Much consideration has been given to the fall of man, which was described biblically and in numerous other ancient religions and mythologies from around the world. The biblical fall centered around the misuse of free will — in the form of disobedience and disagreement with God’s will — and resulted in a loss of man’s innocence, vision, authority, power, and connection to that which is above him.  

Mankind was under divine control and functioning correctly until the time of the fall. Being under divine control allowed him to extend that control through his capacities of body, mind, and heart, into the earth. The kingdom of God, through man, governed the kingdoms of this world for the better part of human history.  

A kingdom is a place of authority and control. God’s kingdom is a place where God’s authority and control reign supreme, where His will, the will of the spirit of love, is done. The earth was designed and purpose-built for the revelation of God’s kingdom at this level of creation. 

The fall of man was essentially a fall in consciousness, a descent from the awareness of the intimate connection between God and man, heaven and earth. That fall in consciousness also had physical implications; man’s issues were literally driven into his tissues. The fall of man and its subsequent perpetuation was described many ways in the bible, but at its root it centered around what is called judgment.  

The fall precipitated a loss of divine identity, a fall from grace and nobility. Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God, with the purpose of having dominion over, that is, of extending divine control into, the earth. Man as such was not designed to be a part of creation, rather he is the embodiment of the creator at this level of creation.  

The willful exercise of judgment supplanted divine discernment at the time of the fall. The most profound shift in the mind of man was that he no longer saw himself as the embodiment on earth of the creator, as a divine being with human form. Instead, he “fell” and saw himself as part of the creation, of that which is in the process of becoming. He started saying and believing, “Well, I’m only human. Nobody’s perfect.”  

Man recognized metaphorically that he was “naked,” that is, stripped of his divine authority and power and grew ashamed as a result of abandoning his post and duties, his natural position of authority and responsibility for stewarding creation on earth. Rather than repenting, of rethinking his approach as he ought to have given the intelligence and sensitivity to the spirit of God with which he was endowed, man resorted to blame. Instead of owning up to it, he blamed God for creating man and his outer capacities of body, mind, and heart “[t]he woman whom thou gavest to be with me…” (Genesis 3:12)  

By blaming rather than repenting, man repelled himself even further from his seat of authority, which made him feel even less powerful and insecure. Haven’t you had that experience, of blaming rather than repenting? It comes in many forms. Perhaps it came as an accusation instead of forgiveness, where you erred but then blamed your circumstances (“What else could I have done given the circumstances?”), another person (“He/she/they made me do it!”) or even God (“Why do I have to deal with this, why me Lord?”).  

In any case, blaming instead of repenting always has the dual effect of exacerbating the preceding mistake or “sin” and making the unrepentant feel weaker and more exposed. It repels one from the core of his being and pushes the sense of identity further to the periphery. Metaphorically speaking, as described in the Book of Genesis, we are ejected from the “Garden eastward of Eden,” from the future, the heaven, or the place from which creation springs when we err and refuse to repent. 

Man’s place of reentry was marked with “Cherubims” and “a flaming sword which turned every way.” (Genesis 3:23-24) This symbolized the fact that to return to one’s natural place of being, one repent, pass by the truth, the sword of truth, and return to innocence. Repentance always involves the suspension of judgment, the acceptance of forgiveness, and results in healing and being restored to a greater conscious awareness of the oneness of inner and outer identity. Repentance restores innocence and allows fear and guilt to be cleaved from one’s soul. 

Repentance is the simple act which reconciles outer man to his source of being. It restores authority and wisdom, which are natural to man’s inner reality, his divine self. Repentance is the exclusive means by which man is returned to a state of peace and tranquility from the disconnected, painful state of separation caused by the abuse of free will.  

Repentance opens the door to the giving and receiving of forgiveness, which in turn calms the troubled heart and allows once again for the perception and reception of wisdom, of the current of the spirit of God. Your wisdom comes not from that which you achieve or obtain in earth; your authority is rooted in that which you are and wisdom is principally a matter of the heart. 

Our great Master said, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) Repentance is an assumption of responsibility that restores privilege, power, security, and the wherewithal to live in this world but not be of it, to be a creator and not part of the creation.  

You are meant to live in the kingdom of God on earth. You are meant to live from your place of heavenly identity, in the Garden planted eastward in Eden, now. You are meant to so live that your living blesses, brings peace to, and increases that which you touch.  

The fall of man can be a temporary phenomenon, despite its apparent persistence in recent human history. If you function correctly, the fallen state of consciousness will soon be a thing of the past in you and eventually in the body of mankind. Man can and must be restored. Will you let it happen through you?

The promise of this life — a life of fulfillment, joy, happiness, and tranquility — was not lost because of some naughty ancestors of yours, way back in the beginning. It is extended to you now. 

To know it, however, you must repent. 

Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash