Why Banned from Eden…

 

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22–24)

Joking, I say that “normal” is only a setting on the dryer, but reading this changes my understanding. God put humanity in a perfect place with a joyful task to take care of it and total innocence of guilt. Normal is Eden. Not anymore, but one day normal will be heaven. What keeps anyone out of both is lack of faith and disobedience to God. This is why Adam was sent out of Eden, no longer tending a perfect garden but working in an imperfect world, still with beauty, but marred by sin. Why? What is the reason for this consequence? 

God put guards at the garden gate because He didn’t want humanity to live forever in a sinful condition by eating from the tree of life. Instead, He sent them into a ruined world where they would learn how much they needed to obey Him. It took a long time, a lot of impossible rules, and a great deal of humiliation. Learning the way back would require the work of angels and a flaming sword, but becoming the people of Eden involved more, such as forgiveness, redemption, and the reverse of the curse of sin and its power. Sin messed with loving God and gave us a stubborn, “I can do it myself” way of life. Dealing with it required sending His Son and putting Him to death in our place, death on a Cross.

I’ve been a Christian for nearly sixty years and still fight that “I can do it myself” thinking. Even though it messes up life by putting wedges in relationships, robbing me of joy, and other undesirable events, sin’s power is persistent. Knowing better is not enough. I need the grace and power of the Holy Spirit every moment. New habits. Total and persistent obedience. Constant reminders of what God says vs. what I want. 

I can blame ADHD for being easily distracted to this DIY attitude, but the real reason is sin. I can say my ‘good’ deeds are “working the ground” but if they are not for God's glory but for my own needs and satisfactions. The Bible is clear: “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)

Faith in Jesus Christ reverses the curse. It makes us citizens of Eden and even though we are not back there yet, we get glimpses, a taste of it: 

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:22–26)

Salvation from sin through faith in Jesus Christ changes the curse to an incredible promise and a future reality, not yet seen but nevertheless very real. Oh Jesus, what is abnormal now will become normal, life eternal with You — being in that perfect place for eternity. You could have banned us forever, but in mercy and grace You have become our living hope.

Spiritually Blind?

 

READ Acts 9-12

The story of Saul’s conversion humbles me because my own story is a bit like it. I was not persecuting Christians like this man, nor did I have his religious background. Instead, I was seeking truth about my eternal destiny. I’d been reading the Bible daily for many years but didn’t understand it. One afternoon, I was reading a library book about reincarnation. It quoted a Scripture verse and at that point, Jesus came into the room. It was not a physical vision but bright light and a strong sense of His presence. I instantly knew it was Him the Son of God and my Savior, and that my search was over.

Reading again the story of Saul who became Paul, I’m reminded that no matter what we do in our search for God, God must reveal Himself to us. Without Him opening our eyes and ears, we are blind and deaf.

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

“In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear . . .” (Psalm 40:6)

Not only that, Saul immediately knew who stopped him on his way to Damascus. He was at first blinded, then given his sight, fed and strengthened and spent some days with the disciples . . .

And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. (Acts 9:19–22)

God didn’t call me to a ministry like that of Saul/Paul yet I know the power of God to reveal Himself and change lives. It is for this that I pray for many friends, relatives and others who do not know this incredible God. He must take the initiative.

Another part of this reading is the story of God sending Peter to the Gentiles with the Gospel. He used a vision to show Peter not to be prejudice against those who were not Jews. The dream he had included animals that were considered unclean, yet God told him to eat and said, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

The Lord recently gave me a similar understanding. He used a segment from the television show, “Doc Martin.” This doctor, likely autistic and with the worst bedside manner imaginable, is an expert at diagnosis but his wife wants him to be much better with social interaction. In the show, he is kidnapped by a woman who wants him to do the impossible for her ailing husband. The entire story is nutty. Finally, the local policeman (who is as dense as they come) and Doc Martin’s wife rescue him. At the end of the story, she says, “I’ve wanted you to be, uh, normal, but today I realize that there are no normal people. I’m not normal either . . . .” And with that, God reminded me of my negativity toward some who I consider ‘not normal.’ It was a mild rebuke, but it stuck. When God speaks and opens ears, even using a fictional television show, the truth He speaks hits home.

This passage reinforces the statement of Martin’s wife with verses like this: “To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43) Everyone. No mention of only ‘normal’ people.

If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:17–18) Not just Jews or God’s special people, but everyone.

These days, there is lots of talk about racism. Some of it is a silly attempt to use it as a reason for unrelated bad (or good) behavior, but many of those accusations are warranted. This prejudice has no place in the kingdom of God either. Nor does any other attitude that separates people into other ‘unacceptable’ categories such as homeless, unclean, low IQ, drunk, mentally ill, funny looking, old, short, tall, weird religion, phony, and on and on. In the sight of God, it is “whosoever will” and that is the vision that He wants for me too. He keeps opening my eyes to the vastness of His love for humanity and opening my ears to hear Him tell me what to do about it. I’m to reveal that love to everyone that crosses my path, no matter who they are or what issues I may have had regarding them. Amen.