Romans 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

Peter himself had admitted that some of the things that Paul had to say were difficult to understand. This morning as I wrote about my nephew this passage came to mind with a clarity of understanding which escaped me in the past. I thank my nephew for this clarity.

My nephew wants understanding on his own terms and not on God’s terms. I can see that in this passage. “Hey God, if you do exist, come down here and meet me on my own terms.”

When God relinquished His position on the throne and came down to be born of a woman that is exactly what God did for us. He met us on our own terms.

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Jesus withstood temptation by the Prince of the Power of the Air, the highest spiritual authority in the world, and did not sin. Luckily Satan is not the highest spiritual authority in heaven.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Jesus relinquished His will to the higher authority. This is the secret to this life in Christ, that we have access to the abundant life promised only if we relinquish our will to that of God’s authority.

Self-determination and self-rule has been the way of man for thousands of years and has led to nothing better than war, domination, genocide, slavery, death and destruction.

Yes the world is a better place than it has ever been but still falls under the terms and conditions of a ruling class who only has their self-interest at heart. Satan’s temptations in Matthew 4.

Acts 17:19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

The Roman name for Areopagus is Mars Hill and it served as the meeting place for the Areopagus Court, the highest court in Greece for civil, criminal, and religious matters. Even under Roman rule in the time of the New Testament, Mars Hill remained an important meeting place where philosophy, religion, and law were discussed.

This Thanksgiving my nephew and I met upon our own version of Areopagus, our own Mars Hill. Alone in a room filled with mother, father, and aunts, we spoke alone about high matters of interest upon which the topics varied in relevant terms of science and physics and theories that could to be explored.

Then came this issue of parallel universes upon which I have a unique perspective and that one being of a realm where time and space do not exist. I call it eternity and he did not agree. You see a meeting of the minds has to be based on terms and conditions of agreement and if those terms cannot be agreed upon, no framework can exist.

He insisted that the understanding must meet his terms and conditions. When I woke up this morning it dawned on me that his terms and conditions were not unlike those of my God who I hold as the ultimate authority on matters of eternity. It is after all where my God lives.

I have met the terms and conditions of my God in covenant relationship. He is the higher power, the higher authority and I cannot relinquish His terms and conditions in favor of those of a lesser authority.

Nephew, I am sorry that I cannot meet the terms and conditions of your demands. My explanation of God’s terms and conditions supersedes those of man and I do not have the authority to change those terms.

You cannot meet God on your own terms.