THE NEED FOR RECONCILIATION

Man's biggest need is to be reconciled with God. Genesis 3 shows us how the need arose. Eve and Adam made a sinful choice, broke one simple command (don't eat from this tree) after listening to the father of temptation (did God really say) and lies (you will not surely die). Their unforced choice led to Adam and Eve being cursed, expelled from the garden, and forever denied access to the tree of life.

Since then, all die because all sin. Sin is an affront to a holy God--any sin, no matter how small we may think it is. And since then, man has tried to cover up that sin by passing the buck (Lord, the woman you gave me) or by covering their shame with different kinds of man-made skins.

Yet the issue remains, how are we reconciled? How is this relationship between sinful men and a holy God restored? Genesis 3 reminds us ot this blessed truth--God took the initiative in doing so. He provided a sacrifice, shed the blood of a substitute, and clothed Adam and Eve with the skin.

Men still try to appease God by good works (never enough), religioua ritual (not enough), trying to become good (never good enough). Even if it was, Genesis 3 reminds us that not only was mankind cursed, but the ground--and in some cosmic way, all of creation) was cursed as well. How could that be made right?

Colossians 1 reminds us that through Jesus, the Unique One and only Son of God, God (again taking the initiative) reconciled ALL things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross. Only an eternal being can effect eternal and cosmos-wide reconciliation. Through Jesus, this has been done!