You’ve Been Freed to Choose!
“Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”” (Genesis 2:16-17 WEB)
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not inherently evil. God Himself has the knowledge of good and evil.
He is able to discern between good and evil, and being able to recognize evil is not a sin. In fact, it is needed for judging righteously. A judge must be able to reward what is good and condemn what is evil.
“Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...”” (Genesis 3:22 WEB)
What made it a sin for man to eat from the tree was God’s commandment, “You shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Transgressing God’s command is a crime resulting in the penalty of death—being utterly alienated from God’s goodness.
The all-knowing God gave us the gift of free choice. He wants us to choose to obey Him out of love and not be forced to do it. He desires a real Father-child relationship with us.
To redeem us from the fall, God sent His Son to become a Man, to suffer a bloody death on the cross. There, Jesus bore all the punishment for the sins of the world. He took it so that we wouldn’t have to.
Jesus appeased all of God’s righteous requirements, and today, we are free to enjoy parental love and goodness from God.
Since all of your sins have been righteously punished in Jesus’ body, you are free to obey God out of love, and not because you fear God’s punishment.
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:15-19 WEB)
If you have believed and confessed that Jesus is Lord, the Holy Spirit remains in you and you are in Christ. God loves you and has redeemed you. This can never be changed.
Your reborn spirit is as holy, perfect and righteous as Jesus is right now. This truth should cast out all fear of punishment, freeing you to love God and fellow men by choice.
“Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s.” (1 John 2:15-16 WEB)
Of course, being free to choose means you can decide to indulge in the fleeting pleasures of sin and the lusts of the world. But you should know that it won’t make you happy, and that sowing seeds of sin still bears the fruit of death in your life, culminating in physical death.
“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:12-13 WEB)
As I mentioned earlier, God is a righteous judge who rewards the good and condemns the evil. All your sins have been condemned and punished in Jesus, so all that’s left is to wait for your rewards.
There is a time for receiving rewards, but it is not in this mortal lifetime. Every time you choose to walk in faith, hope and love for Jesus’ sake, you are increasing your rewards.
You will have boldness in the day of judgment because it is not a time for punishment, but a time for receiving rewards. Are you ready for the awards ceremony in God’s kingdom?
Learn more about eternal rewards in my book “Sandcastles Don’t Last Forever”. I believe it contains revelations that we need in these last days—
Digital eBook version: http://bit.ly/sandcastlesdontlastforever
Physical paperback book version: https://www.amazon.com/Sandcastles-Dont-Last-Forever-Biblical/dp/172671327X
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