SUCCESS WITH GOD

There is an impossible chasm between God and mankind. Between every person and God, that includes you and I.

It is so wide and so deep that no amount of human effort and ingenuity could ever span it.  It wasn't always this way and it doesn't have to stay this way.

God did not create the chasm and He doesn't want it to exist. The problem started with the first man and the first woman that God made. We know them as Adam and Eve.  They were both created by God, in His own image.  They were the only part of His immense creation that was patterned after the image of God.  God is holy, righteous, loving, and just.  Adam and Eve were holy because God is holy.  Their relationship with God was completely the result of their love and loyalty to their creator.

The chasm developed after God assigned Adam and Eve roles and responsibilities on the Earth.  He created a special garden in a place called Eden.  He put Adam in charge of it and He assigned Eve the role of being Adam's helper, the role she was created for.  For an unknown period of time, they took care of the garden and would fellowship with God whenever He came by to see them.  God had instructed Adam that he could eat any of the fruit from any of the trees in the garden but one. Adam understood that and told Eve of their liberty and their one restriction.  

Enter SIN!
God's enemy, that we know as Satan, is powerless against God.  He hates God because God is holy and just, because Satan rebelled against God and was judged severely for doing so.  In his desire to hurt God, he determined to hurt Him by attacking those that God loved because they were created in His image, Adam and Eve.  One day Satan approached Eve with a question designed to cause doubt of God's holiness.  He said, " Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Genesis 3:1 She responded with what Adam had told her, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Genesis 3:2,3 First his question, then his lie, "Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4,5 Eve was deceived by his lie, so she examined the fruit of the one forbidden tree, liked it, picked it and ate it.  So far no consequence, she didn't die, so she gave it to Adam.  Adam was the one made responsible by God, he was the one that received the command.  Adam was the god of the Garden of Eden and the world, under the authority of the creator and he was Satan's prime target.  Eve offered the fruit to Adam, who was there with her.  He saw that she ate it with no consequence, so he too doubted God and chose to listen to the voice of Eve rather than the voice of God.  Adam ate the fruit, to his destruction, knowing that it was forbidden. Genesis 3:6 After he ate the fruit, the consequence of his action came upon them both.  "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." Genesis 3:7
They knew they were guilty of rebelling against God's Word. They tried to cover their nakedness and they hid, the same response to guilt that we all have today.  The chasm has a holy, righteous, loving, and just creator on one side and on the other, rebellious, sinful humanity.

Death is the consequence of Sin.
Sin is the transgression of God's law; falling short of the righteousness of God, and doing what we know not to do. Adam and Eve did all of these.  They sinned against God. Their only sin was choosing to listen to another authority than God.  As a result of their sin, God had to judge them because of their rebellion, just as He did Satan, and this was Satan's goal.  He wanted God to have to sentence God's image bearers to death and cause God pain.  Because God is not only righteous, but also just, He had to sentence Adam and Eve to death or He would not be true to His own character. That day God's favorite creation died. They were separated from God because of their one sin, no longer connected to the source of life, they were dead spiritually and would eventually die physically.

God is also LOVING!
In addition to God being holy, righteous, and just, He is also loving.  In fact, God is described by the Apostle John with one word and that describes His nature and character.  "God is LOVE." 1 John 4:16  God manifests Himself in three persons that we know as the Father, the Son (Jesus the Christ), and the Holy Spirit.  God is never taken by surprise, He had a contingency plan in place before the world was ever formed. God will demonstrate His love in the face of His holiness and justice. At a predetermined time in this world's history, the Father sent Jesus into the world to be the sacrificial offering to pay for Adam's sin and all mankind that would descend from Adam.  The plan was put into action in the garden of Eden, though it would be thousands of years before the culmination of the atonement.  God began by killing animals to make covering robes to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness (the evidence of their sin and guilt) and He then sent them out of the garden to till the soil and make a living from it.

