PARADISE LOST AND REGAINED
God created Adam and Eve in the paradise of Eden, in God’s own image, but a little lower than angels (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:5). However, they lost their happy relationship with God when they disobeyed him in attempting to be equal to him (Genesis 3).
Yet, because of God’s love for mankind, he sent his only begotten sinless Son to die to regain paradise for mankind (John 3:16).
SOME ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY GOD CREATED THEM
Adam and Eve were not content with the way God made them; they wanted to be equal to God. They chose to eat from the fruit of a tree which God told not to eat, lest they die. They ate from the tree because the serpentine devil misled them to believe they would “be like God” if they ate the fruit. (Genesis 3:1-7; Revelation 20:2). After they disobeyed God, they were separated from God and paradise, and died spiritually and physically (Ephesians 2:1: Hebrews 9:27).
Today, some people desire to be equal to God. Some New Agers express the belief that having been created in the image of God makes them “one with God,” or equal to God.
However, God’s word states that God made mankind a little lower than angels.
THEY SHOULD KNOW GOD DOES NOT SHARE HIS GLORY WITH ANOTHER
God said he would not share his glory with another: “I am the LORD, and there is no other” (Isiah 45:5). “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another” (Isaiah 42:8).
All things were created by the Lord and for his glory (Colossians 1:16).
SOME OF US ARE HAPPY BEING RECREATED IN OUR LORD’S LIKENESS
After the fall of mankind because of the sin of Adam and Eve, God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who was sinless, to die, to atone for the sins of mankind (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; John 3:16). God makes a new creation–born again of the Spirit (John 3:3-6)–in the likeness of his Son, of whoever repents of their sins and believes in the Lord’s sacrificial atonement (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Happy are the people of the new creation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 144:15).
Are you one of the Lord’s born-again happy people? If you are, the Lord says (Mark 16:15-16), you should share the good news with others that they too may be born again by repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
