Life with God

At the Fall, in the Garden of Eden, Satan convinced Eve that God was somehow withholding something from her. The serpent twisted the truth of what God said. (Gen 3:4,5) Then, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating from the tree He said not to, God knew right away because it severed their relationship. They actually tried to hide from Him in shame (Gen 3:8-11). Next, the first ever blameshift on earth happened when Adam tried to fault God saying it was because of the wife God gave him (Gen 3:13).

Of course, they had listened to the devil and decided it was okay to ignore what God said. He gave them an entire garden full of all kinds of trees with wonderful fruits to be enjoyed (Gen 2:9). But they focused on the one tree God said they couldn’t have…He said don’t even touch the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Gen2:17). Unfortunately, the Tree of Life was also in the garden and if they ate of that tree in their fallen condition, they would live forever in that state of separation from God. So in His love, God banished them from the garden.

And we have been trying to get back to that garden and the peaceful union with God ever since.

Our efforts to fill the void left by God’s absence in our lives are evidence of our need to fill it. We try to patch the hole with anything and everything (sex, alcohol, drugs, business, materials, etc) but nothing can replace Him.

But God made a plan.

He knew exactly what He was going to do.

Adam and Eve had separated the spirits of men from communion with God. Because He is holy and just, He can’t be in the presence of sin, nor can He just let it slide. Sin must be paid for and the only currency that will do is blood: “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23a).

This is why there was so much blood sacrifice (Leviticus 4) in Judaism, down through the centuries. God gave them a way to atone for sin until He got His ultimate plan in place. The Gospel.

God the Father, sent His only son, Jesus, down into our cold, cruel, broken world in the frail body of a baby. Jesus experienced all the pain, heartache, frustration, and difficulty of living as a human being, but He was God. He grew in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52), submitted to His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph. Then, when the time was right, God unfolded His plan to His Son. Jesus was 30 years old.

In those three decades, Jesus never once sinned. He remained submitted to His parents, teachers, priests and He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. As He was sinless, He could be the substitute and die for the sins of others. His sinless blood poured out to pay for the sin of man, to reconcile us to God.

And then His sacrifice defeated Death, too. He rose from the dead so we could be returned to a relationship with God and have eternal life with Him. So we get the other half of the Romans 6 scripture:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23)

There is nothing anyone can do to earn it. It is a free gift. The only thing with gifts is, you have to open them. You have to receive it. The way you do that is just talking to God. You tell Him how sorry you are for your sins and you accept His death on your behalf. You admit Christ died for you.

I like the chair analogy I’ve heard before. I’m not sure of its origin. A lot of people say they believe in God or they believe in Christmas and Easter. But I can look at a chair and say I believe it’s a good chair. I believe it can hold me if I sit down. But it’s in the sitting down that shows I actually have faith in the chair.

Have you sat down?
Have you put your faith in what Jesus did for you?
Do you trust the chair to hold you and all that weight of sin you’ve been carrying around?

Take a seat. He can take it.

“Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)

[If you don’t know what to say, there is a sample prayer provided if you’d like to use it.]

Sinner’s Prayer

When you have come to an understanding, through God’s Word, of what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross, you then just ask God to simply forgive you and accept you as His child. And He does!

“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

You can use my words below or your own but confessing with your mouth and believing with your heart is what brings about your transition to a child of God.

“…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Dear God

Through Your Word, I have come to understand that I am more sinful than I ever imagined but also more loved than I ever hoped. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and in my place. I accept Him as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me and make me Your child, in Jesus’ name I pray.

Thank You, my new Heavenly Father.

Amen.