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Becoming Whole
Relationships and sexuality are areas of life that can be beautiful or confusing, life-giving, or painful. Becoming Whole is a conversational podcast for men, women, and families seeking to draw nearer to Jesus as they navigate topics like sexual integrity, relational healing, spiritual health, and so much more.
Becoming Whole
Revisiting using your imagination for fantasy or faith
What if your imagination could be the key to a deeper spiritual connection with God? This week, we explore how imagination can shape our faith, starting with the biblical story of Eve's temptation in Genesis 3. We dissect how deceptive imaginations can lead us astray, much like Eve's encounter with the forbidden fruit, and draw parallels to modern-day temptations such as sexual fantasies. You'll discover how recognizing these false imaginations is the first step in combating them and nurturing a faith that engages both heart and mind.
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Sacred By Design Women's Retreat - Are you a woman who loves Jesus & and you're doing the hard work to break free from unwanted sexual behaviors?
We would be honored for you to join us for our first Sacred by Design Retreat to be held on Saturday, November 2, 2024. This special time has been crafted for you to receive and relax, to create and connect. We pray you’ll join us as we slow down long enough to be caught up by our Creator.
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What's up everyone, James Craig, with you again this week. Spiritual coach and Awaken coordinator at Regen. We're a few weeks into our summer series. We're mixing in some new episodes, but also we're revisiting some old ones, some of our old favorites. This week we're revisiting, Using your Imagination for Fantasy or Faith, which was recorded in February 2023. Afterward, I'm going to lead us through applying some of what Josh taught, some of the principles he put forth using a few key biblical texts. Here we go.
Speaker 2:Sexual fantasy kind of enters your head. You start musing on some thoughts, start thinking about past experiences or people you might want to hook up with, or images you might have seen online or videos you might watch. Your brain starts to go that direction and, as it is, when our imagination starts to move and we start to experience it in our body, we want to bring that imagination into the real world. We want to make it flesh in some way, and so we end up acting out. So you're aware of the role that imagination and your thought life plays in sin, that imagination and your thought life plays in sin. Are you aware of the role that your imagination plays in faith? Are you aware of the way that imagination is actually a part of, can be a part of, growing your relationship with God and growing in sexual integrity as a result? That's what we're talking about on today's podcast. So, to start us off, I want us to take a look at Genesis 3. We were there last week, we want to be there again this week, because something interesting happens here that I think is really profound for us, and I don't know that I understand all of it, but I think it can be illuminating for us as we're thinking about the role the imagination plays both in temptation and in sanctification. So I won't get into all the ways the enemy tempts Eve, but basically the gist of it right is that he wants her to eat from this tree. That God's forbidden. And the goddess said if you eat from it you're going to die. And the serpent says, during verse four you surely won't die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. And this is where we're going to focus in. In verse six it says so. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. And she also gave some to her husband and he ate. The eyes of both were opened, they knew they were naked, etc. Etc. Etc. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. What did she see? What did she see? This is where I want us to focus.
Speaker 2:The enemy, when he tempts us, wants us to see something, but the truth is, what he wants us to see is not reality. Something happened in this conversation for Eve, where what she saw of the tree wasn't true. Let me ask you was the tree that would bring death to her good for food? That would bring death to her Good for food? Because that's what she saw. She saw that it was good for food. Was the tree a delight to the eyes? Maybe, maybe. We don't know what it looked like. The scriptures don't tell us. So maybe it really was a beautiful tree. I can't speak to that one. Was it to be desired to make one wise? Would it do what the enemy said? Would it really make her wise? No, no, it didn't, it doesn't and it didn't. I mean that's. That was not the fruit of what happened. The enemy twisted something. He said your eyes are gonna be opened. And her their eyes were open.
Speaker 2:We read that in verse seven, but not in the way that the enemy said. Not in any way. That enemy said she saw something that wasn't real. She saw something that wasn't actually there. And the enemy does the same thing to us. He gets us pointed at pornography, at an extramarital relationship, at masturbation, at fantasy, at a hookup, at a same-sex relationship, and he tells us all that will be there for us, all, that it's going to do for us, and it feels on some level like it will and it doesn't. And I'm not saying that there's not pleasure in it, I'm not saying that there's not some truth in what he says, but it's twisted and somehow, as we listen to the enemy's temptations, our own perspective is twisted and that's beyond the scope of being able to get in all that in this podcast.
