The very first words that we hear God utter, as recorded in Genesis was “Let there be light.” (Gen. 1:3)

The opening statement in any writing or dialogue should never be an insignificant one, whether you are writing a news story, a novel, making a speech, etc.

So the fact we are introduced to God at the beginning of creation with that phrase is not to be taken lightly. (No pun intended) God is not a fan of darkness and we read in the preceding verse that darkness covered the face of the deep. You’ll note that when God separated the darkness from the light, He said the light was ‘good’. He did not offer the same affirmation of darkness.

It’s also noteworthy that much later in time, we would learn that Jesus would make His entrance into the world where people continued to sit in darkness (Matt. 4:19). That was one reason He came...to ‘give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:79) Jesus is not a fan of darkness either. He said those who ‘walk in darkness don’t know there they are going.” (John 12:35). He was encouraging His disciples to be sure to walk while the light is with you lest the darkness overtake you. That was more of a warning I suppose.

After God was finished creating the earth, by literally speaking it in to existence, He then created man. And He had a pretty good idea already as to how He wanted man to look like or resemble. He wanted man to be made in His likeness and image. (Gen. 1:26). That was no insignificant design either.

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”. (That is pretty cut and dry right there as much as that may offend some people today)

Now look at verse 28 where we read that God blessed them and then ‘said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply...”

I don’t know if we want to call that a ‘command’ or a ‘directive’ but the message was clear...he wanted man to fill the earth, to reproduce more after their ‘own kind’. And since they were made in the image and likeness of God, you can see where God had high hopes of producing more people who reflected His nature and character; which we know from scripture that God is good and God is love and merciful...and He’s also a ‘just’ God whose throne is built upon righteousness. (Ps. 92:1-2)

I am wanting to look at the progression of content in which God speaks in the early days of creation here. He opens up with a declaration of light, or ‘truth’ perhaps, wanting to make it clear the distinction between light and darkness. Then, He creates man and issues a directive or command to be fruitful and reproduce and fill the earth.

Next up in the script we hear God speak to man regarding a certain tree there in the garden where He had placed him. (Gen. 2:15-17). He clearly tells the man that ‘of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not (or must not) eat for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Now I don’t want to split hairs here over various word usage given the language changes that have arisen over the years, but just based on simple text here, I’m not sure that God said ‘Don’t Eat’...off this tree or you “must not eat” off this tree and if you finish up the sentence, He explains why they must not eat off this tree because “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” So this sounds more like a ‘warning’ to me as opposed to a command. But once again, let’s not split hairs.

We know how that all plays out in chapter 3 as I include that often in my writings here, and for good reason. But now I want to fast-forward to Genesis 4 and read where we hear God actually give some good advice. In Gen. 1-2, we opened up with a declaration, then heard a directive, followed up by a warning. Now God is giving some advice and it is to Cain, which actually comes on the heels of another warning. Basically He tells Cain that ‘sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for you, but...you should rule over it.” (Gen. 4:6-7)

Sin...is crouching at your door.

Isn’t that interesting...how sin always seems to be the root of man’s problems....and seems to know that if given place, it can come in and work all kinds of havoc in our lives. And yet God advised Cain that he better deal with it and meet it head on. One translation says it this way: “Sin wants you but you can rule over it.”

Want to take a guess what happens when we don’t master it, as God advised Cain to do? It will control us or be master over us.  (And no man can serve two masters- Matt.6:24)

Remember what Jesus said in John 8:34: “Most assuredly I tell you that whoever commits sin is a slave to sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever but a son abides forever.” That gem of truth was sandwiched in between those two resounding statements about how He came that we might know the truth...and that the truth would set us free. (John 8:32-26)

Do you know what Jesus came to set us free from? The very thing that was destroying our lives and hence, brought the wrath of God upon us all since we had all sinned. (John 3:36). It was the wrath of God that Jesus came to ‘save us from’ (Rom. 5:9) and the way He does that is - we repent and turn to Him with all our hearts so that He can lead us to put to death the very sin nature that causes us to sin. (Rom. 8:13). But you have to follow Him and abide in Him in order for this to take place. Remember that statement in John 8:35 how a slave does not abide in the house forever but a son does? Who are the sons/children of God? Those who are led by His Spirit. (Rom. 8:14). And those who do follow, take up a cross and put the old man to death and die to self so that they can live and do the will of God. (1 Pet. 4:1-2).

The problem is, if we are honest with ourselves, and as I wrote about yesterday, we really don’t want to give up all our hearts to Him and surrender to His Lordship. And why should we...if every other church on every other street corner is adamant in telling us we don’t have to.

There...I said it.

The ‘church’ has become the great enabler dishing out the greatest lie ever propagated on God’s people which explains why we are in the middle of the great ‘falling away’ that Paul wrote about in 2 Thess. 2:3. We have become those people who are ‘perishing’ because we “did not receive the love of the truth that we might be saved.” Paul’s words, not mine. (2 Thess. 2:10)

What is that lie? That you and I cannot be truly set free from sinning, and therefore we remain as ‘slaves’ (Jesus’s words, not mine John 8:34). And sin Is breaking the commandments of God, His Law (which was never done away with-Matt. 5:17) and therefore we remain under God’s wrath as Paul warned even adding we might be deceived with empty words and believe otherwise. (Eph. 5:5-6)

And here is truth to chew on and study out for yourself: You can be totally free from sin; But...the only way this happens is if you abide in Him, and not just when it’s convenient. The reason we don’t abide in Him...is because we really don’t want to for a host of reasons. (yesterday’s post). But if...a person is abiding in Jesus...guess what he is doing? He’s walking just like Jesus walked (1 John 2:6) and ‘no longer sins’. (1 John 3:6). His words, not mine.

Now let me close out with a personal testimony of sorts and what I have come to learn about abiding in Him. Just because one is abiding in Jesus does not mean we are immune or free from being tempted ...to sin. But unlike Cain, Jesus empowers us by His grace to truly overcome the sin, the flesh, and the devil. And it is only by His grace that we can do this. And if you are not abiding in Him...it just is not going to happen. The best you can expect to receive or have is a ‘form of godliness’ but devoid of any power. (2 Tim. 3:5). And sadly...that has become the norm for most sincere believers today.

How can I state such an offensive and arrogant remark? Well...ask any sincere believer on any church pew in America today if they believe they can be free of sinning and actually ‘go and sin no more’ like Jesus commanded...and by their own admission they will tell you that just can’t happen...’no matter how hard you try’. Then we point to thick, dusty books written by men who tell us why what God said really didn’t mean that.

God changed my heart so that I ‘want’ to please Him in all things. His way really is ‘easy’ and His burden is ‘light’ and His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3). Now I am not claiming that “I have no sin”, because I don’t know what all remains in my heart. But that does not mean I am yielding to sin and temptation. And if...I do cross a line, He lets me know right away and it’s usually not pleasant either. (Heb. 12:11)

I liken it in a way to driving down a two lane road or highway where oncoming traffic zooms past me in the other direction. I could, at any moment turn the wheel of my car into an oncoming truck. But I don’t because I don’t want to be destroyed. My car is not subject to uncontrolled impulses that would jerk my car like that against my will. Who in their right mind would drive a car like that? 

I choose not to sin because Jesus has set me free and I want to remain free...and remain free indeed.

What about You?  Do you truly desire to be free?