OUR OWN GARDEN OF EDEN EXPERIENCE

 

OUR OWN GARDEN OF EDEN EXPERIENCE  

Last January 2021, we sent you a message about “starting over again” and encouraged you to regularly use the wonderful gift of repentance. In January 2020 we reminded you of the importance of seeing spiritually with “2020 vision.” (we encourage you to reread these still timely messages.) This month of January 2022, as we start yet another new year, we thought it might be beneficial to go clear back to the beginning of humanity on this wonderful world of ours to Adam and Eve to see what lessons we can learn from their beginnings to observe any correlation to our own lives that might help us succeed.

You know the biblical story. Adam and Eve find themselves in a new world, naked and vulnerable. God gives them two commandments, there are two trees of importance, the serpent tempts them to partake of the forbidden fruit, they eat, are removed from the garden to live now in the “lone and dreary world.”

Have you ever put yourself in the story? Are you aware of the role of Jesus Christ in the story? Moses 3:9 tells us, I the lord God planted the tree of life in the garden, and also the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

The Tree of Life- It’s fruit, Eternal life; the possibility of returning to God, a symbol of Jesus Christ who offers repentance, forgiveness, peace, and joy. Satan wasn’t interested in Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit of that tree!  The other tree, also provided by God, the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.  The opportunity to experience both good and evil. The opportunity of mortality with its birth, death, joy, and pain. They would have to leave the garden and the presence of God. They were given direction from God but also agency, “thou mayest choose for they self.” (Moses 3:17). Isn't it interesting that Satan focused his efforts on the one thing that was forbidden, "of every tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou shalt not eat of it."( Genesis 2:16-17). How many wonderful trees were in the garden? We don't know but probably many. True to form, in our lives, we can count on Satan tempting us in the one area that we are most weak and vulnerable! Then Satan tempts Eve, Moses 4:6 “he sought to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world.” Eve partakes of the fruit and gives to Adam.  Satan thinks he won! Now I’ll have a chance to rule over them! He can now begin to “deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not harken unto my (God’s) voice.” (Moses 4:4) But God had outsmarted Satan.  He had given man his agency to choose (which agency Satan wanted to destroy.) Adam and Eve had chosen to take the path of mortality.  They could now obey God’s command to multiply, providing bodies for God’s spirit children. They would now experience all the good and bad they would need to gain experience and develop. Through proper choices, they would still have the chance to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life because God would provide a Savior!

Just as Adam and Eve began their mortal experience naked and vulnerable, so we find ourselves. And as a death of an animal was required to cloth Adam and Eve, so we, thru Christ’s death, are provided the protection and warmth we need as Christ covers all our naked vulnerabilities from sin thru repentance.  As were Adam and Eve, so are we subjected to repeated temptations and death, but through Christ we can overcome both. God knew we’d make mistakes, but he is more concerned that we learn from our mistakes and what we do going forward.

Satan offered them fig leaves to cover them, but fig leaves are abrasive to the skin and dry out quickly and crumble. Satan offers us worldly fig leaves of fame, money, and possessions that also fade and perish but Christ offers us enduring coverage thru his body and life blood given in gethsemane and on the cross.

We’re grateful to Adam and Eve for choosing the difficult yet potentially rewarding path of mortality.

As you navigate your way thru life, we hope you will be wise enough to stay close to your Savior Jesus Christ, to accept his gift of repentance and use it throughout your life. Christ knows the way because he IS the way! He doesn’t desire to punish you rather to redeem you!  Because of Jesus Christ, our sins and mistakes do not have to be damning, they can be developmental! Genesis 3:9 has God asking, Adam, where art thou? But Moses 4:15 has God asking Adam, where goest thou? God knows where we are, but what’s important to him is which way we are going. Are we going toward him, the only one who can help us or are we going away?  May you be wise enough to be going toward God who has the power to help, heal and save!

Much love,

The Grandparent Chronicles