This teaching by Dudley Hall is changing my life. I’m listening over and over so I soak up all the stuff I’ve needed to hear.
Dudley says:
“…They (Adam and Eve) say, We’re hiding because we were ashamed. Now, they are so conscious of their flesh, they aren’t conscious of the Father’s love. By the way, that’s the first description of “flesh” – the whole flesh we talk about in the New Testament. You know, my flesh and spirit. Flesh is that perspective of life that’s developed by orphans.
Adam and Eve
“Because now Adam and Eve introduce into the human race, for the first time, a fatherless mentality. They are identifying themselves apart from their relationship to the Father. They are trying to identify who they are, what they’re here about. So, the orphan mentality gets introduced into the whole thing. The orphan mentality is a striving mentality. Because when you are conscious that you are separated from the Father’s love, then you start taking on responsibilities of the Father. Like, “Well, I gotta take care of my provision.” So worry becomes part of the deal. Then you gotta take care of your protection, so fear becomes a part of your experience. And you gotta take care of your promotion, that is your significance, and so pride and selfish ambition become a part of your experience.
“So now you have those things that are driving you. And one of the differences between a son and an orphan is an orphan is driven by internal things to meet these needs, whereas a son is free to follow. To respond. To respond to the Father. Jesus said, “I can do nothing except what I see my Father do, I can say nothing except what I hear my Father say.” So there’s a difference between responding to the Father and being driven by these needs in your life.
“By the way, if you want a description of these needs in your life, go toGalatians chapter 5:19 and it will put it under a list called “works of the flesh.”
If you let this teaching seep into your mind and let it percolate, the truth will change your life.