Adam was the first human being to learn that the God of creation is someone who is most severe on crime – He found out the hard way through painful experience! The Book of Genesis says that when God had breathed the breath of life into man’s nostrils, Adam became a living person. After this, God placed Adam in the garden He had planted in Eden and instructed him to tend and watch over it. Adam’s gardening orientation was quick and simple… God said to him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die” (2:7-17).

A simple definition of ‘holy’ is ‘free of sin’. When God created the world, it was free of sin. When God created Adam, he was free of sin. Life in Eden was perfect… it was free of sin! However, through the Tempter, Adam ignored God’s instruction not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. By this one, simple act of disobedience Adam gave sin entry into the world that corrupted mankind; past, present, and future… and rendered the world hostile to human and animal living. Adam was no longer sin-free – he and Eve were no longer holy. 

Friends, that’s all it took to cause God to hand-down a just verdict of ‘guilty’ from the High Court of Heaven and pronounce the death penalty upon Adam and Eve, and the whole human race. Sin (crime) and holiness cannot co-exist!

Sometime ago, you and I turned to the cross of Jesus from our sinful-criminal ways for forgiveness and restoration for a right relationship with God, enabling us to live righteously and harmoniously with Him, and with each other. God is holy and He commands us to be holy. This ‘holiness’ expectation can easily be adopted with our minds and yet lag behind with our lives through compromise or unconfessed sin. Does God not know our thoughts, attitudes, and actions? Does God not see as clearly in the dark as in the light? Does God not know our hidden secrets, past and present? Has God become complacent with His demand of holiness? No, No, No…Noooo!

While the shocking incident at Golgotha was extremely criminal, the Father permitted the injustice shown to His Son, Jesus, in order that He be positioned on the cross, precisely where the Father wanted Him. It was at the cross the Righteous Jesus died for the unrighteous, you and me… Adam’s curse was satisfied there in full, once and for all! Satan and the world he controls is soft, soft… ever so soft on crime, but I am someone who proudly testifies that our Heavenly Father is not, is not… will never be soft on crime! The Apostle John said, “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God” (1 John 3:4). Friends, justice for our crimes, past, present, and future was satisfied on our behalf at the cross, then ‘conditional’ mercy was offered to all! Through Christ, every believer is an ex-con who has been fully pardoned, set free, and redeemed!

Best wishes,
Bill