Gods Garden

Post date: Nov 10, 2015 4:53:46 PM

Our memories contain thousands upon thousands of stored images. One that can always bring a smile to my face is that of a sea of dandelions which blanketed my father’s back garden each spring. Almost magically , it seemed, every inch of his backyard was transformed overnight from a grassy green to a vibrant yellow. As a child I looked forward to this annual event since the dandelions, to me, were just flowers but now as an adult and a homeowner, I have little tolerance for any weeds in my own yard. I now enjoy seeing those yellow aliens springing to life in someone else’s yard. Are there any weeds in your garden? 

Genesis 2: 7-8 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

After God created the heavens and the earth He formed man and “put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15) There were no weeds in the Garden. Adam became the keeper of the Garden where he enjoyed intimate fellowship with his Creator according to Genesis 3:8 which says; “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” It was here in this struggle free place of Godly provision where all of Adam's’ physical, spiritual and emotional needs were fully satisfied; and he ate freely from the tree of life.

Genesis 3: 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband; and he did eat.

God formed Adam and Eve in moral purity according to Genesis 1: 27 which states: “…God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” They remained in this state of moral perfection until the devil entered the garden through Eve's unguarded thought life. His intention was to lure her into eating of the fruit of immorality by prompting her to question the integrity and to doubt the Word of God. Adam, the recipient and custodian of God's Word failed to correct Eve in her error but instead unwisely submitted to her ungodly counsel. He too willfully ate of the fruit of immorality thereby breaking the only commandment that had been given to him by God. It was by this one transgression that his holy nature was corrupted with sin. The intimacy that he and Eve shared while in relationship with God was lost. They were then cast out of the garden where they had no further access to the tree of life. They died spiritually and their eternal life was placed in jeopardy. This all could have been avoided if Adam had only heeded the warning by God of the consequence of sin. God said: “…But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2: 17)

Matthew 13:27…The servants of the landowner came and said to him, “Master, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Then how is it that it has weeds?

The bible teaches; “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour…” (1 Peter 5:8) Adam and Eve were completely blindsided by the devils’ scheming. Eve was lured through her undisciplined thought life while Adam failed to recognize the significance of his God-appointed role as a spiritual guardian. He failed to rid his garden of the ungodly seed sown by the devil but instead willfully disobeyed God's’ commandment. His disobedience initiated the spiritual landslide that left mankind outside of the will of God without Godly provision and in a place where they would experience all the unimagined evils of a fallen world. James 1: 12-13 teaches: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

John 10: 10 …The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I AM come that they might have life, and that they might have life, and that they might have more abundantly.

Adam's one act of disobedience caused irreversible changes to his human nature when his once holy nature was corrupted by sin and he became self-focused rather than God-focused. He first displayed this change in his nature by hiding from the presence of God and then covering his sense of shame by blaming others for his actions after he was questioned by God about his transgression. Jesus taught: “…If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness.” (Matthew 6: 23) God didn’t abandon Adam after he sinned but recognized that man was weak and easily victimized by the devil. If God had left this sin unchecked it could have created a wedge of indifference in Adam. God's reason for questioning Adam was not to chastise him but rather to lead him toward repentance where he could find forgiveness for his tormented soul. Adam must have found forgiveness since he taught his sons to how they were to worship God.

Romans 5: 19… For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Holiness had been compromised and mankind’s downward spiral continued as Adam’s sinful nature was passed by procreation through the generations. Sin is an enemy of the soul. Christ was sent from heaven to redeem mankind from the curse of sin. God assures us that His child would be birthed not after the likeness of man but after the likeness of God when he said to the virgin Mary; “...The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1: 35). Jesus our Savior upheld His earthly calling by overcoming temptation through His unwavering Godly submission. This sinless Lamb of God became the atoning sacrifice for all of mankind “and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:10)

Romans 10: 8-10 "..The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Are you a believer?