Words of Grace

By Rev. Mahlon Nevel

God created the heaver and the earth in six days. On the sixth day of creation he made man and gave him dominion over all the earth. (Genesis 1:26)

Then the Lord planted a garden in Eden. The Garden of Eden, as it is called, was where he put the man. (2:8)
Not only did the Lord plant the garden; he also made everything to grow. The garden was filled with trees of all kind, and Adam was given the job of caretaker.

In the middle of the garden there were two special trees. There was the tree of life, and the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.

God told Adam that he could freely eat of every tree in the garden. “But of the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it.”

And what if he did eat of it? God warned him that he would surely die. Adam was given the opportunity to do what was good and not to do what was evil. He did what was evil and we are all affected by that decision.
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:22).

A Bible scholar, commenting on this verse, points out that the first creation was on probation in its head Adam, and failed. The new creation was also on probation in its head, Christ Jesus, but it did not fail.

In the fifth chapter of Romans the apostle Paul compares what we are in Adam, and what we are in Jesus. It was by one man, Adam that sin entered into the world. So death comes upon all of us. (V. 12).

But also by one man, Christ, who died for us, we can have eternal life. (V.8)