Invasive Nature of God
The Invasive Nature of God
Originally Written by Josh Blackmer
Living in South Florida we are not strangers to the concept of invasive species. We deal with iguanas almost daily, but we also have walking catfish, Argentine Tegu, Muscovy ducks, Burmese pythons, Cane toads, Rhesus monkeys, Brazilian Pepper trees, wild boar, Cuban tree frogs, Snakehead fish, Lionfish, Giant African land snails, Air potato vines, and feral cats, to name a few. These non-native species get introduced to a spot where they have no predators or disease control and quickly reproduce. They begin to compete with native species that require similar habitat and food supply. If left unchecked the native species tends to decline while the invasive thrives. It completely takes over the new habitat while the natural fades away. While this is obviously not what we want to happen to the environment, it is what we want to happen in us.
If we are left to our own devises, we will not live righteous lives as God would have us. Paul said this is where we are without God. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them, we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” (Eph. 2:1-3). Not that we are born sinful, just that our own passions and lusts lead us to death. The very next verse gives us hope, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5). God, because of His great love, wants to save us from our nature and have us understand His divine nature.
“Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” (2 Pet. 1:3-4). That change to reflect His divine nature in us starts with knowledge and faith, then a continual growth (2 Pet. 1:5-8). We see this concept also in other passages. This process is referred to as putting on the “new self” that is renewed in the likeness of God (Eph. 4:20-24; Col. 3:5-17). In the Colossian letter, Paul prescribes that we “put to death” all those native attributes and allow the divine to take over in our hearts and minds. This is a hostile takeover that we should promote. We need this change in nature in order to enter the kingdom and thereby the promised land. Pick a native attribute in you and start killing it today.