GOD MANIFEST IN FLESH - PART 35

Esau sold his birthright for a morsel of bread. Actually, Esau despised his birthright. In Hebrews chapter 12, verses 16 -18, the scriptures tell how Adam also sold his birthright for a morsel of fruit.  Unknown to Adam however, was that the fruit was laced with death. A natural but yet spiritual death. Remember, Adam had been warned of God not to eat of the tree of knowledge. But it looked good. So Adam, further enticed by Eve, who had already looked upon the beautiful features of satan, did the one act that God had instructed them not to.

For Eve, one look at satan caused her to be swept off her feet. Surely, she thought, anything so beautiful would never lie. In the end, as we know, both Adam and Eve lost out. As a consequence, in the end, it could be said that they both entered into an alternative lifestyle. Certainly, they had been removed from the land that flowed with milk and honey. The Garden of Eden. Instead, they entered a world of weeds. What a tumble.

Like the prodigal son who thought that the grass looked greener on the other side, life became what it was never intended to be. The prodigal son, optimistic about his future, sets off into a world that was unfamiliar to him. In so doing, he bit off more than he could chew. The bright lights of enticement, as it turned out, did not lead to the good life. Rather, the prodigal son ended him up in the pig pen, ruined, destitute, homeless, and friendless. In fact, as the scriptures state, he was so hungry that the idea of a good meal could only be found in slop pig food. Another tumble.

But by the grace of God the prodigal son still had a brain. He was still capable of thinking. He asked himself, "What am I doing here?" (Luke chapter 15) Unfortunately, in today's society, there are those that never seem to have enough brain left, brains that are capable of producing a reflective thought. Still others burned all the bridges behind them when they left the homestead. And now? They have no place, family, or friends in which to return.

In the meantime, God was watching. Caring. Extending His infinite love to the creation that He had breathed life into. He asked, "What has happened to my created beautiful sons and daughters that I had breathed my soul life into?" Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, hiding from God in the bushes, while God called, "Where are you? Have you eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?"

Of course God already knew the answer. But the blame game commenced regardless. Adam blamed God for giving him the woman. Then he blamed the woman who in turn blames the fine looking well dressed well spoken dude in the garden. It's everybody else’s fault, he surmised. Everyone else’s fault except mine. Do you remember reciting the old nursery rhyme? Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water, Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after. Well, it did not stop there. We are all Adam's offspring.

We inherited the inheritance that they, our fore parents passed on by their profanity. We inherited the fallen nature. Still, God was and still is watching, caring and extending His love to us. The bottom line is that we need a Saviour. We do not have enough critical thinking mechanisms left to devise our own plan of salvation. Instead, we endure total darkness. The lights are all out. We have become so educated with stupidity that we profess ourselves atheists or agnostics, despising the very existence of God. What do the scriptures state? Professing themselves to be wise, they instead became fools. They endeavoured to pass their deception onto children, like teaching a parrot to say "Pretty Polly, pretty Polly."

Regardless of how we try, God still cries out to humanity through His created wisdom.  Not once or twice, but every day of the week. 24/7. Confronting us and saying, "I am God alone, and besides me there is no other saviour." God has by Himself broken the barrier of sin. God offered to man and woman a new birthright with an unbelievable inheritance, complete with abundance great and a multiplicity of precious promises, He has provided for man’s redemption, offering a new beginning and a new heart.

In God's plan of salvation, we can become completely cleansed and forgiven of all sin. Both present and past sins. Adam and Eve are not the parents of this new family. No, God is the Father. The Spirit of God fathered the man Jesus. He being God Himself manifest in the flesh took our sin onto Himself. He was cursed and yet He loved us. Because of this unbelievable action by our Lord God Almighty, we have an opportunity to be set totally free. He offered Himself for us. Now that is love. Indeed, unmerited love. Amazing love.

At the end of the day, we might think we have messed up. Blown our life! And as such, there is no apparent hope. But there is hope! Listen to the scriptures for they state, "Look to me all you people wherever you are. For I am God and I love you so much that I sacrificed myself for you." Not only are we offered salvation, and to be free in Jesus, but He says that He will be the first to welcome you home. Just like the father did in the parable of the prodigal son. There, he put a ring on the youth's finger, provided a good meal, and listened to the sound of music and dancing. God is good!