God Is Love

Adam and Eve had it made. They had a beautiful garden for their home. All the food they could eat. The work was not hard. They had a relationship with the Creator of the universe. "Wild" animals were all around. God, Himself, said it was very good. Genesis 1:31

But still they were not satisfied. Eve was seduced by the temptation to "be like God, knowing good and evil." Her husband was right there with her and did not "man up" and say NO but went along for the ride. So they ate the forbidden fruit and learned quickly that they did the wrong thing; they sinned against God. I'm sure they had a longing for a do over.

In Genesis 2:25 we read, "The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." Sin changed that in an instant. "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden." Genesis 3:7-8

Sin, shame and guilt shattered their desire to be in God's presence. It broke the wonderful relationship they had with God. God, however, was not giving up on them. He pursued them, calling out to them. When they finally came out to talk, God asked them what happened. Instead of admitting their sin and seeking forgiveness, they each sought to justify themselves by blaming someone else. Genesis 3:9-13

Sin always, always, always has consequences and theirs were huge! Even though they suffered consequences, they deserved death. And yet God loved them and "the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them." Genesis 3:21. God didn't abandon them to their flimsy leaves and their nakedness, but sacrificed an animal (a lamb??), shedding its blood, so their sin, shame and guilt could be covered.

And He has done the same for us. Our sin separates us from God and deserves death. But "God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:8b-10,19