Sermon Central
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The First Sacrifice In The Bible Series
Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Dec 10, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: In God’s judgment, there is provision and mercy. What we find now in this little section of Scripture today is nothing more than amazing. In these 4 verses, we have the necessary elements for salvation. So as soon as man falls, God sets in motion the means of redemption.
God says, there is a problem, because, “Man might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” Why would is that a problem? Because he’d be eternally evil. He knows the reality of death, the finality of death, the horror of death; and he’s going to be tempted to avoid death. Do you see God’s wisdom, His grace, and His provision in this?
O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10)
4. Salvation Requires Hope
24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden, he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24)
God expels man out of the garden permanently. He appoints angels with flaming swords to guard the entrance. Notice God expels them to the east so that every time Adam sees a sunset he is reminded of the paradise that was lost. From here, their suffering expanding and suffering continues to expand. This world is not our home. Heaven is our great and glorious hope.
“And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3)
“16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thess 4:16-18)
Why would God who loves us and forgave us to live in hope for something yet to come? Because hope is the perfect ground of our faith that strengthens the most vulnerable areas of spirituality. There are days you will have to make some very difficult choices and hope will set the compass of your heart.
That’s the love of God. So committed to our redemption that He cares more for what we need instead of what we want. Faith, Atonement, Security, and Hope. We see those in Genesis 3 and as God clothed Adam and Eve through the first sacrifice, we know for certain He sacrificed again to cover our sins completely. Except for this time, it wasn’t an animal who would pay the price for sin, it was His only Son, Jesus. Will you come to him today?
