In a previous post, I mentioned a book named, "The World According To God". This book was one of the factors that helped me overcome the non-biblical and cultural barriers I had to naturism.
One of the premises of the book is that the world and life has a design created by a divine Creator - God. Like anything in this world, things work best when used as they were designed. The book uses a CD player and toaster to illustrate the point. Start with a CD and 2 pieces of bread, and figure out the analogy from there. The book also explains that when something is broken, you need to understand it's design to repair it.
The main theme of the book is that we live in a broken world. If we want to fix anything, we need to understand the design as intended by the Designer. Furthermore, anything done to understand a design and restore something to its state intended by the designer is an honor to the designer.
For those of you who know a little about me, I own an '80 Corvette. That car was a MESS when I bought it. I am restoring it to better-than-new condition one step at a time. I learn something about the Corvette designer, Zora Arkus-Duntov, everytime I take on a new step it the restoration. And when I complete that step, I gain an appreciation of the the creativity and engineering skills of Zora and the rest of the Corvette team over the years.
How does that relate to naturism?
Consider the way God designed us and the way we live. We were designed to give glory to God that only God deserves. We are his greatest creation. EVERYTHING about us was "very good", while everything else he created was just "good".
In the beginning, everything was perfect in the Garden of Eden. Man and woman were naked and were not ashamed. They were completely exposed and transparent to God and to each other. THAT is God's original design.
Then came the Fall. Adam and Eve attemted to cover themselves (i.e., be NOT transparent) to cover their sins. In a futile attempt to cover their exposure, they invented crude "clothes" using fig leaves.
God created Adam and Eve to have a relationship with Him. Their physical exposure was a barrier to their relationship with God. They attemted to hide from God, the exact opposite of what God (the Designer) intended in the first place. Fig leaves weren't much, so God helped them cover their exposure by sacrificing animals and covering Adam and Eve in the skins of those slaughtered animals, so Adam and Eve felt comfortable enough to come out of hiding.
Now, those who believe in Jesus Christ no longer need to cover themselves. First of all, it is futile to hide anything from God. He sees everything we do on the outside and everything we think and feel on the inside already. Second, the sins that caused us to want to hide from God (and from eash other) have been forgiven and the punishment we deserve has been paid by Jesus, so get over it.
Back to the book...
The book goes on to explain that taking the time, making the effort to understand how God intended life to be, and trying to live that design as best we can (with the help of God) is a form of worship.
I have had naturist tendencies and desires for as long as I can remember, but my "RC" taught me that being naked or even wanted to be naked was a sin. I could go into detail about the impacts that had on me, but I won't. The bottom line is that I may be a sinner, but I am still God's greatest creation. I don't have to cover up.
Gotta' go. I'll be looking forward to reading the reponses.
80Vette;
You hit the nail exactly on the head. This world is out of whack simply because we continue to live outside of God’s design. Every time we have a war, make a new law, or subject some part of god’s creation to our flawed way of thinking how things should be, we sin. That is sin in a nutshell. No matter if we force others to wear clothes, belong to our denomination, or destroy the earth for our own pleasure. How simple to just go back to how God intended it! Yes, except for the fact that we would be a handful against millions. How I wish we could do that. Alas, I believe it will only happen when God directly intervenes. Now, will that be with or without or participation?
So many people misinterpret the Genesis account because they haven't read the rest of the Bible. How can the same God actually command someone like Isaiah to go naked, if he did it to cover their nakedness in Genesis?
Why did the prophets go naked like Saul was when he joined in with them?
Read in Job how the poor often don't have anything to cover them in the night in the cold. Or read about if you take a man's cloak, he'll have nothing to cover himself at night.
Read about Solomon's female lover getting her breasts suntanned because her brothers forced her to work in the vineyard. (probably topless, possibly nude)
Go outside the Bible and read about how the Olympics were done nude hundreds of years before Jesus came and 400 years after. Yet, there is no condemnation for this ANYWHERE in the Bible. Same for naked baptism. It was done by the Jews for centuries, and Christians were done this way for 400 years after Jesus came. It was so common that it wasn't even mentioned in the Bible itself.
... as far as I can see, wasn't to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness, but to protect them from the harsher world outside of the Gargen.
That's what I think, anyway...
Oh, and if he made the fig-leaf thing to cover his nakedness, why does Adam still call himself naked after he made it? I just saw that the other day, but haven't had time to look into it. I seam to remember someone saying that the word describing the fig-leaf constructions would best be translated as "aprons". Is this correct, because after discovering that Adam still considered himself naked I began to wonder if they made clothing out of the leaves or maybe something they could hide under ... I don't know, but I want to find out.
