John 8:31-32 (NKJV) "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
There's something about knowing the truth that makes a person free.
The guilt. The condemnation. The shame. It's all a thing of the past.
Many people believe that since God doesn't exist, that they're free to do as they please.
But let's take society for a moment.
In a normal law and order society, we remain free as long as we obey the law.
The moment that we disobey the law is the moment that, in a criminal situation, our freedom is taken away because the crime is a threat to the entire society. Additionally, the crime has a price that demands that a person must pay.
Now if crime isn't so bad, then why does the criminal run from the authorities?
The criminal doesn't want to get caught and placed in jail to pay for the crime that was committed. So they run until the law catches up with him. If you haven't committed a crime, then there's no reason to run from the law.
Adam and Eve was given a command from God in Genesis 2:16.
"Of the trees of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die."
Seems fair enough.
I can eat all I want except for one tree.
But Eve wanted that one tree.
satan (adversary) entered the garden. He entered a serpent and began to beguile Eve. She wanted that tree. After her conversation with satan in the serpent, she was convinced that it was safe to eat. She walked up to the tree. She ate of that tree against the command of the Lord, and then gave it to Adam.
As soon as Adam ate of the tree, their eyes were opened.
So what did Adam and Eve do? First, they saw that they were naked, so they sewed leaves together to cover their nakedness. Then when they heard the Lord walking in the garden, they've hidden themselves.
The law was broken. They covered up the crime. They heard the Lord (Lawgiver) come. They ran from the Lord and hid themselves. Classic pattern for today. Fugitives of justice.
When the Lord presented Eve to Adam, they became one flesh through sex. Within Adam and Eve was the entire human race. That's why it took Adam to eat of that tree because every thing hinged on both Adam and Eve breaking the commandment of the Lord.
They were one.
Genesis 2:18-25 (NKJV) "And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them.
And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
Genesis 5:1-2 (KJV) "This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created."
If you've ever wondered why a woman gives up her maiden name, here is the Scriptural basis for the woman to give up her maiden name. It's not a chauvinistic insult.
In one moment, they went from freedom to bondage.
Romans 5:12 (NKJV) "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—"
Galatians 3:22 (NKJV) "But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."
No one escapes from death. The Grim Reaper lost only one case.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The Firstborn from the dead.
NOT the First One born again. That's false doctrine.
God, the Son doesn't need to be born again. He is God.
Just like God doesn't need to use or operate in faith. That, too, is false doctrine.
God is Omniscient. Omnipresent. And Omnipotent.
So it became necessary for the Father to send the Son of God, the Second Adam, to pay the penalty of sin to set men free from sin and death. Because the Lord God required sinless blood from a Perfect Man to pay the penalty of sin.
Romans 3:23-26 (NKJV) "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness,
because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Physical death is the first death we all must face.
Hebrews 9:27 says "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, after this the judgment."
Judgment for sin is the next thing we must face.
Heaven or a burning in fire hell.
To avoid hell, we must repent of sin and place faith on Christ alone (see Ephesians 2:8-9, Mark 16:16, Revelation 20:11-15).
Hebrews 2:17-18 (NKJV) "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren,
that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted."
1 John 2:1-2 (NKJV) "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."
1 John 4:9-10
"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, 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."
One word stands out.
"Propitiation."
Greek definition....
"g2434. ἱλασμός hilasmos; atonement, i.e. (concretely) an expiator: — propitiation.
AV (2) - propitiation 2;
an appeasing, propitiating the means of appeasing, a propitiation."
Hence being born of a virgin and not from the seed of man (see Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:26-38, and Galatians 3:15-18).
Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV) "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written,
“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus,
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
What's the promise?
Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 8:36 (NKJV) "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
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