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Saturday, March 22, 2014

Christian, Have you Had a Garden of Eden Experience?

Christians around the world have heard the creation story. We know God created the heavens and the earth and all living things in it by speaking them into existence. He then created Adam and Eve with His very hands that would later be pierced for all mankind's' sin. Then God placed them in the Garden of Eden to live face-to-face with their Creator. They had a relationship with God that was unhindered by sin. They walked in the cool of the night and day with God, naked and unashamed(Genesis 2:25).

Then one day they chose to disobeyed God. Once Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they saw and experience evil for the first time. They only knew what they had lived; a good, peaceful, perfect life with God and all His creation. But at that very moment they saw God as GOOD and themselves as evil. Suddenly there was an invisible barrier between them and God. Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide his face from you so that He does not listen."

Adam and Eve realized they had sinned against God and were ashamed, humiliated and tried to cover their butts (no pun intended) by placing blame (Genesis 3). Adam blamed Eve and even God for giving him "the woman", Eve blamed the serpent, and IF the serpent could have blamed someone, he probably would have pointed his finger at God and said, "You created all of us, so it's Your fault."

I think one of the most grievous sins is blame! It's easier to blame others instead of taking responsibility for our own actions and acknowledge our sins. We even have the audacity to walk around with our noses stuck in the air as if our sin don't stink! I say this with all sincerity, until you and I understand that we have sinned against God alone, stop blaming others, stop rationalizing in our minds that our sins are "not as bad as...", and stop justifying sin because "everyone else does it", we are harming ourselves, our fellow man and hurting the heart of God!

God listened as they played the blame game and then He disciplined each one of them which resulted in a broken relationship, demonstrated by Him kicking Adam and Eve out of the Garden. However, before he did that, He provided clothing for them to cover their nakedness, which I believe represents God's willingness to forgive their sin. The consequences for their sin could not be stopped, and sin entered the world like a plague!

So I ask, have you had a Garden of Eden experience? Have you, His child, been so close to the heart of God, living in relationship with your Father in Heaven and then suddenly there was a barrier because of sin? Realizing sin is sin and it is against your God, have you been humbled and ashamed of your sin? You see that "little white lie" isn't so little in the eyes of Jesus who took our punishment for sin. He was beaten for that "little white lie", lustful eyes, prideful heart, prejudice, hatefulness, grudges, bitterness, drunkenness, sexual immorality, disrespect of God...
Isaiah 53:5 "But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him."

When we allow His Spirit to show us our sin in comparison to His Holiness, we will be broken and ashamed of our sin. We then humbly cry out to Jesus for forgiveness, He will once again clothe us with His righteousness and wash our sins white as snow! Saved people must remember to repent.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Daily, I want to be reminded that I too am a sinner, my sin is no less or worse than yours and sin has consequences...

If you have never come to Jesus as your personal Savior, repent and turn to God. Call on Jesus' name, for there is no other name on earth or in Heaven by which you can be saved (Acts 4:12). I pray today is the day of salvation for you because no one is promised tomorrow.

Praise God, Praise God! He is close to the humble!