Have you ever had something old restored? Have you ever seen an old beaten up chair that once was not safe to sit in, be restored, looking all new and ready to be used? Have you ever seen a car found in an old barn go from a pile of dust and turned into something shiny and, for all intensive purposes, new?
We read in the Bible how God created Adam in His, God’s, own image. We read too how Adam and Eve sinned against God. They didn’t trust Him. So they did what they wanted and ate from the tree they were forbidden to eat from.
As a result, we are told that death came into the world.
21 Since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came through one too. 22 In the same way that everyone dies in Adam, so also everyone will be given life in Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, CEB)
Sin changed the world from what God originally wanted it to be. There is pain, and there is suffering. We know this to be true. We find ourselves bothered by certain events, as something in us agrees it isn’t supposed to be that way.
Jesus came to change that, but he didn’t change everything back right away. Instead, Jesus came to live sacrificially. He came to die on the cross. He came to defeat death. Why? It isn’t only so that when we die we get to go to heaven. It’s so much more than that.
Jesus lived, died and rose again so that we can be born again, be made new!
3 Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.” (John 3:3, CEB)
In the beginning, Adam was made in the image of God. Then sin changed Adam, and sin changes us. However, when we trust in Jesus and love Jesus with our lives, we are made new so that we can image God.
As we live loved by God, and in His image, we see the world change.
Beginning on Sunday, June 3rd we are starting a new Sermon Series for the summer called “Jesus in Me.” Please consider joining us as we will explore the book of Proverbs to discover an understanding of how we can be restored, and be made new in the image of God.
Blessings, Pastor Matt