind means that all outward actions stemming from said purity are holy. Adam and Eve’s minds were pure therefore their actions were pure. God never told them they were naked or that it was shameful, so their actions were without sin. This brings us to a very important understanding about the nature of sin. This principle is simply,
“Sin is mainly of the heart”
Outward purity vs inward holiness
In modern Christianity emphasizes how we should think and act in order to keep ourselves pure and holy. To be a member of some churches you must meet their basic requirements. Members must dress conservatively, talk without swearing, and be very careful about interactions with the opposite sex. Leaders set boundaries to “keep people safe“. As long as church members stay within these guidelines their church considers them “good Christians”. However, if we look good on the outside does that really mean we are good on the inside?
In Matthew we read:
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Matthew 5:28
Jesus teaches that sin is not simply an outward act but an inward condition of our hearts. If you lust in your heart you commit adultery. Moreover, if you hate your brother in your heart you commit murder. If you covet a man’s sports car perhaps you are a thief and so on and so forth. People sin whether or not it reveals itself in real world action. Actually, more often than not sin remains hidden from view. Jesus says,
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”
Matthew 23:27
The fact is, we are only truly clean on the outside if we are clean on the inside. And if we are clean on the inside by definition we will be clean on the outside no matter how we look or act.
Judge Not
Many people may consider what I write unusual. Christians think sin is what they can taste, touch, hear, see or smell. Unfortunately, our five senses are not very reliable indicators of sin. Only the Holy Spirit can truly judge the hearts and motives of men and women. This is why Jesus said,
“Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.”
John 8:15,16
All the outward actions that we commonly consider to be sin have their beginning within our hearts. This is why Jesus said,
“There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”
Mark 7:16
Back to the Garden
It is God’s intention, in a spiritual sense, to bring all those who will yield to His Spirit back to the garden. In bringing us back to the garden we will again regain a sinless heart like Adam and Eve possessed before the fall. How does this take place? Paul declares,
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Galatians 5:16
Through yielding to the Holy Spirit and letting Him live through us it is possible to become pure. The Holy Spirit, which is in fact the Spirit of our Father, is pure and therefore whatever we do by His bidding is also pure.
Those who are led by the Spirit are innocent
For example, normally a Christian man will not go to a strip club. However, if the Holy Spirit goads a man to go to a strip club and witness to an exotic dancer is this sin? No, it is not sin, because the Holy Spirit in him asked him to perform this mission and so his actions are pure. Does that mean that he should he linger and take in a show? No, the freedom of the Holy Spirit to complete a certain task does not mean he should not avoid temptation.
Again, if a lady missionary feels led to witness to a certain tribe where their women generally go topless is it sin for her to bare her breasts in order to fit in with those she wishes to evangelize? Of course it is not sin, but how many Christians would be open-minded to enough to realize her actions are pure?
We will again be not ashamed
The day approaches when we will again be “not ashamed”. The love of God will flow through us unhindered and we will spiritually “walk uncovered” before our Lord with purity of mind and conscience. We will do literally anything which God leads us to do. Our actions will not be sin no matter what it looks like on the outward because of the inward purity of our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
At present many are sick among us and some even die because we do not discern the Lord’s body. The reason that we do not discern the Lords body is that we are more concerned about outwardly looking good than doing what is really necessary to help those around us.
In my Father’s house there are many mansions
Whether we like it or not intimacy is at the core of who we are. Sometimes people act out in inappropriate ways in a desperate search for love. Unfortunately, the only avenues which appear open to them are those which the devil provides. People’s longing for love in their hearts, bodies, and spirits cannot be met through present day Christianity. This is because the normative church still suffers under the bondage of Calvinistic theology and Elizabethan morality.
Truly, since the garden our intimate nature has been askew. God brings us back into right relationship and sets right this fundamental area by renewing our innocence. In the coming feast of Tabernacles God will deal with us intimately and bring about healing to His people. The idea of Holiness carries with it a sense of “wholeness”. God, through His divine love, heals our intimate nature through one another. This is the only way for believers to become truly whole. God heals and renews us through the Tabernacle Experience.
Our intimate nature
We all live in these foundational areas and they must be set right. God cannot build His temple made without hands unless His people are sound. We can preach about tithing and prayer but those types of sermons never deal with our intimate core in a way that can truly help us. Perfect love casts out fear and divine love is absolutely essential in order for His people to trust each other enough to deal effectively with these sensitive areas. A child will only trust their mother to pull out a painful sliver; likewise, removing our fig leaves will also take divine love and profound trust. Healing of our intimate natures will be a major aspect of the spiritual fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles and becoming one with God.
Through the knowledge of good and evil we learned shame when in fact there was no shame. We are ashamed of our bodies, our reproductive organs, and our sensual nature. However, God never intended for us to despise or call unholy that which He created and called very good.
The liberty of the sons of God
Moreover, the Devil usurped much of human intimacy and turns what God said is “very good” into something exclusively associated with darkness and perversion. The truth is that, the liberty of the sons of God, even in this area, far exceeds anything that Satan has to offer.
Sadly, many, who cannot reconcile their intimate natures with current Christian dogma, fail to make heaven their home.People want to believe, but there is no place found for them within normative religion. However, if you can receive it, through the move of Tabernacles, God will change that which He wishes to change and make room for what He approves of. To be frank, our Father approves of a lot more than most people think.
The natural man cannot judge the things of God
The coming move of God’s Spirit will therefore mean that we will not be able to judge one another by the outward appearance any longer. What looks like sin may in fact be the perfect will of God. Believers will not be able to condemn another man’s servant. Spirit filled saints will only judge according to the Holy Spirit; if He says it is bad then it is bad but if He says it is good then His judgment will be final no matter what it looks like.
You may “in principle” agree with a little or a lot of what I say, but most people are ill prepared for Christians being not ashamed. Church leaders will not accept how this new move of the Holy Spirit plays out in their congregations. Only those, who hear God’s voice and trust Him implicitly, will see this revival for what it really is: divine healing for a lost and hurting generation. Through the spiritual fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles mankind will collectively emerge from behind the trees, put off their fig leaves, and stand once again before their creator unashamed.
Read “Between Two Trees”
Suggested book: “There were Two Trees in the Garden” by Rick Joyner
