God treated the first sinners with justice and mercy
Can anyone tell me: How Did Bad Things Come into God’s Good World? Did bad things come through – our being good?
No, Bad Things Came through Sin!
Does anyone know what Romans 5:12 says – Did Sin entered the world through 5 men?
No, Sin entered the world through one man.
Today were going to be talking about the big idea that:
God Treated the First Sinners with Justice and Mercy
Opening ACTS Prayer
Sovereign Lord, I want to praise you today for being so perfectly just, and yet so very merciful. I want to confess that, like Adam and Eve, I have tried to hide my Sin and have blamed others for my faults, I want to thank you for not treating us as our Sin deserved by instead you sent us a Savior, help us, Lord, to be honest with you and others regarding our sin. And help us to trust in Jesus for our Salvation. We praise you – Amen.
Bible Story & Supplemental Reading
God punishes Adam and Eve, but promises them a Savior, And New Heavens and Earth: Like Eden, But So Much Better
Our Bible Story is called – Going Home:
The Garden of Eden had been closed to Adam and Eve. God had sent them away – away from the peaceful land, away from the pleasant trees, away from its good food, and away from the fellowship with God.
Now Adam and Eve were sinners – they were separated from God, choosing evil, rejecting His good ways, they had been thrown out of their home, they would have to work and it would often be difficult, unfruitful and unsatisfying – basically it would be hard now, they would get tired and sick, they would grow old and die, they would fight, and be selfish and their children would grow up to be just like them. This is what the Bible calls – being dead in Sin.
Oh, why hadn’t they trusted their Lord, why didn’t they believe in Him and what He had said? Eden was gone now and they were without hope – or were they?
God already had a plan. Adam and Eve deserved no relief from their punishment but God, who is rich in mercy, gave them hope. He said He would come again - later and He would walk amongst men and women as He had done in the Garden but this time, instead of waiting to see if we would be obedient, He would be obedient for us. He would be perfect, since we are not. He would die for our sins, He would Save us and those who turned from loving themselves, turned from loving sin, to those who believed in Him, He would give them His perfect life, and they would spend forever - with Him.
And it gets better; one day, He would make new heavens and a new Earth even better than the world we live in now, even better than Eden. It will be a new home where we could live with Him. But Adam and Eve and their kids would have to wait, they would have look forward with faith – believing God for this Gift – the gift of a Savior, the gift of a new heavens and a new Earth – their new home where they could live with God forever.
But it will be better than this world, better than a hard life, better than fighting sin, better than being mean and selfish, it would be better than being with other - mean and selfish people, this life is hard because its supposed to be hard. A hard life was God’s punishment for the Sin back in the Garden.
But God said through his prophet Daniel – Don’t give up, have faith – the Savior is coming! And through the prophet Isaiah God had said – I am the Savior, it will be me who comes, I will pay for your Sin!
Then at last, Jesus came and he said – Believe in me, I am the Life, I have come down from heaven, believe me. Jesus lived a perfect life, he died on a cross, he paid for our sin, he is our Savior and we trust in him, and in what he did, and what he promised us. He rose from the dead, he beat Satan, he went to heaven, and he’s making a new home for us so that one day we might live with him forever, when he comes again.
His best friend, John, had a vision, this vision is called the Book of Revelation and in the vision Jesus said – Don’t stop now, have faith, one day I will come again and I will gather my people together to be with me. And we will see him, and we will see the new heavens and the new Earth and we will be together with God in a better world- better than Eden, with better gardens, a better city, with better trees and a beautiful river and God will take care of us - like a Good Sheppard takes care of His sheep. He will protect us and provide for us, and we will love each other and worship Him because he treated us with Justice and with Mercy.
Did you know today many of God’s people still suffer and they are still waiting and they ask – When can we see Jesus? – When will we see the better heavens and a new Earth? – When can we go home, to be with Him forever?
But He says to His people – Don’t give up now; have faith and wait - He is coming!
No comments:
Post a Comment