If
diseases do not exist, there would be no need t spend years in the laboratories
finding remedies. If men and women were not lost, there would be no need
talking about their salvation. When we lose sight of their lost, it becomes
difficult to feel a burden over their spiritual need. No matter how likeable,
kind, helpful and upright a person may be, he may or may not be saved. In fact,
good moral sinners are often hard to reach because they feel a need for change and
Christians may not sense the urgency of witnessing to them.
We
can comprehend the full tragedy of sin only by contrasting man's situation
after the fall with the glorious perfection of his beginning. The higher one's
position before a fall, the greater the devastation that follows.
For
man to be a morally responsible creature, he must have the power of choice,
otherwise, he will be a robot. God does not force man to do anything, in fact,
He gave him the power to make choice.
The
fall of man completely disrupted the lives of Adam and Eve. Their punishment
was not temporary, it affected their future. God saw Adam as the federal head
of the human race in whom all of humanity sinned. Not only would Adam die, but
''in Adam'', every member of the human race would die- 1 Cor. 15:22; Rom. 5:12-
As by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin, and death passed upon
all men, for that all have sinned.
The
tempter knows how to make us sin because we are sinful by nature and he knows
what we like. Just as he did to Adam and Eve, the devil comes to us with
pleasant or attractive temptations. When we are most at peace with the world,
we need to cling closely to Jesus and let the Holy spirit be our guard. The
first curse fell on the soil from which Adam must secure food for himself and
family. The light, pleasant work of cultivating and caring for the garden of
Eden would be exchanged for the hard and often painful labor of eradicating weeds
in the farm. The climax of God's
word to Adam is found in the pronouncement ''till thou return to the ground''.
Adam would live physically for many centuries but the ''day'' of death had
already begun. Man would end his earthly career as part of the dust from which
he was originally made.
The
death caused by sin is in three-fold; Spiritual death which is the alienation
from God and disruption of communion with Him- Eph. 2:1; Physical death- Heb.
9:27; and Eternal death- Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:14. God drove Adam and Eve because
of their transgression, they were forcibly moved from their privileged
position. God's placing of the cherubim with the flaming sword at the garden
gate implied that never again would circumstances be as they were before the
fall. Forgiveness of sin is available to all, but willful transgression of
God's law brings consequences.
The
Holy Spirit gave us a promise regarding temptation. In effect, it is redemption
applied to our daily living; No temptation has seized you except what is common
to man. And God is faithful; He will never let you be tempted beyond what you
can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can
stand up under it-1 Cor. 10:13. Jesus is our only avenue to eternal redemption.
He is our way out of temptation.
If
we established the need of mankind for redemption, but at the same time knew of
no way out, we would be most miserable. But the message we have in the bible
does not stop at the need for redemption. God goes beyond the ''bad news'' of
our fallen, sinful nature and delivers the ''good news'' that Jesus had come to
deliver us. It is the good news of the gospel that can offer redemption to the
unredeemed world. We are not forced to live in despair because of what Adam and
Eve did or to live under the curse of sin- we can choose to live in the light
of God's redemption on Christ.
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