There is a sense in which a new year is an artificial construct. Your pet dog or cat has no sense of the end of one year and the start of the next; the routine is usually pretty much the same. But for those of us who mark the changing of the years, turning the page on the calendar represents a time to look back, look ahead, and push the “reset” button on a new beginning.
Today we look at the point in time where God pushes the “reset” button to mark a new beginning for His people.
We’re back for a third time with writer Mathew Simon at his blog, Revelation of God’s Love. Reading devotionals here where they first appeared sends both traffic and encouragement to the featured writers. Click the title which appears next.
God’s Love Through the 1st and 2nd Adam
In the beginning, God shows Himself as unconditional love to Adam.
He created the world and humanity in an imperfect form but He said it was good.
“Genesis.1.31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. “
Look at the universe and see all of life – it is imperfect but it is very good in God’s eyes.
God created man out of dust as flesh and blood. He never created us as immortal beings but Adam was naked in the garden, signifying that he was imperfect but God never judged him. God has always accepted human beings as we are, loving us unconditionally.
God never told Adam to do anything to become perfect because humanity was loved unconditionally.
God never told Adam to keep the ten commandments but to simply enjoy all of God’s gifts on earth in our life.
God never told Adam to fast, tithe, get baptized, pray, repent, love, or do anything.
God never intended man to live forever on earth because man is not immortal like God.
But Adam’s sin was to try to become perfect like God and attain immortality. He wanted to be like the perfect God and know what is right and wrong. You see, that God knows good and evil but He does not judge us.
The instant Adam knew good and evil, he became sin-conscious and knew his nakedness, being afraid of God’s judgment. God was never a judge but man’s sin corrupted his mind.
God then put humanity under the law so that all men were condemned as sinners.
“Romans 3.19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.”
He had set a day of judgment to judge all men by the law.
” Romans.2.6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger…..it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”
Nobody could obey the law in the flesh so then God sent His son, the 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ who obeyed the law and forgave all sins by His death on the cross. Jesus then gave His Spirit to His followers so that they would become perfect like Jesus if they stopped sinning and loved others like Jesus loved. If they did that then they would be saved because they would have been made righteous by keeping the law. The Law of Jesus would have declared them righteous at the judgment day.
But God never wanted to judge the world. It is because even the followers of Jesus were unable to become righteous and they stumbled in unbelief and sin, not being able to attain immortality.
In the end, the Bible came to a close. Jesus never came back and the Law passed away. The Adamic curse is gone.
God’s unconditional love has been revealed on the cross where Jesus forgave all our sins. We believe to experience this love of God.
You see, Adam did not understand God’s unconditional love and that is why He tried to become perfect by knowing good and evil.
So that is why God sent the 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ to show us God’s unconditional love.
We know what is right and wrong and may feel condemned. But when we know that Jesus has already forgiven us then we can know God’s love.
There is no future judgment day because the Law passed away in AD70.
God loves you unconditionally in all your flaws and imperfections, Jesus has already forgiven you.
Christianity 201 