3. What was God’s first gift to fallen Adam and Eve? Genesis 3:15, first part; Psalm 124:6-8.
NOTE: ‘God would not give man up to that darkness, without giving him another opportunity to choose the Light and the Life. And then if he should persist in refusing all offers of the Light and Life and Joy of the Lord of all, he would be allowed to have his own choice. God did not leave mankind in this abject slavery and total darkness. Although they had freely chosen it, the Lord of love and mercy would give them another chance. And therefore it is written, “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, . . . I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.” In this declaration, God broke up the pall of total darkness which, through sin, enshrouded mankind. By this He opened the way for light to shine once more to the enslaved captive sitting helpless in the darkness. In this blessed word, God again gave to mankind freedom of choice. God did not bind man to Himself even now, in an irresistible, absolute, and irresponsible bondage, as Satan had bound him. No, no,. God is ever the Author of intelligence, of freedom of choice, and of freedom of thought. He would not compel man, even now, to take the way of righteousness and keep it. He simply made man free again to choose for himself, whom he will serve. And mankind is now perfectly free to make the choice for himself as to whether he will serve God or Satan, whether he will have the mind of God or the mind of Satan, whether he will choose Christ or self.’ A.T. Jones: Ecclesiastical Empire, page 597.
4. Can we put right anything in our past to make us favourable again to God? Jeremiah 13:23. Read Romans 3:25, last part, to discover that it was for our past, a past that we cannot put right, that Jesus came and died.
NOTE: ‘Nothing can man devise to supply the place of his lost robe of innocence.’ A.T. Jones: Ecclesiastical Empire, page 594
‘This is what the transgressors of God’s law have done ever since the day of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. They have sewed together fig leaves to cover the nakedness caused by transgression. They have worn the garments of their own devising; by works of their own they have tried to cover their sins, and make themselves acceptable with God.’ Christ’s Object Lessons, page 311.
COMPILER’S NOTE: Here is a rephrasing of Romans 3:25, to bring its comfort to our hearts. ‘It had been planned with the Father that Jesus was to come to earth, to bring back into favour with His Father, any who believed and accepted that Jesus’ death had paid the penalty for the sins of their past; Jesus would now declare that all the goodness of His life would be put to their account instead, and everything in their past would be considered as if it had never happened. Such is the mercy and longsuffering of God.’