Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

UN-EDEN

September 4, 2009

The Garden of Eden is the symbol of life at its best, perfection. Yet the biblical reality is that Eden experienced the first corruption, and was tainted. Adam wrecked it.

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But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
- Romans 5:15 TNIV
 

Paul introduces a new idea. Adam wrecked the Garden of Eden; Adam wrecked humanity with sin. One bad apple ruined it for everyone. That being the case, Paul speaks of the un-Eden-ing of Eden also by one person: Jesus Christ. One righteous person sets us on the road to restoration. First Adam messes it up, and second Adam (Jesus Christ) restores it and us.

It's a messy argument, but in short, we need not get caught up in despair. A generation ago there was a Jesus-singer, Keith Green, who wrote these words about 2nd Adam:
There is a redeemer, Jesus, God's own son...
Thank you, O my father, for giving us your son, and leaving your Spirit til the work on earth is done.
There is a redeemer. Jesus Christ works his fixing of Eden and our lives even as we read these words. It's going to be a good day.
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson