Whom Will You Trust This Year?

[Read Genesis Chapter 3]

What a crushing end to a perfect relationship with the Lord. Chapter 2 ended with Adam and Eve walking naked down the isle, freshly married and blessed by God who officiated the wedding. Chapter 3 ends with them cast out of the garden, heads down, and filled with shame. This is what sin always does, it shames. The sinner may not feel shame while they sin, but when God brings the gavel down; shame and condemnation will be all that follows.

Our sin comes down to a matter of trust. Adam was given his command from God not to eat of the tree before Eve was created. This means that Adam would have been the one to instruct Eve of the restriction. Satan comes onto the scene as another object of trust. He tells Eve God is a liar and she indeed will not die by eating the fruit. Does she trust her husband, her God, or Satan? She does the most damaging thing one can ever do in this circumstance; she trusts herself to be the one deciding what is right. Eve chooses autonomy.

Jesus is the promised seed who crushed the head of the serpent on the cross. Jesus paid the debt for Adam and Eve’s autonomy. The flaming sword of God’s judgement was plunged into the side of the Savior at Calvary. This same sword of judgement stands between you and the Lord because of your autonomy; your sin of seating yourself upon the throne of your own life.

The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus takes the penalty and judgement you deserve. He was treated upon the cross as if he performed all of your sin; past, present, and future. And you get the undeserved blessing of taking the credit for Jesus’ perfect life. This is substitutionary atonement.

Whom will you trust this year?