In the beginning ... God created the heavens and the earth.  He created everything in
them, including man (Adam) and woman (Eve).  He created a beautiful enfironment for
them to live in, and called it the Garden of Eden.  Everything was pleasing to the sight
and good to eat, and He gave it all to Adam and Eve.  God placed only one restriction on
them.  They were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If they ate,
God said, they would surely die.

Inherent in that restriction, was the power of choice.  Adam and Eve (mankind ... you,
and me) could choose ... obey, or not.

Along came Satan, God's eternal enemy.  Satan deceived Eve and she ate from the
forbidden tree.  She then gave Adam some, and he ate as well.  Eve's sin was initiated
through deceiption, but Adam made a conscious choise to disobey God's one
restriction.  Therefore, it was through man that sin then entered into the world.

So what happened? God had told them that they would surely die.  Yet, they did not
die in the flesh.  So what did God mean by saying they would "surely die?"  Well, take a
look at what happened.  Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden.  They
could no longer walk and talk with God in the cool of the day. They were separated from
God.  That's the Scriptural meaning of "death" ... separation from God.

Because of the righteous, pure and holy nature of God, He could not just ignore sin.  
Restitution for sin had to be the shedding of blood.  It took a physical death ... the
shedding of blood ... to remedy the situation.  God slew an animal, and covered Adam &
Eve's "nakedness" with the animal's skin.
Ever since then ... sin has been in the heart of mankind.  We have all sinned and fallen
short of the glory of God.  Being spearated from God produced a "hole," a "vacuum," if
you will, within each of us, and "self" took the throne.  We became "self" centered,
instead of "God" centered.  We have been stubborn, rebellious and we have refused to
set our hearts right before God.

God likens our rebellion and works of the flesh to ... witchcraft!

The wages of sin is death!  Just like Adam and Eve, we became separated from God.  
And we needed a way back!

Jesus IS the Way! No man comes to the Father but by Him.
The Blood Covenant ... Blood covenant is the strongest commitment known to man.  In
Old Testament days, families joined together through the covenant of the shedding of
blood.  A family of farmers, for example, would join together with a family of warriors,
and the bond was sealed by the shedding of the blood of an animal.  The two families
would exchange coats ... meaning each "covered" the other.  They would exchange
signet rings ... meaning each took on the other's name.  The two families would become
one.  The family of farmers would then feel all, and the family of warriors would then
protect all.  The bond was sealed by the shedding of blood, and it could never be
broken.

Adam and Eve immediately recognized that they were naked.  And to remedy the
situation, they sewed fig leaves together as a covering.  This action represented man's
attempt at eliminating sin.  Man's efforts, however, were not sufficient.  The shedding of
blood was necessary as the consequence of, and payment for, sin.  Therefore, God slew
an animal (thereby shedding its blood) and made coverings for Adam's and Eve's
"nakedness" (their sin).  This event was a symbol of Who was to come ... Jesus Christ of
Nazareth!

Once a year ... a sacrifice had to be made.  A perfect animal was slain and it's blood was
shed as a substitute payment for the sins of God's people during that year.  Since this
procedure had to be done every year, it is obvious that it, too, was insufficient for the
task.  All of this pointed to the ultimate sacrifice to be made ... Jesus Christ shedding
His perfect blood, once for ALL.

And this covenant can never be broken.
The thing about YOU!! ... Why?? Why did God do all this?  God is omniscient (all
knowing).  God is omnipotent (all powerful). And He is omnipresent (everywhere at all
times.  So, He doesn't need you.  But, He wants you!  Why?  Because He LOVES you!!

God loves YOU ... personally.  Individually.  If there were no one else on the face of the
earth, God would have done what He did anyway ... just for YOU!! He knew you before
the world was formed.  He formed you in, and even called you from, your mother's
womb.  He knows all there is to know about you.  He has even numbered the very hairs
on your head!

So, because of His great love for us (you!), He gave us (you) a way back into right
relationship with Himself.  And the amazing thing about it is that we were still sinners
when He did all this for us!
Our responsibility in it all ... Our flesh will eventually die and return to dust.  But our
spirit will live on eternally.  After life on this earth, there are only two places that our
spirit can live ... in Heaven or in hell (the lake of fire).  Now contrary to popular opinion,
God did not create hell to punish mankind.  He created hell for the fallen angels ...
those who followed Satan in his rebellion against God.  God sends NO PERSON to hell!!!
God did all He could do to get us back to Himself ... He sent His very best, His only
begotten Son, to shed His blood and die so that our sins could be forgiven.  He gave us
His Word, the Holy Bible, to show us the way to live.  And He gave us His Holy Spirit, who
gives us the grace and power to live the life that God would have us to live.

All He asks of us in return is that we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, and accept His
method for us to return.  In other words, accept jesus Christ as the One through whom
we can be saved.  We all have the same ability to choose.  So, if anyone ends up in hell
for eternity, it is NOT God's doing.  It is by their own choice through their refusal to
accept God's Way, Jesus Christ.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Genesis, Chapters 1, 2 & 3                       Romans 3: 23
II Peter 2: 10                                            Psalm 78: 8
I Timothy 2: 14                                         I Samuel 15: 23
I Peter 3: 7                                               Ezekiel 12: 2
Romans 5: 12                                            Isaiah 59: 10
I Corinthians 15: 21                                  Romans 6: 23
James 1: 15                                               John 14: 6
Genesis 3: 21                                             Hebrews 10: 1 - 22

Psalm 139                                                  Romans 6: 23
Isaiah 40: 12 - 31                                       Hebrews 5: 9
Matthew 23: 33                                          Revelation 20: 10
Ephesians 1: 4                                            Psalm 119: 105
Isaiah 49:1                                                 Romans 10: 9, 13
Matthew 10: 30                                           Acts 16: 30, 31
Luke 12: 7                                                  Romans 5: 8
Walking Toward The Light ... Lessons In Discipleship
Click here for
the next study:
Who You Are
In Christ
Please click the
Back button on
your browser to
return to your
next page.
Click here to
return to the
Discipleship
Studies page.