In The Beginning

The nature of mankind starts out fallen from eternal nature and separated from God. Remember Genesis? Due to the disobedience of Adam, God banished Adam from His Sight and His Presence. The life of mankind became temporary. While living in the Presence of God, Life was good. All things were pleasant and there was no dispute between mankind and the entire creation. In the Presence of God was the fullness of His Triune Godhead. Creator, Mediator and Spirit. God is eternal, so it seems logical that Adam could be too. Nothing was at odds. It was “All good”, as we like to tell ourselves nowadays, except that it was the truth! But when Adam turned from God to strike out on his own, determined to know Good and evil, it ceased to be “All Good”. In fact, it was bad. Scripture says it was cursed. Adam, Eve, the serpent and all of creation. Cursed. That is where we live. In the midst of a curse. I’m sure most of, if not all of you would certainly agree that it honestly is not “All Good”. Right?

But it can be........

Have you ever considered the infinite character of God? Scripture says specifically that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). If God is love, then wouldn’t His love be infinite? Without end? Why then would He curse His creation? How does that compute? Think about this for a moment.....if Adam did not have knowledge of Good or evil before his fall, then, since God is a good God, it was “all Good” and there was no need to know or understand evil. When Adam was banished, it really was God distancing Himself from the evil that Adam had introduced into their relationship and allowing Adam to feel the full effect of it. Without God’s Presence, there was no longer provision. Adam would have to provide for himself and his family. The ground would no longer give up its bounty to produce abundant crops. Adam would “have to sweat”. God had removed His favor. Adam found himself naked and afraid. God had removed His protection and His covering. The honeymoon is over for Adam and Eve. They would now struggle against each other for authority. God had removed Himself from the equation and now the lines of authority and relationship are criss-crossed and broken. Adam and Eve are now alone. All this to say, is it possible that the curse of God was not something He inflicted upon mankind as a punishment, but rather an allowing mankind to feel the true weight of its action? God backing away from Adam and Eve and all of creation. God, knowing that the best place for mankind to be is in His Presence, acted in love by NOT inflicting punishment on mankind, but in fact allowed him to have another chance by pushing him out. Had Adam continued in God’s Presence, the perfect glory of God would have destroyed him. God loved him too much to allow that to happen. Hence the thing we know as the curse really it is just the absence of the relationship of God and the fullness of His love. Adam was lost.

But God! In His perfect love, He would not leave Adam without hope. He planted The Seed of hope in the woman. The Bruiser of the Head of the serpent. Right there in Genesis. Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. Yet to come, but planted at the fall. Still, the race of Adam has a lot to learn. The knowledge of Good and evil is a pretty enormous subject. Not only is it a huge subject, the race of Adam has to align himself with one or the other. He has to learn the pain of evil and the benefit of good. Where are you on that path? what do you choose?