Sunday, June 16, 2019

Destructiveness of Sin (GL08)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A)  Hiding from God's Presence
Gen 3:8  And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
    Adam and Eve looked forward to meet God in the cool of the day for His presence gave them great joy and comfort. He would carry and help them to pick fruits on the tree tops, mount on the wild elephants and big birds and swim along with the sharks and whales.
    Such blissful time with God was destroyed by their sin. Their guilt of disobedience made them hide from His presence.

Awaiting their Repentance
Gen 3:9  Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
    God knew that they had already committed the sin of eating from the tree of knowledge. He did not condemn them but instead inquire of their whereabout hoping that they would repent.
    Instead of confessing their sin of disobedience and rebellion, Adam out of shame, gave the excuse that he was naked.
Gen 3:10  So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

B)  Prompting for Repentance
Gen 3:11  And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
    God did not accuse Adam of sinning but instead patiently and lovingly hinted to him that he should admit his mistake.
    Our merciful and loving Father will always forgive all those with sincere repentance.

Adam Blamed God
Gen 3:12  Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
    Instead of confessing his sin, Adam, out of pride, blamed God for giving him Eve, who made him to sin by giving him the forbidden fruit. God had showered so much love on both of them and still Adam blamed Him for the sin.
    For over a hundred years, He was always at their side whenever He was needed - to help and comfort them and to save them in dangerous situations.
    Where were their love, trust, honour and respect for Him? Where was their divine love, which
 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (I Cor 13:7)
   Our Father God's heart was completely shattered by Adam's lost of love for Him and for Eve when he blamed God and Eve for his sin.

C)  Gen 3:13  And the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said," The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
    After Adam blamed God for giving him Eve, who caused him to sin, Eve also blamed God for putting the serpent in the garden of Eden.
    Suddenly, their hundred years of blissful fellowship with God just vanished and there was no longer any respect nor reverence nor fear of God in them.

Consequences of Sin
1. Fearful of God's presence
2. Guilty of disobedience
3. Naked for exposing their weaknesses.
4. Blaming God for the sin
5. Blaming others
6. Destruction of the divine love
7. Blind, without truth and filled with doubts and fear.

Col 1:13-14  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
    We thank God for the blood of Jesus that has dealt with our sins so that at our repentance, we have the confidence of facing Him without any more guilt of sin. We also thank God for restoring the love of God in man again.