The 4th of July is a time of celebrating America and its freedom with food, fireworks, friends, and family. It is also a time in which we can appreciate our freedom to worship without having to keep our faith a secret.
There is a story in the Bible that is all about freedom. Freedom to wear whatever and do whatever. However God warned them not to do one thing, eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God even allowed them the freedom to make choices, which unfortunately led to their sin and rebellion. This is the story of Adam and Eve.
In these scriptures, we read how Adam and Eve made a big mistake, one that brought evil and shame into their once perfect world. However, in spite of their wrong choice, we see a holy God reaching out to provide a way to be reconciled to Him once again. God also hinted at His plan to restore humanity from its newly found brokenness.
Check out these verses:
Genesis 3:1-13
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man[a] and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
James 5:16
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Psalm 139:1-6
O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
The truth is that Jesus knows you completely. At the same time, He loves you.
I encourage you to take your sin to God and repent of it. Realize that He already knows and died for your sins. We still confess and choose to turn away from our sins through repentance by recognizing and taking responsibility of our sin. God is wise enough and looks out for our best interest. He does not want us bound in slavery to sin because it only hurts us and keeps us distant from Him. Lastly, I encourage you to find a solid Christian friend who can keep you accountable. Having accountability makes a world of a difference.
Be blessed today!
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