Prayer Requests

It is a wonderful thing to experience being in the family of God. Yet, some would say that they are already in the family because God created everything. This is only partly true. God made everything, even you. But, sin has separated us from God. It started with Adam and Eve. In Genesis 2, God created Adam and Eve, and told them that they were to dress (cultivate) the garden in which they were placed. He also told them that they could eat of every tree in the garden, except one-- the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He told them that if they ate of it they would surely die (Genesis 2:17).

We all know the story, the serpent tempted Eve to eat the fruit. He told her that she would be like God if she ate it (Genesis 3:4 and 5). Instead of listening to what God said, Eve picked the fruit (the Bible does not say it was an apple) she ate it, also gave it to Adam, and he ate it (Genesis 3:6). Interestingly enough, they did not fall down dead....so did God lie? No. They died spiritually. The Spirit of God (breath of God) that had been in them from the beginning (Genesis 2:7) departed from them, their eyes were opened (to sin) and they saw that they were naked (Genesis 3:7).

It didn't take them long to play the blame game. Adam blamed God, since God gave him Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent. No one forced them to rebel (sin) against God's instruction. They willingly did it. Sin is like that. It entices us. We think about it. We do it. Then we blame others. Sounds like us today, doesn't it?

So what happened after that? God was merciful. In Hebrews 9:22, it states that without shedding of blood their is no remission (putting away) for our sins. So blood had to be shed. God covered Adam and Eve with animal skins (can't have skins without blood being shed) Genesis 3:21, and then cursed the serpent and caused him to crawl upon his belly all the days of his life (Genesis 3:14) He then told Eve that He would put enmity between her seed, and the serpent's seed. The serpent's seed would bruise the heel of the woman's seed, and that the woman's seed would crush the head of the serpent.

Years went by. Prophets prophecied that one would come to do just what God promised. The Bible states that He would be born of a virgin (Adam's blood line would not be involved) He would suffer, and die to satisfy the debt owed by sin.

When Jesus was born, he was born of a virgin (Mary) He did not inherit the sin nature that Adam passed on to all generations. Jesus was tempted in all the same ways that we are, but did not sin. When he died on the cross, he shed innocent blood to pay the debt of our guilty blood. It doesn't take much for one to know he is a sinner. Look at a little child. He doesn't have to be taught to do wrong, he was born with a sin nature .

God says that someone must pay for the sin in our life. Either we do, or someone else. Sin separates us from God. The only way back to God is to have the sin removed. In Romans 3:23 it states that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In Romans 6:23 it states that the wages of sin is death (note that it doesn't say sins) but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:8 states that God commedeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Then John 1:12 states that as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God (son, not Son) even to them that believe on his name (Jesus).

One might say that Jesus Christ is the door we need to go through to get to God. When we acknowledge that we have sinned, and need someone to pay our debt , and ask Jesus to be that someone, then God moves in. He comes into our spirit that has been dead because of Adam's sin, and our spirit is born again. It is so simple.

It would be really stupid to know that a debt is paid by someone, and then try to pay it by yourself. This is called works. We try and try to do something good to appease God. We think if we are good enough that He wouldn't possibly keep us from heaven. The truth is we can never be good enough. It takes one totally free from sin to enter Heaven. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Jesus.

Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner separated from you and the Father forever. I believe that you died on the cross to pay the price of sin. I believe that you rose from the dead. I ask that you forgive me of my sin, and cleanse me with your blood. I receive the payment for my sins, and receive you as my Savior. In Jesus name, amen.