God created
people to be in a perfect relationship between both Himself and
the created universe. One of the truly astounding statements that
God makes about people is that they are made in His image. What this means
is that although people will never be
God, they can be like God.
Since we are made in the image of God, we belong to God, are
inherently valuable to Him and each other, and will only experience
true and full humanity in a relationship with God.
The basis for any relationship with God is faith. This is even
apparent in Adam and Eve's relationship with God before they
sinned. God presented an opportunity for them to show their trust
in Him through obedience to Him. But Adam and Eve
craved not only to be like God, but to
be God. That disobedience led to a world
stained with
sin.
So, what is sin? Sin is an inward inclination to rebelliousness
and disobedience towards God and His standards that results in
separation from God and brokenness in people. In our sin, we become
enemies of
God.
Any type of salvation from our sinfulness must change our enemy
status, must offer forgiveness for our personal sins, and must
provide us with the ability to once again live in a faith
relationship with God.
Right from the very beginning of sin in our world, God promised
that He would make a way back into relationship with Him. He wanted
us to know what that salvation would look like, and so He began
working in the lives of people to give us pictures of what His
salvation would look like.
One of the primary pictures of God's salvation is seen in a man
named Abraham and his descendants, the Jewish people. In the stories of
thes people, we see God's explanation of salvation unfolding -
faith-based, grace-filled, God-provided salvation. A salvation that
would require there to be a bridge between a sinful people (us) and
a loving, perfectly holy God.
There are many other pictures of salvation that have been
provided in the Old Testament. The pictures are there
and if brought together present the most compelling story of love
and grace that has ever been told. But the Old Testament closes
with the realization that the salvation that God has promised to
send has not yet come. Though there are hints of it in a thousand
different places, there is no one succinct fulfillment of God's
promise to rescue us from our brokenness...
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