'In the beginning God created the heavens and earth' (Gen 1:1),
'God saw all that He had made, and it was very good' (Gen
1:31a)
Unfortunately, as we all know, it didn't stay that way.
Man and Woman went against God's advice and broke His one and only -
at the time - rule, and the consequences were enormous.
The bible tells us that God cannot look upon sin, (because it is evil),
so He had no choice but to banish mankind from His sight. Psalm
5:4
Immediately afterward however, and ever since, God has been trying to
give us the opportunity to get back in His presence. As He cannot look
upon us when we are sinful, He must provide us the means to gain His
forgiveness.
Before Jesus arrived God set up a number of sophisticated rituals which
Man had to carry out in order to gain forgiveness. (Perhaps they were
so complicated to make sure that the desire for repentance was sincere).
Fortunately following the arrival of Jesus, all such rituals were superceded
by the simple demand that we believe in Jesus Christ (Acts
10:43), and to seek and offer forgiveness.
Matthew
6:14
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