Articles
Amazing Grace
Can you believe it? Adam sinned! God said, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). Is that hard to understand? We just want to ask Adam, “What were you thinking? What part of “N” or the “O” did you not understand?
God said you may “freely” eat of every tree but one. And, of course, that was just the one from which he wanted to eat. With all the provisions freely before him, it was the one prohibition that drew his attention.
It has been that way ever since. The fact is, he was not thinking, he was lusting. Sad! But equally sad is this: if he had not done it that day, I would have today. I don’t think Adam is alone.
Don’t you know all of heaven was shouting, “No, Adam don’t do it!” when he reached out, took, and ate of that forbidden fruit? The same way heaven shouts to us, “NO, Please NO, Not Again. Not another one lost!” Moved by man’s lost condition, God decided then and there to redeem man (Gen. 3:15). Yes, man died that day. Innocence died that day. Sin was introduced that day. But that day, God said, “Satan you will ultimately lose and the seed of woman will deliver the crushing blow to your head. You will bruise His heel along the way, but He will deliver the death blow to you once and for all.” The line was drawn in the sand and God was going to win.
If man’s choice of the one forbidden thing was amazing, even more amazing is God’s grace. The ultimate selfish act was offset by the ultimate acts of unselfishness. “For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him will not perish.” Now that is amazing! God did not have to. He wanted to offer His Son for man’s selfishness. Death came by sin. Sin was introduced by Adam. Life came through Christ. And that life was given as a result of sacrifice. Death no longer reigns. Now, in Christ, life reigns.
All that sin and Satan sought to undo, God in Christ conquered. We now reign victorious and have the hope of glory because of Him. What was lost was found. What was sold was redeemed. No longer wretched, we shout with joy, “I have been redeemed. The blood of the lamb took away my sins.” Victors!
Yes, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. God saved a wretch like me.”
Why do we want the one thing forbidden when so much is provided? It is not a matter of being smart or dumb: it is love or lust.
