Good morning!
Publishing this a day early as I am figuring out my blog platform.
Some of you know I am teaching a class on how we can live out our Biblical / Christian worldview on a daily basis. This piece is based on some of that teaching.
One of the challenges of living out our faith is what happened to relationships as a part of the fall in Genesis 3.
At creation, in fact in the first two chapters of Genesis, we see how intimate our relationship is with God - in verses 1:1-25 God is creating and it is good and then in verses 1:26-28 God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) God makes man - not just as another animal but as an image bearer, capable (with limits) of creating as well with God then commanding man in verse 1:28 to "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”. God in fact rests on the seventh day closing out chapter 1 saying everything was very good, leaving Adam and Eve in charge - to continue what God had started and was very good.
In chapter 2 we see a repeat of some of the same information but get another glimpse of how intimate the God's planned relationship with mankind was supposed to be - see Genesis 2:7 "Then the Lord God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." God's very breath animates us and give us life.
We know what happens when Adam and Eve sin in the garden in Genesis 3. Our relationship with God is broken and our relationship with ourselves, others and creation is broken as well.
At this that point it seems hopeless. We have lost our ability to walk with God, life now becomes difficult in so many ways - and we stay in rebellion against God and continue to drive a wedge between Him and us.
But God always had a plan - one of redemption and restoration - one that costs Him. God in sharing with us through His Word has pointed to what His plan was - that of sending His son Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, who would be the perfect sacrifice making it possible for us to restore these most important relationships - if only we respond to His drawing and calling to us. With our response, our asking for forgiveness of our sin, repenting and turning back to Him through Jesus, we can now through the power of the Holy Spirit start walking with God again.
Jesus Christ provides the opportunity for us to redeem our relationships and to move with God's redemptive plan toward the day when all things will be made new (Rev 21:5) and finally relationship are fully restored in eternity!
These four most important relationships only can be restored through Jesus Christ. Our upward relationship with our one God (yet three persons - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit), our inward relationship with ourselves (when our hearts will be fully transformed), our outward relationship with others - neighbor and enemies alike (where we will be able to love in truth the way God intended) and finally our downward relationship with creation, what we were commanded by God to oversee and continue to form as very good.
Imagine that.
Lord Jesus, my prayer as we go into this upcoming weekend, that as a part of our current redeemed state through your work alone, that we are able to start living these four relationships out in a way that aligns with Your plan and glorifies God! Amen.
Enjoy this weekend knowing the truth of the work, the peace and love of our Lord and Savior Jesus,
Patrick Engesser
Publishing this a day early as I am figuring out my blog platform.
Some of you know I am teaching a class on how we can live out our Biblical / Christian worldview on a daily basis. This piece is based on some of that teaching.
One of the challenges of living out our faith is what happened to relationships as a part of the fall in Genesis 3.
At creation, in fact in the first two chapters of Genesis, we see how intimate our relationship is with God - in verses 1:1-25 God is creating and it is good and then in verses 1:26-28 God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) God makes man - not just as another animal but as an image bearer, capable (with limits) of creating as well with God then commanding man in verse 1:28 to "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”. God in fact rests on the seventh day closing out chapter 1 saying everything was very good, leaving Adam and Eve in charge - to continue what God had started and was very good.
In chapter 2 we see a repeat of some of the same information but get another glimpse of how intimate the God's planned relationship with mankind was supposed to be - see Genesis 2:7 "Then the Lord God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." God's very breath animates us and give us life.
We know what happens when Adam and Eve sin in the garden in Genesis 3. Our relationship with God is broken and our relationship with ourselves, others and creation is broken as well.
At this that point it seems hopeless. We have lost our ability to walk with God, life now becomes difficult in so many ways - and we stay in rebellion against God and continue to drive a wedge between Him and us.
But God always had a plan - one of redemption and restoration - one that costs Him. God in sharing with us through His Word has pointed to what His plan was - that of sending His son Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, who would be the perfect sacrifice making it possible for us to restore these most important relationships - if only we respond to His drawing and calling to us. With our response, our asking for forgiveness of our sin, repenting and turning back to Him through Jesus, we can now through the power of the Holy Spirit start walking with God again.
Jesus Christ provides the opportunity for us to redeem our relationships and to move with God's redemptive plan toward the day when all things will be made new (Rev 21:5) and finally relationship are fully restored in eternity!
These four most important relationships only can be restored through Jesus Christ. Our upward relationship with our one God (yet three persons - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit), our inward relationship with ourselves (when our hearts will be fully transformed), our outward relationship with others - neighbor and enemies alike (where we will be able to love in truth the way God intended) and finally our downward relationship with creation, what we were commanded by God to oversee and continue to form as very good.
Imagine that.
Lord Jesus, my prayer as we go into this upcoming weekend, that as a part of our current redeemed state through your work alone, that we are able to start living these four relationships out in a way that aligns with Your plan and glorifies God! Amen.
Enjoy this weekend knowing the truth of the work, the peace and love of our Lord and Savior Jesus,
Patrick Engesser
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