God makes a way!
After they were expelled from the garden, God began the next phase of demonstrating His justice and love.  At just one location, the east side of Eden, He placed Cherubims (a powerful rank of angels) and one flaming sword, to keep the way of the tree of life. Genesis 3:24 God is keeping the door open for Adam and his descendants to come back to God, but they must come through the prescribed Door.  Many centuries later, Jesus would say, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:9   In the intervening years, God established the practice of animal sacrifice as a means of keeping His provision before mankind's awareness.  The animals were not a sufficient sacrifice, but they were a reminder of the sacrifice that God Himself will one day make. People, when making their sacrifices were acting in faith of the promise of God regarding the Savior to come.  To make sure that the Son of God would be known and recognized when He came, the Father selected one man and his descendants to become a nation (Abraham, Israel) to be the channel through which the Messiah or Savior would descend.  He gave them a body of laws that would keep them unique among all the nations of the Earth.  He also provided them with prophets and priests that would proclaim prophetic identifiers of the Messiah, i.e. what tribe, what city, peculiar points unique to Him, even some of His names.  It was God's purpose for this people and nation to present the Messiah to the world, that He might atone for the sin of Adam's rebellion (the sin we have all inherited). 

THE ATONEMENT!
At the precise predetermined time in history, Jesus was born to a woman who was a virgin (key identifier), a humanly impossible event, but divinely planned and performed.  The result, the perfect sinless God/man.  The only one qualified to pay the price for Adam's sin.  He was the fulfillment of every hope held, when an animal sacrifice was made, looking forward in faith of God's promise.  The cross ministry of Jesus the Christ bridged the chasm between God and man. Jesus satisfied God's justice and demonstrated His love. Jesus said, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6  Jesus is the way that was kept open and the door through which we may come back to a loving Heavenly Father.  Jesus is the ONLY WAY back to God, there is no other way, no other price that can be paid.  Anything and everything else is woefully insufficient, it's like sewing fig leaves together and hiding from God.

Crossing the BRIDGE to God and life.
God sent His Son Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for Adam's sin and that of all his descendants. John 3:16 That's good news, but what must I do to benefit from it?  Here's the answer from several Biblical references: "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand." Isaiah 53:10  Like Adam and Eve, most people try to cover the evidence of their own sin, some by trying to be really good, some by giving sacrificially, or others by creating a narrative that denies any responsibility to God. None of it works, that is why Jesus came, died and rose from the dead, to do for us what we couldn't ever do on our own. Therefore anything we bring to God to atone for our sin of rebellion is offensive to God.  The only offering that is acceptable is God's crucified and resurrected Son, Jesus. That's why our text says "make His soul an offering for sin". We submit to God's authority by bringing that which is required, in the way that God demands and for the reason God purposed, we are restored to fellowship with our Creator, who is then also our Redeemer.  "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12,13  Two important words in this text, BELIEVE & RECEIVE.  Believe who Jesus is and what He did for us, enough that we will actually receive Him as our Savior, His death and blood is the only acceptable offering to present to God and we will (at that time) be born again, become a new person from the inside out.  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."Romans 10:13  "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6   When we come to God through Christ, we leave the rebellion and begin living as the new person that God created us to be, of course, with His help. Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17  

On the other side of the Bridge
On God's side of the bridge, after passing over the chasm and united with our Creator and Redeemer, the issue of Adam's SIN has been dealt with completely. In God's view, we are a new creation, with new life forever. However, we will find that we have a lot of baggage from our old life to deal with. This baggage is  habits, attitudes, and history developed while we were in rebellion against God.  These are the sins, the deeds and attitudes developed during our separation from God, an unavoidable consequence of Adam's sin of rebellion. All this baggage was all atoned for at the cross, when Jesus died for us.  It is now a matter of growth, deliverance, and discipline.  The third manifestation of God (making the trinity) is the Holy Spirit.  When we come to God in Christ, believing and then receive Christ and His offering, the Holy Spirit comes into our life and lives within us, making us the new creature that we now are.  It is His job to comfort us, guide us, correct us, and when necessary discipline us.  God will NEVER punish us for past or future sins (baggage), because Jesus already took punishment that for us at the cross, but the Holy Spirit will help us mature in the Christ life.  "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." Hebrew 12:5,6   

Baggage Handling
Old habits and attitudes can be challenging to overcome.  For this reason God doesn't leave it up to us alone,  He helps.  "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1 Peter 2:2,3   "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."  2 Peter 3:18   "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15   When the baggage (sins - works of the flesh Galatians 5:19-21)  shows up on the doorstep of our life, here's what to do about it: "If we say that we have no sin (works of the flesh), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:8-10  We own up to it, we confess it to God, we are cleansed by God, and we don't pick up the baggage, leave it behind.  We do this every time baggage shows up, it's not ours, it belongs to the old us.  
Avoiding the baggage.  Here are the tools for getting rid of the old baggage:  Bible reading, prayer, believing God, and fellow-shipping with other believers (church = assembling).