Speaker 2:But what I want to highlight is this your imagination is important to your journey of faith. Your imagination is important to your journey of obedience, of your relationship with God. Why is your imagination important to your relationship with God? Well, I suggest, on a very practical level, because we live in a world that we see and yet there is so much that we cannot see. We cannot see love right.
Speaker 2:Love is a construct, it's a concept, it's action, it's sentiment, it's a lot of different things, it's self-sacrifice. We can see evidence of love, but we can't see it quite that way. We can't see God, right. I mean, we can see evidence of God everywhere but we can't see God. And so if we were going to be obedient to God, if we were going to love God with all that we are, all that we are, when we can't even see all that, we are right. We see the outside of us and we even see that kind of dimly right. We look in a mirror, but how much do you actually see of all that you are? Can you see your personality? Can you see your voice? Can you see your impact on people's lives? Can you see your history? There's so much about being a human being. You can see people you're in a relationship with, but can you see the relationship right? Like I mean, haven't, haven't.
Speaker 2:Isn't this part of our journey? Like, isn't that part of what gets so difficult in life that there are things that we thought were real and they weren't? We thought they loved us and they didn't. We thought they'd be faithful and they weren't. We thought we could do it and we couldn't. We thought we couldn't do it. We could. I mean, there's so much that goes on that we can't see, and the imagination is meant to help bridge the gap.
Speaker 2:I think it's the gift from God to help bridge the gap between what we can see and what we cannot see. We are not just flesh. We are flesh and spirit, and the imagination helps us to bridge the gap. It's a tool of faith, it's a tool of desire, it's a tool of love. Enemy wants to hijack the tool, the gift of our imagination, and use it for his purposes. This is what he does in Genesis 3. He kind of sows this tale for Eve, letting her believe a story that's not real, and she begins to envision this story in her head, that God doesn't care for her, that she's on her own, that she's not as much as valuable as she thought she was. He's spinning this tale and she then sees that the tree is something it's not, and the enemy wants to do that in your life and my life too. If the imagination is meant to be a tool of faith, a tool of desire, a tool of love, the enemy wants it to be a tool of unbelief, a tool of doubt, a tool of despair, a tool of deception and a tool of temptation. This is what he's after.
Speaker 2:Hey, everybody, do me two big favors, would you? First of all, if there's a topic you'd like me to be talking about on this podcast, shoot me an email at podcast at regenerationministriesorg. Secondly, would you rate and review this podcast by going to regenerationministriesorg slash rate when you leave a five-star review. It actually helps other people find the show. Thanks so much. Now back to it. Now let me just say an important aside here.
Speaker 2:I think a lot of us in the Christian faith we don't think about the imagination as a part of our spiritual journey. We might even sound offended at that, because we typically, I think, think about the imagination as belonging to fiction. The imagination has to do with that which is not real, because that's where we've usually used it. So we know that it's a tool of the enemy and so we try to steer clear of it. We either use it for entertainment, for amusement, or we try to steer clear of it. And so when we read passages in scripture like Romans 12.2, for example, where Paul says do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, we start to think oh, we need our minds renewed.
Speaker 2:And how do we try to renew our minds? With memorizing scripture verses, with thinking about the truth. And how do we think about the truth? Often we think about it in words. Right, we read the words of scripture, we think about the words. It's like we're trying to renew our minds with information, and true information at that, and that's fantastic. But it doesn't satisfy the heart to say, okay, let me focus on the truth. I'm a new creature, the old has gone and the new has come. I'm a new creature, the old has gone and the new has come. Like again, that's an unseen reality. And to to save the words, like we might try to drill it in our heads, we might memorize it, but has it taken a hold of our hearts? We need the imagination, our imagination, to help bring that into our hearts, because the imagination is the language of the heart. Facts are that are the tool of the mind. If I could, you know, separate us like that, which is probably not a fair way to do it. I think the Lord has given us our imaginations to help us to conceive of what the full scope of reality is and what truth is. And so, yes, we want our minds renewed and our imaginations play a part in that. Not because we are imagining a fiction, but because we are using our imaginations to take hold of that which is not seen but is true.
