Weekly Devotional 4-21-25 God’s Provision
Adam and Eve fell to the lie of the Serpent, that by partaking of the fruit of the tree of good and evil, their eyes would be opened to a deeper experience, that they would become like gods (Genesis 3:5). Why, after all that they had in the Garden, including fellowship with the Lord, would they desire something more is hard to fathom, but they succumbed to the lie and instantly their relationship with God was forever changed. The moment they took of the forbidden fruit fellowship with God was broken. They had walked and talked with Him but now they felt shame before Him. Even more troubling God separated Himself from them. He could not be part of what they had become. By this one act of disobedience, Adam and Eve became governed by a sinful nature. A nature that in thought and deed displaced God. They indeed had become gods unto themselves, persons of self-determination. God on the other hand, because of who He is, could not remain in fellowship with them. Righteousness and unrighteousness cannot co-exist (See 2nd Corinthians 6:14). Sadly, this determination was not restricted to Adam, but to all his offspring, which includes you and me.
However, the good news is that before God created the world, He made provision that man could be restored to a state of righteousness. But this could not be accomplished by fallen man, only God could accomplish that restoration. Before He created the world, knowing sin would enter the world and possess man He determined that He would take upon Himself that restoration. The penalty of sin was/is death (Romans 6:23a) and that penalty would need to be paid before man could be restored to righteousness. It would require the death of a righteous man, but no descendant of Adam would ever exist, so it was His determination that He would take on human flesh and become a man Himself. He as God, could not die but as man He could, and did. The apostle writes of this in his letter to the Romans. Consider >
“12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:12-19 NKJV).
Thankyou Lord God for your determination and thank you Lord Jesus for your sacrifice.
Steve
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
www.stevelampman.com stevelampman@comcast.net