Many, many, many years ago, a man came forth from God, our Father. This man's name was Adam; and he was "the son of God." (Luke 3:38) From this man and for this man God formed the first woman; her name was also called "Adam." (Genesis 5:2) She later became Eve, the mother of the entire human race. God took this man and his wife and placed them in a Garden of Eden (Garden of Delight and Pleasure); giving them specific instructions not to eat of a certain tree of "the knowledge of good and evil." Like Himself, God gave them both a free will (the right to make their own choices). He also gave them of His power, of His authority, and of His glory, telling them to be fruitful and to populate the earth. He made them His under-rulers instilling within them His very life (eternal/everlasting life). That part of God that makes God, God. In the Greek it is called Zoe Life. From their innermost beings flowed this lifesource of God clothing them on the surface with brilliance and splendor. Underneath all of this radiance they had no idea that they were naked.
This man and this woman were perfect in every way and inseparable; their union was a marriage of total oneness; where one went, the other followed. The Bible tells us that they walked together with their God "in the cool of the day." What joy this couple must have experienced!
Then suddenly, unaware of the danger that lurked in the darkness; all that this couple had ever known sadly changed. Through an act of disobedience to their God, the course of human history was drastically altered. Conned by a shrewd deceiver, both the man and his wife, of their own free wills, bowed their knees to an alien spirit (a fallen angel in disguise) giving up the whole of their dominion to this one called "Satan." This act of high treason resulted in the loss of what once surged through their veins, "eternal life." Satan had now become their "god," and his nature and his influences filtered sheepishly into their lives and into their world. They were for the first time separated from their Creator, as well as from one another, and their unborn children destined for the same. (Ephesians 2:2 & 3) Through no doing of His own, God was placed on the outside looking in. The world that He had made and the people that He had formed no longer belonged to Him, but were given over to another; a lawless one.
Though intensely grieved by what "Adam" had just done, God the Father was not willing to lose His children forever. In His great mercy and love He without hesitation, instituted the plan of redemption for the purpose of purchasing His own back to Himself. In the Book of Romans 6:23, we read that, "the wages (price) of sin is death." The bond or covenant that existed between God and His man was broken. A broken covenant called "for death." Someone had to pay that price with His lifeblood. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that, "the life of the flesh (body) is in the blood." That Someone was Jesus.
Though it took many years to accomplish, Jesus, the "Son of the Living God," was sent into this world, born of a woman, to die; spiritually and then physically. He became as quoted from the Gospel of John 1:29, "the Lamb of God who takes away (by bearing) the sin of the world." He had to, just like Adam, be cut off from the Father that He had always known, in order to pay the full cost for what man had done in the Garden of Eden. The Bible tells us that Jesus never sinned, but, on the cross He was made to be sin with our sin (Adam's disobedience as well as all disobedience that would come forth through man's union with Satan). See 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 Peter 2:22-24. He did this so that we could once again be put into right-standing with our Creator, by receiving His righteousness or His right-standing with His Father. Scripture tells us that in Jesus we have peace with our Maker.
Jesus shed His lifeblood on that cross; every ounce of it poured out of Him. And of His own free will. He then allowed Himself to be ushered into the bowels of this earth (Hell itself) where for 3 days and 3 nights He paid the awesome price for Adam's high treason (Acts 2:31). This was, however, a trap laid by God for the devil. Satan had in his excitement and haste taken Jesus into his domain illegally; he neglected to realize that Jesus had never sinned. Hell is the place where only sinners are incarcerated forever. Much to his surprise and astonishment, what Satan thought to be his most victorious feat, turned out to be his worst nightmare. On the 3rd day, Father God spoke the powerful words that are recorded in the first chapter of the Book of Hebrews, bringing a New Covenant (or Testament) into existence between Himself and Jesus.
These words carried the authority within themselves to raise Jesus from His tormented position in Hell (Acts 2:24), to "RESURRECTED GOD OVER THE UNIVERSE." But not before His Son had successfully and masterfully regained from His merciless foe, Satan, all that he had so deviously stolen from mankind.
In Second Corinthians 5:19, we are told that, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing (counting) their trespasses (sins) against them." So you see, God, the Father is not holding anything against us; nothing at all. Thanks to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, ALL HAS BEEN FORGIVEN. Eternal Life is ours once again (John 3:15-18).
What happened at the Cross was an act of God's ultimate love for His children. He loves us not with mere human affection, but with a love that surpasses all natural comprehension. This absolute love, however, can only be understood through union with Him. He greatly desires to be a vital part of our everyday lives, but He will not force His Presence upon us and it is not an automatic occurrence. Though the price was paid in full some 2,000 yrs. ago, it is still a matter of our own free will. As Adam had the right to choose death and all of its consequences, you and I have been given the right and the ability to either invite Jesus into our lives or to reject Him altogether. But, if we reject Him, He will reject us! No one else can make this decision for us. No one at all! In Revelation 3:20, this statement is made (the words are in red, therefore, Jesus Himself is doing the talking); "Look! Here I stand at the door and knock (door of your heart). If you hear Me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends (fellowship or have a personal relationship with one another). He is calling you right now through the preaching of the Gospel (Good News) that you have just heard; you have only to answer His call and this is how you do it: From the depths of your heart, speak these words to Jesus (go ahead, He's listening), He has been waiting to hear this from all of us for a very, very long time:
JESUS, COME INTO MY HEART AND MAKE YOUR PRESENCE KNOWN TO ME. HOW I LONG TO REALLY KNOW YOU AND TO UNDERSTAND YOUR GREAT LOVE FOR ME. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME. AT THIS VERY MOMENT, OF MY OWN FREE WILL I MAKE YOU LORD OVER MY LIFE INVOLVING YOU IN ALL THAT CONCERNS ME. I LEAVE MY PAST BEHIND WITH ALL MY OLD WAYS OF DOING THINGS THAT WERE APART FROM YOU, AND WITH EAGERNESS AND ANTICIPATION I STEP OVER INTO THE BEGINNING OF A FRESH NEW LIFE, A BLESSED LIFE; ONE, THAT WITH YOUR HELP, WILL BE LIVED IN BOTH HONESTY AND SINCERITY IN YOU AND ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD, THE BIBLE. I AM REBORN! I AM A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD!
It doesn't matter who you are, where you are, how old you are, or what you may have done. If you have prayed this prayer, you can be sure that He heard you and that He is now both with you and in you. You are forgiven! Receive His peace and start anew. Above all remember: YOU ARE NOT ALONE ANY LONGER!
