By Bob Beanblossom
19 December 2016
Once, in the limitless infinity that surrounds God, the Divine Council met to finalize plans for Creation. All members of the WORD were present: God the Father presiding, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The meeting reflected the spiritual nature of those holding the meeting: it was infinite in its expanse, unbounded by walls, buildings, or even the Universe, for matter, energy, time, and space as we understand them did not yet exist.
Plans were all but complete. Creation was almost ready for “In the beginning God.” Even with the timeless infinitude of the Three-in-One, this was a momentous decision. If approved, a set of finite material things would be created from nothingness and added to the infinite somethingness of the spiritual realm.
God the Father looked with concern at God the Son—He who existed throughout eternity, but was soon to become Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Messiah, the Christ—the Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World. God the Father said, ‘Son, We have discussed Creation thoroughly. We will create Man in Our image to be holy, to worship and serve Us, and to care for Earth, that part of Creation that We will give them. We will create them as finite creatures, with material existence in a material world that has both a beginning and an end. They—man and woman–will become living beings at conception and be eternal from that point onward. We will always be present in their world and in their lives. They will be free moral agents, independent in thought and action, capable of deviating from Our Will. When they leave the realm of human life We will reward their obedience with eternity in Our home. We will call it Heaven. We know that they will sin, almost from the very start, even though I walk daily with them, and talk with them, and have fellowship with them. Satan, that fallen angel and adversary, will be an agent of evil, but rebellion will be the conscious choice each man. We will call that rebellion Sin. This is certainly neither welcomed nor approved, but is expected. Sin must have a penalty. That penalty will be an eternity away from Us. Sin cannot enter into our home. We will call the place of that punishment Hell. But, We will prepare for that fall from our grace and establish a process to allow man’s restoration. We will call that act of restoration Salvation. Our continual presence will be masked from them by their sin. But, We will always be there for each and every one who calls on Our Name. We will call that Prayer.’
‘We will select one lineage to call Our Chosen People. They are not special or remarkable in any way, except that I have chosen them to send Our message of salvation to the rest of the world. They will have cycles of righteousness and sin just as individuals do. The re-introduction of Our Will to mankind through them will be progressive. Sin will radically diminish their ability to understand Us and apply Our will to their lives. In fact, it will be impossible. When they fail beyond all measure, I will move Our presence to a new people, chosen from all peoples in all lands.’
‘Son, this is my big concern. Maybe we should throw this whole plan out and start all over again, with beings who will choose to worship and serve us. Sin cannot be accepted. No man will be capable of becoming righteous by Our standard. The whole lot will never be allowed into our presence because of their rebellious hearts. The only acceptable solution is the sacrifice of a perfect man to atone for their sin. There will never be a sinless man among them. Never.’
‘You have volunteered to become that sacrifice, to leave our home, become one of them in body, live and die among them. Son, I am proud beyond measure of the love that you show for those not yet created, but is it worth the cost? We can easily create a race similar to the angels who will worship and adore us, who will serve us and exalt each other. We have no mandate to create a being who will fail so miserably.’
God the Son spoke: ‘Father, Thy will be done. My offer stands to become the perfect sacrifice for all mankind. I will be born among them, walk and teach among them, be rejected by them, and die for them. Your love for me is the perfect example that I must follow. We will teach them Your ways. We will offer My salvation to every man. When I return home, We will send them God the Holy Spirit to live among and within them and guide and protect them. Those who accept my offer of salvation—for accept it each one must to receive the benefits I offer to all—will become part of the Family of God, the Bride of the Lamb, My Bride, the church. We will celebrate eternally as I receive them from the confines of a fallen world.’
And God said, “Let there be . . . and it was so . . .”