Amphibians

Amphibians are interesting creatures.  They are from two different worlds, one underwater and the other above the surface.  Most amphibians begin their lives hatching from eggs under the water.  They exist only in this aquatic habitat, living on insect larvae or algae.  However, once they reach a certain stage of development, they shed their underwater accoutrements, and don the necessities of the surface dweller.  From that point on, they tend to live close to the water, but they can never go back to what they once were.

C.S. Lewis describes humans as amphibians in The Screwtape Letters, a fictional book comprised of a series of letters written from Screwtape, an elder demon, to Wormwood, a fresh, out of the box tempter assigned to lead a particular human astray.  Humans exist within two worlds, the material and the spiritual.  We are a hybrid.  While the rest of creation exists purely in the material world and angels and demons exist purely in the spiritual realm, we bridge that boundary and exist within both, whether we want to live that way or not.

In a sense, Christians go through an amphibian-like metamorphosis.  Our change, however, is much more than that because our change is eternal, and it is different because the change is a choice.  You can imagine a human living a normal life.  They are aware of the material.  This is the underwater stage of the amphibian.  They have the potential to move to the surface, to breathe air and become a new creature, but they are stuck underwater by the choice not to accept this new life.  They do not realize that this new existence will offer freedoms they cannot even imagine.  At some point, God gets a hold of them, and He begins to reveal Himself to them.  He shows them what true life is.  It is not hiding underwater.  It is rising above the surface to a new life.  He transforms them.  He gives them legs.  He grows lungs within their bodies, and takes away their gills.  He makes them a new creature with the freedom to enter into a new life.  If they will move out of the water, they will see the world above the surface.  If they will not, they will die under the water.

So, how does this creature of two worlds, this physical/spirit hybrid, interact with the Divine who is pure spirit?  The first step is to enter into a correct relationship with Him.  As humans, we all know that we have done wrong.  We have lied or stolen.  We have lusted over a woman, or we have imagined beating the snot out of the person that made fun of us the other day.  We have all done something we know we should not have done.  We say, "I'm only human," apologize, and then we move on.  Unfortunately, those little things put us in an unacceptable relationship to the Divine.  He is perfect, and He will not accept anything less than holiness from us (1 Peter 1:16).  That puts us in a difficult situation because we are far from perfect, which is part of holiness.  The good part is that He made a way for us to be holy.

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life" (Leviticus 17:11).

The Divine became human, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John bore witness about him, and cried out, 'This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me."')  And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:14-17).  Once He became human, He lived a perfect life which was our requirement, "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:22).  Then He died on the cross in order that we would be granted forgiveness for our sin by the atonement made by His perfect life given in death, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit" (1 Peter 3:18).  You just have to accept it.

Once that is accomplished, the human is in a correct relationship with God.  He is remade.  He becomes a new creature, able to go beyond the water into the world of air.  At this point, because Jesus has made us clean, interacting with the Divine becomes a simple process, "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:14-16).  All we need to do is talk to Him.  This is what is common referred to as prayer, and this can happen anywhere because God is everywhere, "Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139:7-10).  We can also come before Him as we read the Bible, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success," (Joshua 1:8), "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:12-13).  We can enter into His presence when we are around other Christians as well, "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16).

The human creature is a hybrid of spiritual and physical existence, and we are meant to exist within both.  Even in heaven, we will have a remade body.  God certainly does not consider the material existence evil, or He would have entered into it Himself.  However, true life is in the spirit.  Eternal life is with God alone.  This physical world in which we are currently living is fallen and will be destroyed before it is remade.  So, live within it, but know that your eternal life is up there, above the surface in the world of the air, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3).