Paradise lost?

“So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” -1 Corinthians 15:45 NIV

When Adam was first created he had it made. A perfect relationship with God, a perfect relationship with creation, a true partner in life and a purpose in life. He and his wife were entrusted with dominion over every other living thing. But first things first - Adam was created on the 6^th day meaning that his first full day of his existence was a day of rest. Adam was complete God and therefore could rightly relate to everything and everyone else in life. His worth was in his being rather than his doing.

Fast forward to the fall. Adam had it all and then chose to give it away. His single act of disobedience set into motion a chain reaction that radically affects the world we live in today. This was the result –

“To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” – Genesis 3:17-19 NIV

Ever since that fateful day man has been trying to work his way out of his brokenness and back into his picture of paradise. The problem is that in the end it all leads to death. Unfortunately many Christians today have yet to find that place of rest, that place of peace, that place of being because they are so busy doing. See it’s in our first Adam nature to strive and to struggle by the sweat of our brow trying to earn our way back into His grace. But the Last Adam has opened the door for us forward into relationship, forward into significance, forward into rest.

“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.” – Hebrews 4:1 NIV

Do not confuse rest with inactivity. Adam had great responsibility before the fall. In reality he had GREATER responsibility but that was not the essence of who he was. He was defined by the fact that he was created in the image of God. Out of that security he was free to be who God had created him to be. When we learn to ‘be’ then we will be empowered to ‘do’ - wonderful things, impossible things, eternal things.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 NIV