Another thing to consider is that the nakedness being discussed wan't necessarily physical, or just physical, but spiritual and emotional.
Often man has this little problem of "I can fix that". With Corvettes, thats fine, but with relationships, it's a little harder.
The number one thing God wants is a relationship with us!
I am a full believer that God knew and intended that man makes mistakes. The problem with our current theology (not based on Jesus') is that we turn "mistakes" into "sins". Yes, we sin, but how we react to it makes the difference.
The sin we are to die of is the original sin. God did not say we were to die of the mistakes we make as humans. The original sin was taking the tree of knowledge without God's permission. One day, God would have given it to us, but at his own timing, not ours. He wanted us to take of the Tree of Life, which was right there in the garden along with the forbidden tree. They could have just as easily (and freely) taken of that tree.
However, instead of running to God, (it was really too late since the penalty was death, no change there) we try to fix it ourselves. It took God to fix it. But we wouldn't have it that way. Our relationship struggles causes us to ignore God's offer to resolve the issue.
Now that the issue is resolved, will we accept that resolution or do we continue to follow Adams example and try to fix it ourselves? Yes, God covered us with clothing, does that mean we must continue being clothed for the sake of our sins? Maybe, but I think we need to open up more doors to reconciling to God and building a relationship with him.
King David is a good example of a good relationship with God. Even though he blew it big time, tried to fix it himself, he still had a "repentant" attitude that allowed him to be pliable and able to be reached by God. All God had to really do is say, "Hey David, you sinned" and in a way, he did just that, with an analogy to help. David immediately responded! And that is what we need to be like in this world.
Yes, we make mistakes and God knew we would. But the sin that really takes us out is when we refuse to respond to God and come to Him and build a relationship with him. We continue to hide in shame as if we can fix it ourselves.
As it was pointed out, God designed it, so we just need to go to God and say "I can't do it. Will you please fix it for me?"
Hi Boyd, You're doing a great job and providing a valuable service to us all--Thank you. You said: "The sin we are to die of is the original sin. God did not say we were to die of the mistakes we make as humans. The original sin was taking the tree of knowledge without God's permission."
Given that we are born into (original) sin, I think the sin we die from spiritually is rejecting Jesus as our Saviour. See John 3:17-19--
17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
My intrepretation of that passage is that we are born "condemned already"; we escape the condemnation by believing "in the name of [Jesus]". Then it follows that there is no other reason, or sin, that condemns us; only the sin of rejecting Jesus as Saviour.
As soon as we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, Lord and King (don't forget that last part because Kings run our lives too!) we are no longer under the penalty of the original sin (death) because Jesus died for us in our stead. It would be like a man walking into a prison, walking up to a deathrow inmate who is heading straight for an electric chair, then saying "I will sit in that chair for you, you are pardoned, and no longer guilty of any crime".
But that doesn't mean we can go on a sin free-for-all. We need to live a life of repentance. That doesn't mean we should be sorry for living, but we should be grateful and thankful all the time. And when we do make mistakes, sin, then we should be maliable, plyable, useable, changeable, correctable, in other words, repentant.
Repentance isn't to say "I'm sorry", its to say, "I can't, please help me!"
Once Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, he could not go to God. His mind and heart changed so much that there was no room for God. His own "knowledge" (if you call it that) was killing him. He was overwhelmed by the emptiness of his futile life that he hid in raw fear! There was no way God could work with him at this point. His mind was reeling with so many negative thoughts (do we do this?) that he could not hear God, that "still small voice".
It is no wonder he hid and try to resolve the issue himself. But it is God who can fix us and make us whole. Yes, man had to be dressed for he is not worthy to be counted as a child of God and represent the Image of God. He is not his image or likeness, UNLESS and only until he accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior, Lord, King and God! And when we do come to that point in our lives where we accept him fully and place our selves under his footstool, be his disciple (more than just "accept", but learn, live, be, act, fulfill, carryout, imitate, be like), we mustno longer associate ourselves with the fallen man. Yes, we still have the old habits that was given to us, but that process comes through time. That is why we are and should be his disciples.
We are of the Second Adam now. The Tree of Life is Jesus Christ. Dont' forget, the Tree of Life was in the garden the whole time, they could have just as easily gone over to that tree first and took of it. But they were distracted and took the wrong one. How often do we make this same mistake? "Football or church? Hey, it's the season playoffs, family is visiting, it is my duty to stay home and watch football with them."
Now does this mean we can "run around naked"?
A question we need to answer here.
