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12 -- What is our reality towards sin?
GENESIS 3:20-24
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she is the mother of all living. 21 And the LORD God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. And now, perhaps he will reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever -- ” 23 So the LORD God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 So he expelled the man. And to the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and the flaming of a turning sword to guard the way of the tree of life.
A joyous cry of triumph rose from the throat of Adam, when his wife gave birth to a son, in spite of his rebellion and the punishment of God for him. So, death did not reach the life of the first family. Rather, God allowed humans to participate in his creative power by way of fathering and descent. Every birth is a miracle, and daily mothers bring new life into the world of death. Every woman carries the name of Eve, because the name “Eve” means “life”, which she brings forth in childbirth.
In His mercy God did not kill the sinners, but helped them to deal with their circumstances, and that in spite of the shame, cold, guilt and death surrounding them. And the LORD God allowed the slaughtering of animals to atone for their sins with their blood and to clothe them with their furs. So God cares for us even today with his fatherly love. He bestows on us nourishment and clothing and health, in spite of us working with the strength granted to us and in spite of us building our lives with the intelligence given to us. So when do you thank Him for all this care?
Now due to the sin of mankind a fundamental change took place between them and God. They became spiritually separated from the Lord of glory and they lost His image in their conceit. This is what God affirmed to them by dismissing them from His proximity. We have no greater anguish than to live far away from God, lacking His glory and life and power. And God dismissed man from His fellowship, because he, who does sin, becomes impure and thus unfit for fellowship with God. A man is not able to return to God out of his own power, because his sin separates him from his creator as a towering mountain, which he cannot climb. And the angel of God guards the way to the creator with a flaming sword, so that not any impurity will ever come close to Him.
However, He did not bar the way to the truly Holy One, coming to us sinners from God, to rescue us from our rebellious state. He was the only one, who was able to come to us. There is no salvation and no eternal life and no divine rescuing power, except by Jesus Christ. He alone brings us back to fellowship with His Father. When do you worship Him?
MEMORIZE: So the LORD God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. So he expelled the man. And to the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and the flaming of a turning sword to guard the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:23+24)
PRAYER: Oh Holy Father, we are burdened with thousands of sins and we deserve to live far away from you in painful torment. We praise you, because you sent your unique Son to us, who has forgiven our sins and brought us back to you. Sanctify us to live with you together with all the saints in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.