January 5

January 5

The Fall -- Eve's deception, Adam's sin, & humanity's curse.

Today's Readings:

Reading 1:  Genesis 3

Reading 2:  2 Corinthians 11:2-3

Reading 3:  Romans 5:12-21

After the great truths of the first three days of our readings, today we come to the saddest day - the day when satan deceived Eve, and Adam failed to stand up for right, leading to the consequence of the Fall and the curse on humanity.

As you read today, recognize this:

1) that satan will deceive if he can because he hates the close relationship with God that humans are created to enjoy.

2) we are designed to guard one another against such deception and the sin that results, but often we fail to make the right choices and stand for truth.

3) we are incapable of following God's instructions in our own strength.

BUT GOD (don't you love that phrase?!) has provided a solution: through the obedience of Jesus, the disobedience of Adam is undone. The first perfect man disobeyed God. The second perfect man did not. We are all children of the first, but we can all become heirs of the second. A pastor friend summed this up succinctly: "the stairway to heaven is but only a step of faith."

Let's renew that step each day and encourage others to do the same. Sin, and all its consequences, do not have to rule us. Jesus has opened the way that God had to close in Genesis 3. As Paul says in Romans 5: "God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Have a great day!

Mark.