Intro

The first human beings, Adam and Eve, were born into privilege. They enjoyed all of the wonders of being people created in the image of God. They walked with God in His garden. They enjoyed the ample provision of God’s good creation. They had need of nothing.

But, their decision to separate themselves from God and go their own way led to the human depravity described in Romans 1:18-3:20. Overnight, they went from surveying the garden with their heavenly Father to being banished from the garden forever, toiling to survive.

Would we humans, their descendants, remain forever helpless captives of sin, unable to do anything to escape our enslavement to sin? How would we ever return to right standing with God? How could we ever return to the presence of God?

Questions for Reflection:

• If you are a follower of Jesus, do you remember when God called you to himself?  How did you feel in that moment? Where were you?
• As a follower of Jesus, do you focus more on the forgiveness you have received or do you focus more on the reason for your right standing before God? Why?
• What aspect of the gospel message was most meaningful to you today – justification, redemption or propitiation? Why?
• What would be the evidence that you are trusting more in Jesus, the object of your faith, that in the strength of your own faith?