Separated by Sin

January 24, 2012


"When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees." Genesis 3:8

Nearly two weeks ago I delivered what I feel is my life message to a group of women from my home church. Upon coming to know Christ as my Savior as a sophomore in high school I embraced God's promise of abundant life. Though I endured a period of wavering faith after my daughter passed away, I shared with these women how God restored my relationship with Him. God allowed me to discover life more abundant than ever before by leading me along a path of His Word on which I choose to walk daily across the troubled waters of life into a place of abundance in Him. I shared how nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Nothing. But the more I reflected on my message the more I feared the idea that I misled someone. May God deal with me ever so severely if I ever sugar-coat His truth. Nothing can separate us from His love . . . but there is something that separates us from Him.

After God established His Creation He placed man and woman, Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden (technically God made Eve from Adam while Adam was in the garden of Eden). God granted Adam and Eve permission to eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In Genesis 3 the serpent convinces Eve to eat the forbidden fruit who in turn shares the fruit with Adam. Following their disobedience Scripture tells us, "the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees" (Genesis 3:8). Prior to their sin Adam and Eve walked in close fellowship with God. After their sin Adam and Eve felt too ashamed to appear before their Creator, and were eventually banished from His presence.

Separated from God's love?

Never.

Separated from Him?

Yes.

Though nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38) sin will drive us away from His best every single time.

Stroll with me for a moment down the ol' Roman road. All have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard (Romans 3:23). The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23a) but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23b). If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).

Sin separates us from God. But God loves the world so much He sent a way for us to return to Him (John 3:16). The Way is Jesus (John 14:6).

When we turn away from our sin trusting in the work of the cross, our relationship with God is restored. To embrace a life of abundance in Him we must choose to turn away from sin and walk in His Ways instead.

Will we get it right every single time? Probably not. But as Jeremiah recorded in Lamentations 3:22-23, "the faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning." I invite you to seek God and His mercy each and every day.