The unthinkable happened, with the verdict guilty, the decision was sealed. Now it would take The Blood of His First Born Son to eradicate the penalty of death caused by the sin of man.
It wasn’t that long ago that God walked with Adam in “the cool of the day”, sharing His Thoughts, Plans, and Dreams for man. Now with Eyes Full of Tears, He watched with Love and Compassion as the man and woman whom He had created, “In His Very Own Image” were driven from their home. The first, “eviction” had occurred and now their home, “Eden,” the Beautiful Garden that God Had “Planted” for them was left without a caretaker. Oh, how God would miss the fellowship of His Beloved Creation! Adam, the first “man” and his wife Eve, the first “woman,” would now be removed from His Presence, as a result of their disobedience.
What sin did Adam and Eve commit, that drove them from Eden?
It was the “sin” of unbelief and rebellion against the commandment of The Lord.
In Genesis 2:15-17 (AMP) we read the commandment of The Lord God to Adam. A commandment that Adam and his wife Eve would later go on to violate;
“And The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it.” “And The Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;” “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
The devastating “fall of man”, has forever been recorded for us in Genesis 3:1-8 (NKJV);
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” “And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;” “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” “And they heard the sound of The Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from The Presence of The Lord God among the trees of the garden.”
Beguiled by the language of rebellion that the enemy spoke, and enticed by the lust of their eyes, Adam and Eve desired and partook of the fruit that God had commanded them to stay away from. Now for the first time in recorded human history, fear and shame shrouded God’s creation with a vice grip of death, that squeezed their Holy Innocence from them.
The awareness that Adam and his wife Eve had of their transgression caused them to, “hide themselves from The Presence of The Lord God among the trees of the garden.” You see my friend their, “willful” sin created a “Spiritual Homelessness” a “Vacancy of Heart” that had evicted them from, “Eden” the garden home that God had planted for them.
The domino effect of the original sin of Adam and Eve was staggering. It would go on to affect everyone who would ever be born on the face of the Earth. Thank God that He had a Holy, Divine Plan put in place long before you and I were born, to Redeem Man back to his original relationship with God.
What is this Plan?
This Holy, Divine Plan is called, “SALVATION” and His Name is JESUS CHRIST! We read about This, “Banner Love”, this Gift of Salvation in;
John 3:16-17 (TPT);
“For this is how much God Loved the world-He gave His One and Only, Unique Son as a Gift. So now everyone who believes in Him will never perish but experience Everlasting Life.” “God did not send His Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be it’s Savior and rescue it!”
This is Good News for you and me, my friend! Remember what happened back in the Garden of Eden? Adam and Eve sinned and through that sin, introduced, “everlasting death”. Now through our believing upon “Jesus Christ” His Son, our “Savior,” we all receive, “Everlasting Life,” as we are rescued from the effects of eternal damnation, which is eternal separation from God!
This is God’s “BANNER LOVE” for you and me Redemption through His Son Jesus Christ!
What do we do with this, BANNER LOVE?
So glad you asked! Colossians 3:12-14 (TPT) gives us the answer;
“You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourselves with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, un-offendable in your patience with others.” “Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them.” “For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark of True Maturity.”
My friend since, “Love becomes the mark of True Maturity”, then we must ask ourselves the following question;
“Am I a spiritual adult”?
Ouch! A question from The Lord that hits home for all of us! I know that there have been many times that I have personally felt the “pinch”, the “grief” of The Holy Spirit when I did not respond in a manner where love was “supreme” toward others or even towards myself. When this happens in our lives, it is so important to recognize, “Why” The Holy Spirit is Grieved. You see my friend, when, “love reigns supreme through our lives”, we are the most like God! We become, Spiritual Adults by choosing to live from a “Banner Heart” as we Advance The Kingdom of Heaven with every thought, word, and action! This is how His, “Banner Love” is seen and reproduced in our lives, Glory To God!
On the other hand, when love does not “Reign Supreme” in our lives, we are then giving way to our, “old Adam self” living like the enemy and reproducing death with every thought, word, and action. This type of behavior is extremely detrimental to our lives and very harmful to The Kingdom of Heaven.
Why is this behavior so detrimental to our lives and harmful to The Kingdom of Heaven?
Simply put, when we make choices contrary to the characteristics of Christ-likeness in our lives, we are choosing to create a “hard heart” rather than choosing to live from a “Banner Heart.” An unrepentant “hard heart” will eventually lead you and others away from The Presence of God.
What is the solution to a “hard heart”?
To receive God’s “Banner Love” for our lives as the scriptures state in John 3:16-17 (TPT). When we make this decision and choose daily to live for The Kingdom of Heaven we will then develop a strong, immovable, unshakeable, “Banner Heart,” able to disciple others because we ourselves have been discipled in the ways of God.
The next step is to follow the instructions that The Lord has given us in Colossians 3:12-14 (TPT) and, “Robe ourselves with The Virtues of God.”
What are the Virtues of God that make up this Robe?
Holiness, Mercy, Understanding, Compassion, Kindness, Gentleness, Humbleness, Un-offendable, Patient, Tolerant and Forgiving.
This, my friend, is the Glorious Robe of His “Banner Love”, which was wrapped around The Tree of Calvary for you and me! Jesus Christ is His Name and when you receive Him, you will never be the same. He was Bruised and Beaten for every one of your sins, diseases, and iniquities, with The Blood of Jesus you have been Washed and made Clean. Now you are in The Kingdom of God Family! Righteous, Free and Totally Healed…..So “Be Strong and Live Free” in Perpetual Victory With The Power and Strength of “The Banner Love” of Calvary!
AMEN and AMEN!
© 2020 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”
Picture by: Brandon Morgan
Boldly For Him 