The Garden of Eden

We're taught in church that sin separates us from God and that with sin, we cannot be with God. Sin turns us away from God for He can not look upon our sin.

When we were little, we were taught in Sunday school that Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden was a beautiful and perfect place and in that garden, Adam and Eve had everything they could ever need. They were perfect humans and they lived in perfect harmony with God, daily encountering Him one on one.

Then, they sinned. They ate the forbidden fruit. Ashamed of what they had done, they hid from God. But try as they might, they could not hide. God sent them out of the garden and into a world of toil and trouble and pain and hurt - a world that was the equivalent of their sin.

So, sin turns us away from God and sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. A strong connection is being made between us and Adam and Eve. In a sense, we are Adam and Eve. They sinned, we sin. God turned Adam and Eve away, we turn away from God. So in a sense, until we sin, we are living in the Garden of Eden as well.

What am I getting at? "I never lived in a pretty garden. You're stupid. Shut up." Yes, I can hear you. I have another piece to add.

In the original Hebrew translation of the Bible, it was not the "Garden of Eden" that Adam and Eve lived in.

It was "the heart of God."

Pause. Think about it.

Replace the "Garden of Eden" with "the heart of God" in the story of Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve lived in the heart of God. The heart of God was a beautiful and perfect place and in God's heart, Adam and Eve had everything they could ever need. They were perfect humans and they lived in perfect harmony with God, daily encountering Him one on one.

Then, they sinned. They ate the forbidden fruit. Ashamed of what they had done, they hid from God. But try as they might, they could not hide. God sent them out of the His heart and into a world of toil and trouble and pain and hurt - a world that was the equivalent of their sin.

We too lived in the heart of God before we caved into lies and lusted for the life of this earth. We exchanged our perfect home in the heart of God for the temporary pleasures of this place we call "home." Sounds like a sad story, huh? We think the grass is greener on the other side, but once we get there it's not so good.

Too bad for Adam and Eve, they were never allowed back into the Garden of Eden, the heart of God.

Lucky for us, God sent his son, Jesus Christ to take away our sins.

Yeah yeah, we know right? Wrong. What does that really mean? Don't let it go in one ear and out the other.

Jesus takes away our sins. Meaning we become perfect in God's eyes. Meaning we are welcomed back into the heart of God, back into the Garden of Eden.

Asking for forgiveness of our sins is SO MUCH BIGGER than a clean slate!

It is SO MUCH BIGGER than bringing us closer to God!

It is bringing us into the very heart of God. It is bringing us to a beautiful and perfect place where we have everything we could ever need. It is allowing us to live in perfect harmony with God, encountering Him one on one.

Salvation, forgiveness, all that good stuff just took on a whole new meaning. A very intimate and personal meaning. Don't ignore it. The Garden awaits.