“And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.”
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat and gave also unto her husband and with her, and he did eat.”
“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig trees together and made themselves aprons.”
“And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of he Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”
“And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him,, ‘Where art thou?’ “
“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (Genesis 2 & 3)
These words record the occurrences of that day when “ by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;” (Romans 5:12) The effects of this act of disobedience on the part od Adam have been so devastating that “death has passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5: 12)
Our saddened Creator told Adam that He would curse the ground for his sake and said that it would be in the sweat of his face that he would eat bread until he return unto the ground whence he had been taken. (Gen. 3:19) But He also promised redemption and reconciliation through the seed of the woman who would bruise the head of the serpent . (Genesis 3:15)
St. Paul expressed our eternal hope in these words: “FOR AS IN ADAM ALL DIE, EVEN SO IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE’ (1 Corinthians 15:22). This brief verse embodies the whole story of the Creator’s dealing with His children. Sin, and death by sin, through the is obedience of Adam – – grace and forgiveness, yes, life itself as God’s gift through Jesus Christ, our Lord. “For He has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” ( II Corinthians 5:21)
During the season we call Lent, we are given the opportunity to meditate particularly upon the love of our Creator as it is expressed in the costly redemption which He provided for us in the atoning sacrifice of His Son. Lent is a forty – day period based on our Lord’s forty- day fast, and it begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes with the observances of Holy Week and the resurrection.
As we enter this season, let us especially pray that God will assist us to lay aside more of our earthly cares and seek to sit at the feet of Jesus. Our lives as Christians are a daily walk with Jesus, and we can commune with Him as we fulfill our callings. He has promised that if we open our hearts to Him, He will come in and and sup with us. (Revelations 3:20). There is no greater blessings than to prove the truth of God’s promise: “ Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8)
This daily communion with the Lord is the most needful part of our Christian walk. However, the Word of God also contains instructions for us to fellowship with other believers in the family of God. It is into this family that we have been born. (John 3:3) In this special family, which is named for the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3: 14-15), we have one Lord, one faith, and one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4: 5 & 6)
We can believe that tithe author of the Epistle to the Hebrews had this family fellowship in mind when he wrote: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another, and so much more as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10: 24-25)
“REDEEMED, RESTORED, FORGIVEN
THROUGH JESUS’PRECIOUS BLOOD,
HEIRS OF HIS HOME IN HEAVEN,
O PRAISE OUR PARDONING GOD!” From the archives of the Late Pastor A. C. Holmgren February 1986
Submitted by Pastor Stan
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