Jesus... Our Atoning Sacrifice
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8
In chapter 3 we are immediately confronted with man's fall in the Garden of Eden, when sin entered the world. We discover that the shocking consequences of sin affect the life of every member of the human race. It was from this one action that a sin nature has been imputed to all men, from conception. We understand how sin caused God's beautiful world to be cursed. We realize that sin, which was spawned in Eden, is the reason that the whole of creation groans.
There's no covering for sin, except the shedding of innocent blood. There is no hiding of one's naked faults from God. There is no recompense that can be paid to forgive our secret sins. There is no forgiveness for trespasses and sin that can be manufactured through man's own cunning, and there is no payment man can make that is sufficient to cover the cost of sin. From the time that Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, the wages of sin for every man and woman is death.
Their spiritual death occurred the moment they ate of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve died spiritually the moment they sinned. Their relationship with the Lord was immediately severed. And we, who are their descendants, are born spiritually dead. We are born dead in trespasses and sins. We are born estranged from God and at enmity with Him. And from the moment they sinned the march towards their physical death began... for death is the great enemy that claims the soul of everyman. May we never be so foolish as to deny our sinfulness or attempt to make recompense for our faults and failings. May we not be tempted to lust after fleshly things or place 'self' on the throne of our lives. May we look to Jesus, abide in Him and walk in the light as He is in the light... and when we fall into sin, may we quickly confess our sin to God, knowing that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, Thank You that in Your compassion, You did not leave humanity to die in our sin but to rise to life immortal through faith in Christ Jesus, our atoning sacrifice. Keep me low at the cross and broken before You and I pray that those who are still dead in their sin and at enmity with You would be convicted of their sin and turn to Jesus for foreignness of sin and life everlasting - this I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.