Bigger Than You Think

The earth (and all creation) was made to produce fruit. It was not meant to “take back” the elements of humankind that it brought forth. Mankind was originally created to live as immortals – there was no intent to return them from where they were taken. They were to be in constant communion with God, heaven, and earth as co-rulers, under God. The “Kingdom of Eden” reflected heaven, and was a perfect place for all creation to interact with The Creator.

So what happened to the mutual benefits of heaven, earth, animals and mankind when The Attack on mankind proved successful?

Consequences

Mankind was warned immediately upon their creation that “the wages of sin (payment for rebellion) was death. That consequence would change everything from the point of sin forward.

Genesis 2:16-17: And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death…

We still think just in terms of ourselves, though. We don’t want to die – somewhere in our spirit we know we were made for more. I wonder how many of us consider the whole cost of our sin? All of God’s creation entered into death that day, both spiritually and physically.

Animals, meant to be our companions, now had to pay a penalty not just for knowing us, but as innocent beings in place of us. Eventually (after the flood) they did not walk with us, but instead ran from us in terror.

And the earth – oh! – the earth. It gave to God our life substance, as it gave to the seeds that God planted in its bosom. The earth watched us being formed and gave us food, shade, peace, and a place to talk to God – to worship and commune personally.

Then, it was forced to endure receiving back the life force – blood and bodies…and it was introduced to weeds and thorns and to being seen as a provider of sorrowful toil instead of fruit, shade, and protection. Truly, the earth entered into a terrible time of frustration that only God can redeem.

Genesis 3:17-19:
Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 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 3:21: The LORD God made garments of (animal) skin for Adam and his wife…

Romans 8:20: For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it…

Our sin involves much more than a moment of indiscretion, or even that moment’s consequences. Our death causes pain to many more than just ourselves.

Redemption

Yet, because of Jesus, all frustration is a temporary state. God set things right with the blood of a total innocent, given by choice – not taken, and with focused purpose and understanding. The blood of One Who 1st gave life. The blood of One Who frustrated only evil. The blood of One Who never sinned because of deception, nor sinned on purpose. The blood of One Who has power over death, and exercised it to show us, among other things, the power He will exercise for us on the Chosen Day.

Jesus Christ took on our penalty, and the abject and unearned suffering and frustration of ALL creation.

Isaiah 53:5-12:

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

1 Peter 1:18-23: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Victory

His Work was planned, is now in progress, and will Finish as a new beginning forged in a fire of eternal victory. Victory for the animals, victory for earth, and victory for mankind. We get to participate in this victory through God’s Power, even though we caused the harm, if we become children of God through faith. In this way we have a portion of overcoming what we did in the garden, showing God’s true redemptive Power through Jesus Christ.

We could do none of this for ourselves, let alone for all of God’s creation. God did this, God is now doing this, and God will see it done in a great, and eternal re-forging of a creation that God made, but we broke. Heaven and earth will become what they were meant to be; rebellion will be crushed, and frustration will be over.

Romans 8:20-24: For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.

Romans 8:37-39: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Revelation 21:1-8: Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars —they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

What we did was bigger than we want to think, and what God has done to resolve it is bigger than we think.

Holy is the Name of The LORD!

Blessings!

Leaona Huston

February 17, 2021