Being a new creation
Being a new creation is not something we have achieved.  It is the miraculous work of our loving Lord, He does all the work. We are new and we can and should, live new.  It's a process, so don't be discouraged when we falter or fail.  Just start again each time you stumble.  God doesn't expect us to start out in the same place that others are at after walking with Him for decades.  We all start sometime and the key to success is "don't quit".  Read your Bible, believe God when He says you are a new creation 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20, and DON'T QUIT!

Christ First, Not Ethnicity

In the last few years I have been exposed to old  doctrines that are making a comeback.  They are usually resurrected to the public eye in the arena of racial strife. 

First I read of the doctrine that is similar to British-Israelism. This states that the white people of Celtic, Anglo Saxon, Norman, Germanic, and Scandinavian descent are the ten tribes of the northern part of Israel.  Some presentations make them ALL the twelve tribes of Israel.  

Second I have more recently read of a doctrine promoted by a group called Hebrew Israelites.  This doctrine states that certain black Africans from the west coast of Africa are the true Hebrews and therefore the Biblical Israelites.

One thing that both groups have in common is the view that they are superior or the original people of God, to the discrediting of all other racial or national groups.  Another thing they have in common is an effort to follow and keep select precepts from the Mosaic law.  Neither group keeps the whole law, making their efforts an invalid practice.

Both groups promote racial hatred and bitterness, therefore denying the grace of God.  Both groups rely on manipulating Scripture with a large dose of selected and sympathetic, though questionable, extra-biblical writings to build their case.

I believe that I can show from the Word of God alone that both these positions are erroneous, but that is not apropos for this article. So, another time and piece.

My purpose for this article is to help us come to a genuine Biblical position that will promote peace and brotherhood in the Christ honoring world.  Obviously, to restrict it to Christ honoring people, means we will not solve the world's problem with racism.  However, if we who love the Lord can come together on a Christ honoring position, we may then, have a better opportunity to affect the way the world thinks.

1. No where does the Word of God make distinction regarding intermarriage on the basis of race.  It is always in regard to beliefs and loyalty to the one true God, the God of the Bible.
2. There are two times in world history where all people are of the same family; Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and Noah and his family on the ark.  To deny this, is to deny the Bible and therefore, you have no place in this discussion.  All people, all racial distinctions come through these two men, Adam and Noah.  No one really knows how or when racial distinctions developed, so please, quit propagating mythological explanations as reality when they are nothing more than theory, theory that cannot be substantiated.
3. It doesn't matter what color Adam or Moses was, UNLESS, you are endeavoring to promote some kind of racial superiority.  I have theories on this too, but this isn't an article about theory.
4. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  World doesn't have a modifier to restrict ethnicity or color.   Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;".  ALL have sinned, no racial distinction.
5. There are only two important distinctions among people today and all people fall into one or the other of these two.  Age, gender, ethnicity or race does not enter in to the qualifications for either group.  They are: the saved or lost, the Heaven bound or the Hell bound, the quick or the dead, the sinner or the saint (not the Catholic version), the twice born or the once born.  Where are you in this list?  If you are a saved, Heaven bound, living (quick), saint of God who has truly been born again, you are part of the family of God.
6. The distinction of being in the family of God supersedes any ethnic or racial superiority priority.  I am blessed to have met and known men and women who are of African, Hispanic, Asian, and European ancestry who consider me to be a brother in Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."  If you claim any other priority as first in your life than that of being a child of God, you have fallen victim to one or more of the race baiters of varying colors. Escape, flee, run for your spiritual sanity from anyone that would cause you to give preference to anything above being a child of God.  There is NO RACIAL DISTINCTION in the family of God, NONE!!!
7. God has designated our behavior as a born-again child of God, as a member of His family and His kingdom.  That behavior includes Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."  Also, Colossians 3:17, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
8. We were, once, black, brown, yellow?, white, or any variation on the theme, BUT now, we are a new creature in Christ Jesus, created in righteousness, for His praise and His glory.  We, in turn, benefit as we faithfully follow Him.
9. If you identify first by racial status, you then incorporate in your status and therefore your pride, all parts of the social spectrum of your race.  Foolish indeed to identify with thugs and outlaws of your color against your brothers and sisters in the family of God.
10. Let us build our life on Christ, not our secular culture. For the child of God, there is no ethnic culture.  There is kingdom/family culture with Christ on the throne.
11. Born-again child of God, first and foremost, devil takes the hindmost, but I will stand with my God family against the ungodly ethnic family.  I have chosen.  What do you choose to do?