27 Feb What is the Kingdom of God? Part 2
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” –Luke 19:10
God created the heavens and the earth, making space-time and mass-energy, material and immaterial, very good. He created man, male and female, to rule God’s good creation as image bearers of the triune God, reflecting His character in their dominion.16 He planted a garden to be a place where God could live together with people.17
But Eve, followed by Adam, listened to the enemy, and they decided to make their own choices against God’s loving command. Sin and shame brought spiritual death, and they hid from the Lord. Physical death destroyed the unity of the living person. The ground was devastated and cursed because of human sin. Relationship was ruined. Everything and everyone that God made good was infected, polluted, and corrupted.
Still, God did not leave us on our own or reject us. Rather, He came and called Adam and Eve as they hid in their shame.18 In the middle of cursing the Serpent, God promised an offspring who would crush the Serpent’s head, the first promise of the coming Messiah.19 God made skins to cover their nakedness, a picture of what the Messiah would do in covering our sin and shame.20 This gracious pursuit by God is the beginning of the revealing of His commitment to bring a loving Kingdom to those who are running from Him. Our King, Jesus Christ, is so wonderful that He persists in loving and pursuing us so that He can bless us forever.
How has God pursued you for a relationship?
16 Gen. 1:26–28.
17 Gen. 2:8.
18 Gen. 3:8–9.
19 Gen. 3:15.
20 Gen. 3:21.
