Perceive The Grace Of God

“Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the LORD God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’ So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken” (Genesis 3:20-23, NIV).

It is related by motivational speaker that there are two views, when you present a half filled glass of water. One would see the part of the glass that was filled with water and the other one would the portion of the glass without water.

How about in incidents that happen in our life? Do we see the empty part, or the part that is filled?

What about the things that God is doing in life – do we always see the grace He is extending to us?

This time, let’s learn to… PERCEIVE THE GRACE OF GOD…as we focus on our text (Genesis 3:20-23).

So, in what are the instances we could perceive the grace of God?

After man committed the wickedness against the Good God, God continued to display His goodness even in confronting man with his sin.

In verses 8-11, God showed His goodness by displaying His gentleness. In verses 12-13, God displayed His patience. In verse 15, His goodness shone brighter when He gave man the great hope of redemption. In verses 16-19, as God pronounced His judgement, His mercy was implied.

Now, in our text, God continued to display His goodness to the sinful man. And we would try to perceive in at least two instances. In what instances?

I – When God provides for our needs (verses 20-21).

We read verses 20-21, “Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”

Notice verse 21, “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”

That’s grace. Though our first parents deserved ill treatment from God, because of the gravity of their sin, they were provided what they need. God did not just instruct, guide or help them to make a better covering for their bodies. God Himself “made garments of skin” of animals for them.

Man did not make any contribution to have a better clothing. It was not even his idea. It was God’s idea to adorn them. And it was wholly His Sovereign act that our first parents enjoyed such physical favor.

Our first parents in verse 7, in their sin “sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. In our time, human beings would try to think or exert an effort how to provide for themselves.

Men are contented to have just anything for themselves – sewing fig leaves – or whatever counterpart today that they are doing to make themselves comfortable. They feel that they just need “fig leaves.”

Even in matters of doing things for God, they think that their own standard is just needed to please God. They think that their own righteous work is needed. They think they could just clothe themselves with any kind of belief.

So, saints or believers, do we see the grace of God when He provided us with the righteousness of Jesus Christ? The garments of skin of animals that He clothed Adam and Eve is like the righteousness of Christ that God clothed us, when we become true believers. Our human acts of righteousness are like the fig leaves that are not acceptable in the sight of God.

And in our physical living, do we also perceive that it is the manifestation of the grace of God every time our need is met? And should we not be grateful that God, who is now our Heavenly Father, will work out that our need will be supplied? And when He will provide our need, we ought to be encouraged that it will be better than in our way.

Now, He provides us with His written Word. Let’s make use of it. Let’s not be content with the voices we hear in the world. Let’s enjoy the things that God made for us to meet our spiritual need.

In what other way, that we could perceive the grace of God?

II – When God prevents us to have our wants (verse 22-23).

We read verses 22-23, “And the LORD God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’ So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.”