Reading from Genesis 1-3
“Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves…The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”[1]
When Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect relationship and fellowship with God, they were in their natural state and felt no shame. There wasn’t anything to be ashamed of because there was no sin. When they disobeyed Father God by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they knew they had done wrong and were embarrassed. Their reaction was to make fig leaf coverings for themselves. These man-made coverings were not good enough to satisfy God. We cannot earn right standing with God through our own good works or man-made rituals and religion. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”[2] With God there is light, blessing and life, but without Him there is darkness, curses, and death. Sin is disobedience against God and so the payment for sin is death. Something had to die to pay for Adam and Eve’s sin and the garment that God fashioned for them had to come from somewhere. Many have speculated that the animal was a lamb, but whatever the case was, blood had to be shed to satisfy justice. This was the first sacrifice in human history and it foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God on the cross for the sins of the whole world and for all time.[3] Animal sacrifices during this time, codified in the Law of Moses, and later carried out in the tabernacle and temple temporarily appeased God, but the blood of Jesus satisfied justice once and for all for those who trust in Him and call on His Name. Sin and death came through the first Adam, righteousness and life came through the second “Adam”, Jesus.
As a child of God, I sometimes make mistakes. When I sin, it doesn’t mean that I’m no longer God’s child; that relationship is unchanged. What sin causes is a disruption in my fellowship with Him, but as His adopted son, I am able to boldly approach His throne of undeserved favor and ask Him for forgiveness. If I humble myself before him and admit that I was wrong, He is faithful and just and will forgive me of my sin and the blood of Jesus purifies me from all unrighteousness.[4] This freedom from sin and its ultimate penalty does not mean I won’t deal with some consequences, but even in reaping what I sow, my Heavenly Father will bless me with the strength and wisdom I need to navigate forward. Navigating earthly consequences of my sin is a primary disciplinary method of God the Father.
Cleansing from sin is something that can only be accomplished by the shed blood of Jesus, the perfect lamb of God. This work of grace is applied to my life by the Holy Spirit. The death and resurrection of Jesus was all-sufficient; my righteousness is as filthy rags. I have nothing of real value to add to God’s finished work. How could I? God loved me even before I was born, so I don’t need to earn His love. God adopted me into His family when I decided to repent and trust in Jesus as my Savior and Lord, so I cannot earn my salvation. He who began a good work in my will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus, so I just need to be humble, confess, repent, rejoice and move forward in the newness of life, allowing the Spirit to produce good spiritual fruit in my life. “For it by grace you have been saved, though faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”[5]
“Father God, thank you for sending Your Son Jesus to pay for my sin by dying on the cross and conquering death by rising again. Forgive me for trying to earn my right standing with you. Thank You for loving me just as I am and helping me to grow in You. Conform my life to the image of Your Son Jesus Christ. Help me to be more like Him every day. Amen.”
[1] Genesis 3:7 & 21
[2] Romans 6:23
[3] I John 2:2
[4] I John 1:9-2:1
[5] Ephesians 2:8-10
Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God 
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