Welcome to the Daily Blade. The Word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christians' armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

Welcome back to day four of the Daily Blade. What we're going to look at here in Genesis chapter 3 is really when the first religion is born. You see, the reality is at the core of us all, because of our sin nature, is that we all reject God. Some of us tend to reject God through rebellion. This was the forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve say, forget you, God. I don't care what your law says, I'm going to do what I want with who I want, when I want. That's rebellion. But some people reject God through religion. Say, God, we don't need you to do something about our sin and shame. By the works of our own hands, we'll handle it ourselves. Genesis chapter 3, verse 7 says this. Then the eyes of both were open. This is after they took of the fruit, like we talked about yesterday. Then the eyes of both were open, and they knew that they were naked. Now, what I want you to see here is this terrible trade that they've made. They traded obedience for disobedience. They traded transparency with God for shame. They traded being known for hiding. You see, sin is a terrible trade. And they sewed fig leaves together and they made themselves loincloths. You see, and the first religion is born. Again, what I want you to see here is that they thought by the works of their own hands they could do something to cover their sin and shame. That's what religion is. That if I do the right things, then I will be acceptable before God. The gospel is because of what Christ has done for me, that is why I am accepted, and because I am accepted by the finished work of Christ, it drives me to be about my father's business. It says, and then verse 8, and they heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden of the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. That that sounds crazy, doesn't it? But let me ask you this. Um, when have you ever tried to run and hide from God? You see, we do this all the time. There are areas of our life we want God to see and bless, and there's other areas of our life where we run and hide and we hope he doesn't see it. Let me ask you Um, when does this happen to you? You see, because when you don't understand the grace of God, you run from God and not to God. You see, religion goes like this. Religion says, Oh no, we've screwed up. Don't tell Dad, he's gonna kill us. The gospel says, Oh no, we screwed up. Hurry, call dad. He can help us. So let me ask you this, by the way, dads. What kind of dad are you? I mean, if if you get to borrow the title of our creator, Father, then how in the world are our kids gonna believe that God is good and kind and gracious? How are they gonna believe that their heavenly father loves them if we are always yelling at them? Verse nine, the Bible says, But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, Where are you? You see, I got some really good news. Is that even though Adam and Eve run and they try to cover over their sin and shame by the works of their own hand, the good news of the gospel is that God relentlessly pursues his rebellious children. You see, not only does God pursue them and say, Where are you? which is a very important question to ask, but later, by the time we get to the New Testament, God is going to love us, the world, so much that he's going to send his only begotten son. And Jesus, when he shows up on the scene, he comes on a rescue mission. Jesus said, I did not come for the well, but for the sick. The reality is, is there are none that are actually well. And what you need to be saved is need. That Jesus is the kind of shepherd that leaves the 99 to pursue the one. That Jesus is the kind of savior that will turn over his entire house to try to find that one lost coin. That Jesus wants us to know that God is the kind of heavenly father that runs to that prodigal at the expense of his own honor and his own name for his glory. So let me ask you this. I'm gonna ask you the same question that God asked Adam and Eve. Where are you? Like right now, I know that you've sinned. Are you running from God or are you running to God? Do you think you can run and hide from him? Do you think that you could work this out on your own? Do you think there's something that you could do with your own hands that you could make a covering suitable to cover your sin and shame? Well, just be honest, you know it's not working, so I dare you, I mean I dare you, to stop running and come home to a loving Heavenly Father who loves you, calls your name, and sent Jesus to invite you to come home.

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