By: Apostle/Dr. Joyce E. Street
April 2011
Romans 5:12 says: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”. We all know that “one man” was the father of us all: Adam. Of course, we can’t leave out the main person that was deceived, Eve, Adam’s beloved wife.
God told Adam that they were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He told them that the consequence of eating from that tree would be death. They would die spiritually, losing the life of God, and, they would instantly become mortal, dying until they died physically (separation of soul from the body). They ate from the forbidden tree, and just like God said, they died spiritually, and later died physically.
After God pronounced judgments upon Adam and Eve, He drove them out of the Garden of Eden. It must have been a heart wrenching scene. Gen 3:24: “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life”. They never were allowed back in the Garden. This act of God was the official separation of God from mankind. Man was driven out of God’s Presence.
This one act of disobedience, opened the door to sin and death upon all mankind. Before Adam sinned against God, he and Eve were made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26). Adam’s sinless nature was forfeited through disobedience, and, now all mankind have been born in the image and likeness of Adam, with a sinful nature and mortal body (Gen. 5:3).
Sin separated God from man. Mankind got worse and worse, and further away from God. Man became a slave to sin, and, to the Father of sin, Satan. Man became an enemy of God.
God took the first step towards mankind. Man couldn’t fix what had been destroyed. Nothing man did in trying to rid himself of his sinful nature, worked. Because, his works were not acceptable to God. Man couldn’t redeem himself because he was not righteous enough. Man couldn’t plead his case to God, because God rejected every effort of man. All man’s righteousness was as filthy rags. Man could never be good enough to approach God, because man was a sinner by nature. This nature came from Adam who took on the nature of Satan when he chose to obey the serpent that was speaking for Satan.
Apostle Paul captured the cry of fallen, sinful mankind in Romans 7:24: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death”? Man was hopeless, but, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Man couldn’t reach up to God, so God reached down to man. II Corinthians 5:18-19: “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them…” God sent the Lord Jesus to die as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. God sent Jesus to give His life as a ransom and for the redemption of mankind. The death of Jesus was the work of reconciliation:Rom 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”. Because of the death of Jesus, God no longer holds our sins against us when we believe and accept Jesus.
We, mankind, owed a debt we couldn’t pay, but Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe. Isa 53:4-6 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6) .
II Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. Because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, man can now be restored to a right relationship with God. When we accept Jesus, we are born again, that sinless nature Adam lost is restored. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, mankind can now be justified or cleared from all the guilt of sin and rebellion against God.
I Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator (one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant between God and men) the man Christ Jesus”.
The Cherubims that drove Adam and Eve out from the Presence of God can now put away their swords! We have been RECONCILED ( to bring into a changed relationship; to call back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore to friendship or favor after estrangement). God has been reconciled to man and man has been reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Alleluia, Glory to God!!!
I trust this message has blessed you and filled your heart with renewed love and joy, as we remember and celebrate this season of seasons: the Death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Chris
Jesus is coming very soon!
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Come visit us at Emmanuel International Church and Revival Centre — 6527 Central American Blvd. in Belize City.
Our service times are:
Sunday mornings at 11am and Wednesday night Prayer and Praise at 5:30PM.
