A Glimpse of Innocense

I wonder what a life of innocence would be like. I sometimes get frustrated that so much of life involves suspicion and distrust. I was reading Genesis chapter 2, and began to let myself imagine what the innocent life would be like.

God found joy in creating man. God desired fellowship and so created Adam in order to have it. For God to have true fellowship, he gave Adam three wonderful gifts: Freedom, Ownership, and Companionship.

God gave Adam freedom to choose. First, he gave him the choice to accept God or to reject him when he put in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God wanted Adam to love him and be loved by him. However, Adam had the choice to not love God. Of course, to reject God means to no longer live. But Adam had the choice. Second, God gave Adam permission to eat anything he wanted. He also gave him choice to do what he needed to in caring for the garden.

God gave Adam ownership of creation. God took on the servant’s role and brought Adam the animals to let him name them. God gave him authority to subdue the creatures of the earth and to rule over them. The earth was Adam’s to have and to manage. God would help him, or course. But, the earth belonged to Adam.

God gave Adam companionship. After it was clear to Adam that the creatures weren’t suitable as helpers, God gave him a companion with whom to share life. The companion was someone like him. The companion was part of him. The companion would allow him to reproduce. It allowed Adam to share with God the experience of giving life.

God’s desired to enjoy an eternity with Adam and those who came from him. It was a never ending life of freedom, creation, and love. Who wouldn’t want that?

I don’t live in a world of innocence. But, since following Jesus, I have been given freedom once again to live. I have the mandate to subdue an untame world. I have the ability to experience loving companionship. Simply, salvation begins the process of restoring what was lost when the innocence was gone.