The Day of New Beginnings
God Consciousness
Gen. 1:
8 ¶ The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.
9 Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil produces the self life. Until Adam and Eve ate from the tree, they had no self consciousness, only a God consciousness. This is typified in Gen. 2:25: “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Partaking of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil created a self awareness that exists in our Adamic nature to this day. Vanity is the by-product of the self consciousness we inherited in Adam. Vanity is being defined here as not so much an excessively high regard for oneself, although that is certainly applicable, but rather as futility. Webster’s Dictionary partly defines vain as: “Having no real value or significance; worthless, empty, idle, hollow; fruitless, futile.”
Vanity, or self awareness, comes from Satan himself. That is why everything generated from him is call anti-Christ in the New Testament. Christ had only a consciousness toward the Father. "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him (Jn. 8:29). “ Unfortunately, in ourselves we can never make that statement. But we are in a process by which we are losing our self consciousness and coming into a God consciousness such as existed before the Fall. Everything God is teaching us at the present time points to one thing: It’s His sufficiency in us that opens the door to unlimited fellowship with Him. When we understand it’s not about us, but about Him in us, then we have the key to all God’s best.
Mark 10:
13 ¶ And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.
14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15 "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.
Jesus taught that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all. A little child represents one who has lost his self consciousness. He is not “wise” from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Remember, that was one of the serpent’s main enticements to Eve: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate (Gen. 3:6).” The wisdom from the fallen, Adamic nature is demonic. Let’s read it in James 3:
13 ¶ Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Notice how the wisdom from the earthen nature springs from jealousy and selfish ambition. Once again, we understand these are traits of the devil himself. They were imparted to the nature of man at the inception of Adam’s awaking to the self life which came from eating of the tree of good and evil. As we receive the kingdom as a little child, it means we are returning to the innocence that Adam had with God before his self-awakening.
Although much has been said about the work of the cross in us, it can be simplified down to one passage.
Mark 8:
34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
35 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
What life is it we lose, and what life do we find as a result? Jesus is speaking of the self life that was awakened in Adam at the beginning. If we seek to save our self lives, we will ultimately lose the eternal life found in Christ. But if we deny self and open our hearts daily to receive of His life, the kingdom will be wide open to us. The tree of Life that was denied Adam after the fall is restored to us as we return to the state of consciousness that existed before the Fall.
The Lord wants us to embrace the simplicity of knowing Him. Paul said in 2nd Cor. 11:3: “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” God help us to receive the Kingdom as little children!