Hello all,
I have to admit, this is pretty fun writing in a blog. I'm relatively new to it and enjoy reading the different comments. I just hope that I'm giving people something interesting to think about (and of course bringing them closer to God).
Regarding God's love. How can we know that God loves us all?
Because the Bible tells us so...
In order to do this, I am going to use the Book of Genesis and how it points us to the Gospels. I'm summarizing in the next few paragraphs something that I could write about for hours.
Genesis 1-3
In the beginning, God created Adam in His image and likeness with access to the Tree of Life. Because of selfishness (he actively chose to do what God told him not to do...i.e. sinned), he ate from the Tree of Knowledge and was kicked out of the Garden of Eden and banned from the Tree of Life and thus brought death into the world. (Genesis 2-3)
God, however, loved the world so much that He gave us a second chance. (John 3:16) He sent Jesus Christ, His Son who doesn't know sin, to die for our sins and restore the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life (discussed in Revelation 22) is His cross as His death is what restored us.
How do we get to the Tree of Life?
By following God's commandments. He gives us the opportunity/path to salvation. We have to choose that path. If we don't follow God's will, then we will follow the same fate as Adam.
Jesus is the "New Adam" who unlike the original Adam, follows God's will obediently even to death. (Romans 5: 12-21)
Genesis 22
God asks Abraham to take his son Isaac whom he loves and offer him up as a sacrifice. Abraham is willing to offer his beloved son as a sacrifice. Think about that. Could you do that? Why does Abraham? Because he loves God so much that he will follow God's will even if it means killing his son. Fortunately, He spares Abraham from the sacrifice.
1800 years later, God sends His own beloved Son down and we nail Him to a tree not all that far from the original spot where Abraham and Isaac were. Why? Because God loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son--descended from Abraham-- for all men; so that we can be offered the chance at eternal life.
This is why Matthew starts with the Genealogy of Jesus starting with Abraham and Isaac. And this is what He means in John 3:16.
He loves the world.
2 comments:
Hi Den:
What do you think about Isaac. This must have changed his relationship with his Father forever.
I betcha this change, although painful, was necessary to make Isaac the kind of fella God needed to go forward with the Jewish journey. I think like Job, it was the cross he had to bear, which was only explained to him after he died.
If someone had told him at the time he was a "victim", and should reclaim his "self-esteem", that may have wrecked everything. It seems he worked out just fine.
Which is why I should stop complaining so much.
Good insight...glad he's not around today. He'd be screwed up in the head.
I guess I don't know how Isaac felt. I am a father to a 19 month old; so I guess I'm envisioning it in my nearsightedness thinking that Isaac didn't realize what was going on (as my 19 month old wouldn't understand.) But assuming he was old enough, I think you may be on to something.
Thanks for the insight.
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