Reminders of the Fall {Solving the Sin-Problem}}

Uuuuggghhh....  “What’s that smell?” was the first question to pop into my head when I walked into the kitchen of our building a few minutes ago.  Apparently, there is a skunk spraying wildly somewhere in the vicinity or else lying, within a quarter mile radius, somewhere on Stagecoach with a tire track down his back.  Whew... pungent is the word; stout would be another.

As I went to grab a bite a few minutes ago {of dinner, not of skunk}, my second thought was, “Hhmmm ...smells like sin.  That smell is a result of the Curse.”  How so?  Well, a skunk’s {or ‘stinking spotted weasel,’ whichever you prefer} spray is his defense mechanism, right?  It’s powerful enough to keep bears, wolves, dogs, wolverines, even pastors away.  But in a world of Edenic idylls, where all creatures are content to eat fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts, to gnaw the grass beneath their feet and not shred with tooth and claw the furry friend beside them, who needs defense mechanisms?  Why would a skunk have his spray, why would any animal have any mechanism for defense if no defense was needed, if no predator prowled the grounds of the Garden?

So, this smell, this horrid, foul, nostril-burning smell is a reminder of the Fall {Gen. 3}.  A reminder of the sin of self-will, and in a sense of self-worship, an act of rebellion borne in the souls of those who had never known anything but complete and utter obedience, submission and surrender to the Sovereign of their souls.  And now... wreck, ruin, chaos, the Golden Ship which once sailed us on the Seas of Life going down, down, down.  With this single act of a creature choosing itself over its Creator, sin burst forth like lightning from the sky.  And with sin came death trailing in its wake, for this was Abba’s warning from the very beginning {Gen. 2:16-17}.

And so the sin problem continued millennia after millennia, generation after generation, until at the precise moment in Time God sent His Savior in the form of His Son to redeem us from the slave market in which we were bound.  To set us free forevermore.  And the sin-problem was settled, so that what is for us a monumental hurdle, an incessant source of shame, a goad of guilt, a heaviness weighing upon any honest heart, is no problem for God.  The hurdle has been removed, the last barrier between fallen, sinful man and holy, loving God has been broken!  As the Apostle wrote to the Galatians, “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under Law, to redeem those under Law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.  ...So you are no longer a slave, but a son [or ‘daughter,’ as the case may be]; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir,” 4:4-5 and 7.

What I love about this brief section is it goes right to the heart of our redemption.  It’s not just to solve the ‘sin-problem,’ it’s not just to reconcile a fallen Creation to its unfallen Creator, it is to make us Sons and Daughters of the Most High God!  To reforge His likeness within us.  Do you see it, can you see what Paul is getting at?  You are no longer a slave... you are now a Son, you are now a Daughter; you are a Child of the King {and don’t ever forget it!}, with the “full rights,” resources, and responsibilities which come with this.  This belongs to you-- yes, you.  A treasured place at the King’s Table, a sacred Home in the Savior’s heart, a personal Presence in “the Spirit of His Son” who cries out from within you, “Abba, Father” {Gal. 4:6}.  This is our Eternal Identity; this is who we truly are.  You are a Child of God in whom Jesus dwells, and you live in the Kingdom of your Father.

So, lift your heads, my friends, square your shoulders, look the Storms of a broken world right in the eye... and stand your ground.  You have nothing more to fear, nothing but the failure of faith, not anymore.  Your soul is safe, your soul is secure, your soul is soundly kept in the Arms of your Abba.


Ric Webb
Shepherd
Heart's Journey Community

www.hjcommunity.org