Fellowship describes the beginnings of man’s relationship with God and in the beginning God created the first two humans who would bring forth all of those who would populate the earth. After God created Adam and Eve, he set forth a list of things which gave them the bounds of their behavior to remain in Good standing with him. Since they didn’t obey God’s instructions that destroyed the relationship and fellowship he wanted them to have with him.

God could have prevented the relationship from being destroyed by doing two things: one, he could have made Adam and Eve robots that couldn’t choose any course of behavior, thus eliminating free will to be an independent being capable of choosing: two, ignore the transgression which would have destroyed God’s holiness, but due to his nature, he had to deal with the sin of Adam and Eve. That being true, God had another course of action which would restore the lost relationship that Adam and Eve had with God before they bowed to the serpent.

A study of scripture makes it clear that God knew that Adam and Eve would not follow his instructions: but knowing that, he created free will humans. In 1 Peter 1: 18-21, we are told of God’s plan to deal with the transgressions so that his creation could become members of his family again: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Peter makes four points relative to God’s work in Christ. One: corruptible things and vain (foolish, idle, useless, empty) conversations can’t save anyone no matter how fervently anyone makes foolish statements concerning the gospel or some other way that the speaker imagines will bring salvation. Two: The blood of Christ was shed to wash away the transgressions (sins) and nothing else will suffice. Three: the plan of salvation was with God before he created the earth. (Foundation in the verse means establishing or the beginning of the world.) Four: By (means through, proceeding from, by means of) Christ comes belief in God that raised him up so that faith and hope is in God. As Paul wrote in Colossians 2:12, Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Faith in Christ requires that one have faith in God’s operation in the sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection. (Baptism is one of the faith requirements. More will be given on the subject of baptism as the series progresses)

Two facts, among many can be gleaned from God’s action in the Garden and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross: One, God’s demand for holiness and righteousness (more on the two subjects later in the series): Two, God created a plan to save the world (people) from the sin of (transgression) disobedience which began in the Garden. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12) It is worth noting here that all of mankind inherited the ability to sin from Adam and Eve. Their freewill was passed on to their offspring, who passed it on to theirs and on it went and goes. The Bible does not teach original sin (born a sinner) or that we are born into sin (both contrary to the teachings of many doctrines) but it does tell us that we inherited the rebellious nature (under the power of sin) of Adam and Eve which came through their free will to choose.

Every human, at some point in life, is alienated from God due to sin and dies (spiritually and then at some point physically) because of it. God’s plan is to take away the finality of physical death along with no hope for living again, and thus eternal separation from him. His desire to save his creation is the foundation for the one true body, the identity of his people, which is found in the scriptures.

© 07-07-2009 DEC

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