I’m Coming In To Rescue You

Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

— Genesis 3:9

Adam and Eve had just sinned by eating from the tree of good and evil. God said, “Do not eat from this tree”. Something happened to them which made them hide from God. Before this, they didn’t know what sin or evil was and they looked forward to being in God’s presence.  

Have you ever heard it preached or said that sin separates you from God? I heard this and even taught it myself. Let’s see what the Bible says. The verse above says that after they sinned, God went looking for them. Of course, He knew where they were but He wanted them to know He was looking for them. Does this sound like a God who is separating Himself from them? This shows a God who still cares about them. So who was the cause of the separation? Adam and Eve 

It even says in verse 21 that God made tunics of skin and clothed them. What? He was still looking after them? God did not separate Himself from them even though they had sinned. No, the Bible says it was Adam and Eve who left God and went to hide. Even though they were the ones who actually made the choice to listen to satan, God stood with them. He didn’t reprimand them by telling them what a terrible thing they did. He chose their side when they turned their backs on Him. Then He looked at satan and said, “You will be wiped out for what you have done!”

Colossians 1:21 says, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds . . .” This verse explains that Adam and Eve now thought God was angry with them and would punish them – in their minds. This was not God, but it was who they thought God was. Their picture of God changed because they now saw things differently. God had never shown them anger or disappointment, but their imagination went wild. They invented another god in their mind. God did not change, but their perspective of Him changed and this new picture replaced the God they had previously known. Things got pretty messed up inside their heads.

In the midst of all this, what does God do? He reaches out to them, provides for them and loves them. They brought chaos and pain upon themselves, but He does not leave them. God never yelled at them or made them feel guilty. He said, “I am going to stand with you, with humans. I will fix this by sending a Redeemer to redeem you. I’m coming in to rescue you.”

Sin does not separate you from God. In your mind, you may think it does, and so you separate yourself from Him, but God is still pursuing you!  He wants restored fellowship. You are loved no matter what you have done. His LOVE is greater and bigger than any sin ever committed. What a Father!

“LOVE came into my humanity to wrap his arms around me.”