It’s a dangerous thing when God gives you what you want. Because, on account of your sinful nature, what you want is the gift rather than the giver. God gives man dominion over the beasts and the field so that he can survive and thrive. But instead of rejoicing in the Lord who gave us lordship over creation, man makes creation his lord, bowing down before mute, worthless idols, worshiping demons by worshiping the creation rather than the creator. And when God gives us over to that desire, we dash ourselves to pieces upon it.
God gives man his body so that he can see and feel and hear and taste divine love. Man uses his body to chase after perverse passions, to pursue anger and violence. God gives man and woman to each other in the one flesh union so they can see a reflection of His love for His bride, so that they can rejoice in a taste of His fatherliness in procreation. But man and woman cast aside natural relations for unnatural ones. They sterilize themselves and call children a curse and a punishment so they can make gods out of the perversion that only gives birth to open sores. Hatred, death, misery, corruption. That’s what happens when God gives us up to a debased mind by letting us have what we want.
But thanks be to God that, in Christ Jesus, God didn’t give us what we wanted, but what we needed. As Christ was torn apart, He tore the idols out of our hands. As Christ was pierced to the cross, our Father in heaven pierced into our hearts and destroyed all of our filth, all of our corruption. When the Word became Flesh, the Son of God came into His creation, and gave peace to those who rebelled against their Creator, brought healing to those who had separated themselves from His Father. And in the waters of Holy Baptism, the Holy Spirit created in you a new nature, gave you an enlightened mind of wisdom to replace your debased mind of the flesh. He gave you a new heart that wants not what the flesh wants, but what your Creator wants. So be at peace. Want the things of God, the treasures that have already been made your own through the blood of Christ.
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