Tag: Online (Page 4 of 48)

Today presents us with an interesting situation.

We know throughout Scripture when there is sin there needs to be confession; where there is sin there needs to be repentance; where there is sin there should be a contriteness of heart.

But when we look in Genesis in our journey “from Genesis to Jesus,” we find something missing that we would expect to be there: something important; something ingrained (and rightly so). We don’t find in this recorded account any confession by Adam and Eve of their sin. Plenty of blame, plenty of pointing their fingers, plenty of fear; but we don’t see repentance. Something so fundamental throughout Scripture. Such a central doctrine of what it means to be a believer, to be a follower of God, to be faithful in our Christian living.

And it is.

In Genesis we see Adam and Eve being forgiven without a previous reference to any confession; to any repentance. We go from blaming, to sentence and proclamation of due punishment, to God clothing them and forgiving them with the first sacrifice.

Does that give us leave not to repent? Does that mean that it’s not needed? Not necessary? Not important?

Absolutely not!

Just because that is not in this account does not mean that God is not very clear on the matter.

However, even here we see so many times to confusion on the matter. I’ve heard from countless people — Christians —who say you cannot be forgiven unless there is confession; unless there is repentance. This makes forgiveness a response of God based upon the works of man instead of on the mercy and grace of God alone. It is solely by God’s mercy that we are forgiven through faith in His Son, Jesus – promised all the way back in Genesis. Promised because of the unfaithfulness of Adam, Eve, and each of us. It is only by the grace of God and not by our works of repentance or confession that grants us favor – and that only through faith in Jesus and nothing else.

This doesn’t minimize repentance and the need for it. It gives the basis for why we do it; the basis for our desire for it. We see our need to repent and our want to repent because of God’s mercy and grace through Jesus, not in order to get God’s mercy and grace through Jesus. When we repent we are focused and reminded of our need for a Savior. We are in a state of humility before Him, who alone forgives and saves. We see our need and His fulfillment. We posture ourselves before Him with the realization that God’s grace is bigger than our sin. And all this through the promised Her made for a coming Messiah all the way back in the garden.

What a great God we have!

“Lord God, we praise and thank You for Your mercy and grace given to us before we even repent and confess, because of Your goodness through faith in Jesus. Hear the cries and the humbleness of our heart and our own confession, in our own true repentance, and grant us Your mercy and favor through Your Son who saves. In His name. Amen.”

Scriptures

• Genesis 3:11-13
• Psalm 32
• 1 John 1:8-10

There are always ramifications for our actions. Good or bad. Helpful or unhelpful. Godly or ungodly. Consequences for the decisions that we make.

The consequences for Adam and Eve’s rebellion cannot be overstated. I’m not talking about the specific consequences for Adam and Eve (which are bad) but the ultimate ramification for all of creation. The fall of creation. “In the day that you eat… you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

Death. Destruction. Decay.

This would affect not just mankind but everything. There was one simple requirement and the rebellion that took place from that had the ramification of dying; of death.

It’s hard to grasp of implications more significant than that.

Of course there were other ramifications for Adam and for Eve. Unfavorable outcomes and consequences for the way that they and we live while on this Earth, but being expelled from the garden forever and going through decay, destruction, and ultimately death is the ultimate ramification for rebellion against God’s requirement. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). That’s true not just for Adam and Eve’s rebellion, but for our own. We sin therefore we die. We rebel therefore we suffer the ramifications, just like them.

But thanks be to God that that’s not where things ended!

The ramifications are not permanent. Through faith in Jesus Christ, it’s not the end. Jesus conquered death. He conquered the ramifications of our rebellion. Through faith in Jesus, His victory over death becomes our victory. Death no longer has hold over us because it could not hold Him. The ramifications of the rebellion of our sin is death. But the ramifications of Jesus’ victory is life over death. Living over dying. A new creation over the destruction of the old.

Thanks be to God!

