DEVOTIONAL

I believe with all of my heart the historical account of God’s revelation found in the book of Genesis concerning the creation and the fall of man. Though there are many religions in this world that would oppose such a teaching as this, not to mention the greatest philosophers of our day, as well as the most sophisticated scientist, I will hang my entire life on the teachings of the Apostle Paul. One might well say, “Who are you?” And I will respond, “You are correct in your speaking, for I am no one.” But to be honest, in all humility, I would rather be counted as the least of my day, a name to never be remembered in my generation, a person of the least interest, than to make a claim against The Holy Scriptures. For I am not concerned about you merely hearing my words or my thoughts. But if you believe the words of the Apostle, as I myself, concerning the dead estate of all humanity which brought forth the redemptive plan of salvation in Jesus Christ, then you, my friend, are not close from the Kingdom of God.

The Apostle Paul has already established that all humanity is under the wrath of God, proving that all have violated God’s perfect righteousness through the disobedience of His law. He has also affirmed that justification by faith is only found in Jesus Christ, who procured God’s perfect righteousness through the keeping of the law perfectly. He then laid down His life for the sins of the world, three days later being raised from the dead and ascending back to the Father. He now explains to us the historical account of man’s rebellion against the Creator found in the book of Genesis, recorded by Moses. The Apostle Paul tells us the answer concerning evil that the world is desperately seeking a solution for today.

The apostle tells us in this verse that Adam was created in his original righteousness as an image bearing of God perfectly without sin. Adam loved his wife Eve and said concerning her, “She is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.” They walked in the garden together with no restrictions but one. “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” The Scriptures tell us that a subtle serpent (Satan) entered into the garden at just the right time. He spoke to Eve twisting the words of God in such a delicate way that he convinced her that God was withholding from them. She partook of the fruit of the forbidden tree, and then convinced Adam to do the same. That day Adam, who is the origin of man, rebelled against the oral command of The Lord and sin entered into the world. Adam’s original righteousness was gone, and he, along with all of humanity, was now separated from the Creator.

Though this seems foolish to the world, this is the problem of the whole of creation. Unless our culture is awakened to acknowledge this truth, man will continue to kill man, sin will increase, murder and violence will run rampant in the streets, children will be destroyed through gender identity, sexual perversion will prevail in the homes, the origin of marriage will become even more corrupted, and the ignorance of man will plummet deeper into the depths of depravity until our culture is destroyed. May the grace of God awaken you to see the sinfulness of sin that you may turn to the only hope found that is in Jesus Christ and believe. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”