Speaker 2:You think the enemy uses our imagination or gave us an imagination? No, god gave us an imagination. Do you think it was just for amusement? Do you think it was just for kids? I mean, it's a powerful tool. Einstein said the imagination is more important than knowledge. Imagination is powerful, it is not to be trifled with. And the enemy wants us to kind of relegate it just to, you know, friday night movie night. Why so we don't use it for our spiritual lives? The enemy wants to get us to relegate it just to fantasy. Why do you think? Just just so that we can have. I mean, do you think the enemy uses the imagination just because it actually gives us a dopamine hit and we feel it physically? That's part of it, for sure. But it's also because he wants our attention and he knows the imagination is the doorway to our attention. So we read other verses, like 2 Corinthians 10. Listen to this Paul says for though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh.
Speaker 2:But have've talked to so many people over the years who try to take their tempting thoughts captive. And how do they do it? What's a tempting thought? A tempting thought is not words, right, tempting thought is not words. It's not like, okay, I should go look at pornography. That's not tempting. What's the tempting thought? It's images, right, it's pictures. It's images, right, it's it's pictures. It's it's movement, it's touch, it's imagination. Right, I'm imagining those things. But that's what the temptation is. Those are the thoughts that we're taking captive. And then we try to take them captive with words or with, like some kind of mental gymnastics, like, you know, don't think, don't think, don't think, like it doesn't work. How do we take them captive?
Speaker 2:Well, certainly, paul's talking about divine power. Here we unite our imagination with the spirit of God and we say to the spirit of God God, the enemy's got a hold of my imagination. You take it, you fill my imagination. Now, show me what's true. I want to see what's real. Ignite my heart, lord, to behold what's real in my mind right now. And so we then. You know, you're a new creature. The old is gone, the new has come. We might imagine. What is it? What do I look like? What does it mean that I'm a new creation? Well, what's my picture of the old me? That's me, tempted me, powerless to sin? What's the picture of the new me? What's the picture of me, strong and able to stand against the enemy? What do I look like? In the armor of God, holding the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit and wearing the helmet of salvation? And we invite Jesus. Jesus, use my imagination to show me what's real.
Speaker 2:Again, this isn't about fiction. This is about engaging with what is real and using our imaginations to engage, to take hold of that which is actually true, the true, unseen world. This is what God had in mind, I think, by giving us an imagination. Listen to this from Hebrews 10, beginning in verse 36, and think about these moments of temptation and the role of our imagination. The writer of Hebrews says for you have needed endurance so that, when you've done the will of God, you may receive what is promised. How do we take hold of what's promised? You guys, we can use our imaginations. We think of heaven. We think of seeing Jesus face to face. We think of heavenly reward. We think of making it through the day and being able to look our spouse in the eye without any shame or fear.
Speaker 2:He goes on to say for yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay. Are we just supposed to hear that and kind of just hold that today with just words no, imagine it. Imagine yet, in a little while, the coming one, jesus, will come and he will not delay. What will it be like? Let your imagination take hold of that, because you guys, the parts of the way the enemy is holding our imagination today. They speak to these deep desires of our heart. Do you think that the temptation of in your head, the fantasy of someone looking across a room and seeing you and being turned on by you and coming and hitting on you and having sex with you, do you think that imagination is just about that? No, it is speaking to your heart that you are seen, that someone sees you from afar off. They come to you, they seek you out, they want to be with you, they want to bring you into bliss. What is that? It's a twisted, distorted version, a sinful version, of what your heart is truly longing for.
Speaker 2:The enemy is using your imagination, trying to draw your attention to that smaller vision, and the writer of Hebrews is saying no, in a little while, the coming one is actually coming. Imagine him, he's not going to delay, he's coming for you. Okay. Now the writer of Hebrews goes on to say but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. And yet the writer of Hebrews says we are not of those who shrink back Imagine yourself as not one who shrinks back and are destroyed but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. And what is faith, you guys? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. It's the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Take hold of it with your imagination. You are not imagining fiction. You are imagining what is to come. It is reality, for by it the people of old received their commendation. Your imagination and my.