“Lord Jesus, thank You for having the victory over death. For destroying death. For overcoming the ramifications of our rebellion and sin so that we might live; so that we might have life in Your name. Eternally. With You. Thank You for overcoming everything for us. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Scriptures

• Genesis 2:17
• Genesis 3:7-13
• Genesis 3:16-24
• Romans 6:23

Being a “rebel” today is a badge of honor for some. Star Wars had the Rebellion. Billy Idol had his “Rebel Yell.” (Ok, I know both of those references are dated!) When we call someone “a rebel” it’s usually a term of endearment or respect rather than of scorn or derision.

That may very well work for culture and today’s world – especially if you’re talking about rebelling against an unjust, unrighteous, or immoral system. But it doesn’t work when we’re talking about rebelling against God and what He has given. What He has commanded. What He calls us to do or be. We are called to be obedient, not rebellious. Follow, not lead. Submit not subvert.

The third stop on our journey “from Genesis to Jesus” and reason for the need of a savior comes to “rebellion.” The rebellion of Adam and Eve by taking the forbidden fruit. The numerous rebellions that we commit against God every day. Rebellion directed toward God. Directed toward His plan, His will, His way, His Word. A rebellion that wasn’t content with paradise and thought we could do better.

Nonsense!

The choice is simple. The choice is binary. Right or wrong. Good or bad. God or us. When put in these terms the answer is clear: it’s God’s way or there is no way.

How blessed are we that when we chose the wrong answer, when we chose our way, when we rebel against God and His perfect way, He forgave us. Jesus came, suffered, and died so that our rebellion would be no more. Not only defeated, but invalidated. Reversed. Through faith in Jesus our way – our sin – is forgiven and forgotten. Only His way remains. Only His perfect way remains. The rebellion is done. The rebellion is conquered. The rebellion has failed. Christ is victorious over it – over all of it.

Thanks be to God!

“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for being victorious and putting our rebellion to rest forever. Thank You for overcoming our reckless rebellion and oversight. Grant us Your Holy Spirit to live, breathe, desire, and share Your perfect way from here on out. In Jesus name, Amen!”

Scriptures

• Genesis 3:6
• Romans 3:23

So many requirements can be made for joining organizations or applying for grants or completing forms for the government – even for some churches for their membership. There can be long lists of requirements that have to be done or fulfilled in order for something to happen.

In creation, when God put Adam and Eve in the garden to care for it, He didn’t have a huge list of requirements. He didn’t have a ton of laws that needed to be fulfilled. He had one requirement: “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” (Genesis 2:17)

That was it! Nothing else. No other rules, laws, ordinances, statutes, or anything else. One simple requirement: not to eat from one singular tree when countless others were available to them.

How did things go so wrong? How is it that they couldn’t keep that one solitary requirement?

It seems a bit preposterous to us. Such a simple requirement. Such a simple thing to do – or in this case not do – to continue living in a garden of paradise while being able to walk with and commune with the Lord daily. It’s hard to conceive of what that temptation must have been like to put all of that into jeopardy. Almost inconceivable to fathom what could possibly be better that would jeopardize that situation and relationship by breaking that one requirement.

Yet if we try to get too high on our horse and judge Adam and Eve too harshly we should remember: not only do we break the requirement to have Him as our one and only God, our pinnacle of focus, our ultimate desire, but we break so many more of His requirements, too. And we also have a fellowship with God, an indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and a friendship with our Lord Jesus that is paradise itself through faith in Jesus. That is to be envied, sought, and desired beyond everything else in our lives. And we, like Adam and Eve, put aside God’s requirement and seek our own satisfaction.

How utterly foolish. How arrogantly small. How ridiculously myopic.

We are so blessed that God wasn’t satisfied with Adam and Eve breaking His one requirement. We are so blessed that He wasn’t satisfied with our breaking of His requirements. We are so blessed that He is satisfied with Jesus fulfilling all requirements on our behalf. Because we didn’t. Because we wouldn’t. Because we don’t. Because we won’t.

“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for fulfilling all the requirements for us so that we would be forgiven, saved, and have eternal life. Grant us the Holy Spirit so that we are strengthened, not just to do what You require, but desire it as well. In Jesus’ name; Amen.”

Scriptures

• Genesis 2:15-17
• Acts 16:30-31
• Psalm 19:7-11