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Many people view Adam and Eve's forced exit from Eden as a sign that God no longer loved them; it's a sign of His sacrificial (agape) love for them. If they remained in Eden and ate from the Tree of Life, then they would have lived forever in a state of sin and separation from their Creator. Their exit from Eden paved the way for Jesus to give His life for us on the ultimate Tree of Life (the cross).
In 1 Corinthians 15, Jesus is described as the "second Adam" because He was sent to succeed where the first Adam failed. After being baptized in the Jordan river, God the Father declared the following over Jesus: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17b NKJV). Directly following this declaration of love, the enemy feeds Jesus with lies to try and distract Him from the Father's love. These are the very lies that the enemy tries to distract us with today:
1. My Feelings Must Be Final: As any of us would be, Jesus was hungry after fasting for 40 days in the wilderness. The enemy tried to take advantage of this feeling that Jesus had by telling Him to turn a stone into bread. However, Jesus allowed truth, not what He felt, to guide His decisions.
2. My Value Must Be Visible: The enemy told Jesus that he could make Him the most powerful being in the universe if He would simply bow before him. However, Jesus knew that He was already all-powerful, and He didn't need the appearance of power to validate that fact.
3. My Strength Must Be Sufficient: Jesus didn't feel the need to throw Himself down from the temple to prove His strength. True strength is found through surrendering to God.
Big Idea: No matter the lie the enemy tells you, the truth is that God loves you.
Reflection Questions:
1. What is one thing from today's devotional that jumped out to you?
2. What is the most prominent lie that the enemy uses on you to distract you from God's love? How does Jesus' finished work on the cross change your perspective?
3. Who is someone that you can encourage with this, and how can you encourage them?
About this Plan
We all desire to experience “better things” in this life, but in our desperate pursuit to obtain them we often overlook what we've already been given. Throughout this study, we will discover four things we lost during The Fall in Genesis but received again through Jesus. We will see how they truly are the “better things” that we have been searching for.
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