It all happened so suddenly. One moment Adam and Eve were living in perfect harmony and fellowship with God. But then we read perhaps the saddest verse in all of Scripture: “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:6). By eating this fruit, from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God strictly said they could not eat, (Genesis 2:17) Adam and Eve ushered sin and death into the world. And sadly, all of mankind ever since are born spiritually dead in sin, and will one day physically have to die.
But praise God, the story doesn’t have to end this way, since God, before He even created the universe, had a plan to win back His fallen creation. Author, Philip Yancey, shares one of the most encouraging quotes I have ever read when he states: “In a nutshell, the Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22 tells the story of a God reckless with desire to get his family back.”1
God’s love for mankind was and is so great that the second member of the Trinity, Jesus, chose to take on human form and willingly and joyfully go to the cross of Calvary to redeem His family back by taking on His body our sins and the punishment we deserved! And from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22 we read the greatest love story ever told about a God who would sacrifice His own life for His family!
I love the fact that our God is a reckless God that would move heaven and earth to bring salvation to a world lost and living in sin. I know in my own life, as an atheist, who had no intention of believing that God even existed, still did everything in His power to open my stone-cold and rebellious heart to woo me back to Himself. And for that I am eternally grateful!
As Christians, I believe, we need to also be reckless with desire to win our family, friends, and all others God brings into our path, to Christ through our demonstrating compassion, sharing the Word, and especially our prayers. We are in a cosmic battle for the souls of mankind and only a reckless love toward others will win the lost back to Jesus. So, let’s love more, share the Word more, and pray more – for the eternal destinies of souls are at stake.