The answer to this question finds its basis in the eternal nature of God himself. When God’s creativity found its expression by giving life to this earth and mankind, his plan and purpose was an everlasting relationship with his creation. He created humans in his image. He breathed into the bodies he made from dirt, and the eternal aspect of their nature began.
It all began in a garden. This love affair God has with his creation. They were to live happily ever after in that garden. He visited them each evening in the garden and conversed face to face. Nothing came between them.
Two Trees One Rule
And, there was a tree. On that tree was fruit. Fruit that provided eternal life. They could eat freely from this tree. Allowing their physical selves to live as long as their soul.
But there was another tree. A tree that would give them knowledge of both good and evil. A tree that if they ate from it would kill them. Don’t eat from that tree. Simple.
But why would God put such a tree in the garden if they couldn’t eat from it? Why give his creation a choice?
He was everything they needed. He knew that, but they also needed to know that. As he had chosen them, He desired to be chosen too. This is the nature of love it thrives on reciprocation.
So, his creation had a choice, choose him or seek everything they needed elsewhere.
They looked elsewhere. God’s eternal plan and purpose remained unchanged. But he had to make adjustments. The tree of eternal life, the tree that enabled their physical self to live forever was no longer available to them.
Plan B
Because God’s plan and purpose was to continue to establish an eternal relationship with our spiritual nature, he had to make another way. Justice requires payment for wrongdoing so Jesus came to make a way for us to continue to have a relationship with God. A relationship lost through the centuries. God created a new opportunity to choose him.
A simple plan.
God is eternal.
He created us to live eternally with him.
But the limited physical nature of our current existence has robbed us of any sense of eternity we once had. This became so clear in the past month with the passing of my mother at the end of March. When she died, I realized, she was gone. I could sit with her body, but it became like a house she once lived in. My mother had moved out and on. Last week, it reinforced this realization when I had the privilege to be with a dear friend when she passed away.
So, Jesus came to put us once again in touch with our spiritual selves through a right relationship with God. We broke God’s law, but Jesus took our punishment, enabling us to once again have a relationship with God.
Both my mother and this dear friend had faith in God, and I have confidence they are now with him, experiencing the joy of his presence without physical restriction. I long for the day when I too will experience the loss of that physical separation from Him.
At the core of this simple plan choice still lives. God’s plan and purpose remain to choose and be chosen.
I discussed in a previous post, one aspect of God’s nature, his omnipresence. He is everywhere at once. Now add to that equation, his eternal nature, and he cannot help but be with us.
Always and forever.
And to that I say.
Amen.