Speaker 2:The whole point of this podcast is is to to highlight for you yes, the enemy uses your imagination and temptation, and the reason he does it is not just because it works to tempt you, but because he wants to draw your attention away from using your imagination, allowing god to use your imagination for what it's really for, which is taking hold of the unseen reality of God, his presence, his love, his spirit in you, the power you have to overcome all things because of him, your union with the larger body of Christ and the fact that you belong, the true nature of you being created in his image, the truth of you being a new creation, the truth of you never being abandoned, all those things God wants to take hold of in your imagination.
Speaker 2:So, as you read scripture, about who you are, about the nature of God, use your imagination when you're tempted, battle temptation with the power of faith, letting faith take hold of your imagination. It's a tool of faith, a tool of desire, a tool of love, a tool, capacity that you have, that God has given you. Lord, thank you for our imaginations. We take them back from the enemy. We consecrate them to you, to your purposes. We consecrate them to reality, both that which is seen and that which is unseen. We consecrate them to the future and to your promised soon return. We do so, lord, with great thanks in the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Speaker 1:Amen. So we're going to apply Josh's teaching, the principles he put forth in two different scriptural passages. One is Psalm 23. Many of you are going to be familiar with this Psalm. One of my favorite Christian writers, dallas Willard, thinks that this is one of the greatest pieces of human literature ever written. There's so much beauty and denseness.
Speaker 1:So in whatever situation you're in right now, whether you're driving or whether you are at home, I just want to encourage you to kind of get centered before Jesus as I take us slowly through Psalm 23. You might shut your eyes, you might take a couple deep breaths. The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. Notice the landscape, notice what the Lord looks like. Notice if there are other sheep around, or it's just you in the pasture. He, the Lord, makes me lie down in green pastures. Lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths, for his name's sake. So take in, take in what that looks like Him guiding you along right paths, through green pastures, by quiet waters. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because you are with me. What does the valley look like right now? What does it mean? That the shepherd, the Lord's rod and his staff, they comfort you.
Speaker 1:Okay, now the third scene. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. What do your enemies look like right now If you're still a sheep? Are they other animals, if you've kind of taken on human form? Are there people in your life that are enemies to you right now? So, in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Think about the Lord anointing your head, blessing you. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. So imagine that final picture, the pathway of your life leading to the ultimate dwelling place, the house of the Lord. What does the house of the Lord look like? What does it smell like? What is there? Okay?
Speaker 1:Okay, we're going to do one more exercise, this one, now that you've gotten your muscles warmed up, your imagination muscles. This one we're going to look at ephesians 2 6. This verse says that god raised us up with christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms, in Christ Jesus. And then verse 7 goes on to say in order that, in the coming ages, he might display the surpassing riches of his grace, demonstrated by his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Okay, notice that Ephesians 2.6 is written in the past tense, but verse 7 points to the future.
Speaker 1:So there's a reality in which, even right now, even in your current day, your present day, if you're a follower of Jesus, you are seated with him in the heavenly realms that, as Christians, we believe that he is. Actually, he sees us as we are, but also as we will be. He sees us in both, through both lenses. So this is a little bit more of a stretch. It's a little bit less guided than what Psalm 23 gave us.
Speaker 1:I want you again to close your eyes, if it's a safe place to do so, and ask the Lord Lord, help me to imagine how you see me as I am seated with Christ right now in the heavenly realms. So pause and allow the Lord to fill your mind with images based on how he sees you seated in the heavenly realms with Christ. You need to pause. Feel free to do so. We're going to close out this podcast, so grateful that you guys are with us. Hope that God ministered to you, both through Psalm 23, but also through imagining yourself seated with him in the heavenly realms. I know, when I've done that, I've been surprised by the way I perceive him and myself in a really good way. We need to be renewed. We need our minds to be renewed through our imaginations. So I want to encourage you guys continue after this, continue to imagine yourself. Imagine your way into reality, into things as they really are, into the heavens, into the presence of Jesus. Grace and peace to you all.
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