Introduction

Even in our moments of disobedience and failure, God is still calling out to us, desiring to bring us back into relationship with Him. We were designed to walk with Him. We were created to adore Him and follow Him. And we are happiest and most fulfilled when we live in alignment with how He made us.

C.S. Lewis once said, "I was not born to be free. I was born to adore and obey."

God's Fatherly Love

Today I want us to focus on this story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, specifically looking at God's Fatherly Love. His core nature of love forms the foundation of our relationship with Him and shapes our understanding of His character. As we explore this idea, we will see that God's Fatherly Love is experienced in His creation, His pursuit of us, and His discipline.

First, let us consider how God's Fatherly Love is displayed in His creation. When we look at the account of creation in Genesis, we see that God created everything with intention and purpose. He took the time to craft each detail of the world, from the vast expanse of the universe to the smallest microorganisms. This level of care and attention reflects the heart of a loving Father who desires to provide for His children. Furthermore, when God created human beings, He made them in His image, giving them a unique capacity to know and love Him. This act of creation was not a mere cosmic experiment; it was a deliberate act of love, as God desired to share His love with His creation and to have a relationship with them.

Another aspect of God's Fatherly Love is His relentless pursuit of us. In the story of Adam and Eve, we see that after they had sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, they hid from God out of fear and shame. Yet, God did not abandon them in their disobedience. Instead, He sought them out, calling out to Adam, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9). This question was not one of ignorance, as God is all-knowing, but rather a loving invitation for Adam and Eve to come out of hiding and face the consequences of their actions. God's pursuit of them, even in their sin, demonstrates His unwavering love and commitment to His children.

We also see God's Fatherly Love in His discipline. With Adam and Eve, we see that their disobedience had consequences. God didn’t simply overlook their sin or excuse it away. Instead, He confronted them with their actions and came to restore them. This discipline may seem harsh, but it is actually an expression of God's love. As Hebrews 12:6 tells us, "The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son." Just as a loving earthly father disciplines his children to teach them right from wrong and to protect them from harm, so too does our Heavenly Father discipline us out of love.

This discipline is not meant to be punitive but rather restorative. In the case of Adam and Eve, the consequences of their sin served to remind them of the seriousness of their disobedience and the importance of trusting and obeying God. It also set the stage for God's ultimate act of love: the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem humanity from the curse of sin and death. Through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, we see the full extent of God's Fatherly Love, as He willingly gave up His own Son to restore our relationship with Him.

God’s love is a gift, freely given to us by our Heavenly Father. This is beautifully expressed in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), where we see a father who eagerly welcomes his wayward son home, despite his rebellion and disobedience. The father in this story represents God, who is always ready to receive us with open arms, no matter how far we have strayed.

In light of this understanding of God's Fatherly Love, our response should be one of gratitude and obedience. We should strive to live our lives in a way that honors and pleases our Heavenly Father, recognizing that His love is not a license to sin but rather an invitation to walk in His ways. As we grow in our understanding of God's love, we will find that it compels us to love Him in return and to extend that love to others.

Adam's Response to God's Call

Now, let’s look at Adam's response to God's call ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO