In my last blog, we discussed the sins of Adam and Eve and Cain’s murder of his brother Abel and the parallels we see in the consequences. But how does that apply to us?
Our sin also leads us away from fellowship with our Creator God. It blocks the intimate love of the Heavenly Father, the peace, joy, and fulfillment he wants for us. Instead, we find ourselves tilling the soil of our lives, sweating, panting, and yanking out the weeds. The thorns of our bondages slash our skin. And we sometimes find ourselves in a lonely battle against personal droughts and storms—some of which are brought on by our own poor choices. When life delivers less than we expected, when tragedy strikes, fear, despair, and shame can overwhelm us if we have no hope beyond ourselves and our own strength.
Driven by our sins from a relationship with an all-sufficient God, we often fail to recognize the cries of our spirits and souls. We try to remedy the hunger with success, possessions, popularity, addictions, sex, and many other things. We hide from God either because we don’t want to give up our own willful ways, or because we fear punishment.
If we think that only Adam and Eve and Cain grieved over their broken lives, we are mistaken. The Creator’s heart was broken as well. As he did back then, he misses us so as we walk away from him. As he did back then, he longs for our fellowship. As he did back then, he aches with us as we suffer the consequences of our rebellion. And he asks us, “Where are you?” And as with Adam and Eve and with Cain, it is not because he cannot find us, but because he wants to wake us up to our need of him and all he has to offer. He calls us to come to him to be set free, to be healed, loved, and redeemed.
So he sent Jesus.
Sin demands justice. Jesus met those demands by dying on a Roman cross. Sin breaks the relationship. Jesus death cleared sin from the road back to the Father, restored the relationship for all who will believe and receive this free gift of salvation. Sin brings death. Jesus death and resurrection bring abundant life in this world and eternal life for the next. His perfect love drives out the fear sin introduced.
The marks of the nails that pinned Jesus to the cross replace the mark of Cain when we turn to Jesus. We are mastered not by our sins, but by the Master who sets us free so we can become all we were created to be.
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