From the Garden of Eden to the New Covenant
When I was a young child, I once discovered pimples on my skin that were later diagnosed as chickenpox. This symptom was evidence of a deeper problem - a virus invading my body.
The rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was also an indication that something more fundamental had occurred. Before original sin, there existed original righteousness. Adam and Eve were originally created as good beings. (1. Mose 1,31)...and cultivated an intimate relationship with God. Under the influence of the serpent (Satan) in the Garden of Eden, the desires of their hearts turned away from God and yearned for what the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil supposedly offered them—worldly wisdom. “The woman saw that the tree was good for food and a delight to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise. So she took of its fruit and ate, and gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (1. Mose 3,6).
Since that time, the natural heart of man has turned away from God. It is an undeniable fact that man follows what his heart most desires. Jesus reveals the consequences of a heart turned away from God: “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.” (Mk 7,21-23).
The New Testament continues: “What causes strife and war among you? Do not your desires war within you? You desire and do not have; you murder and covet and do not gain; you quarrel and fight; you do not have because you do not ask.” (Jak 4,1-2)The Apostle Paul describes the consequences of human natural desires: “Among them we all once lived in the desires of our flesh, carrying out the will of the flesh and of reason, and by nature being children of wrath, like the rest.” (Eph 2,3).
Although by human nature we deserve God's wrath, God addresses this fundamental problem by proclaiming: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh, a soft heart." (Hes 36,26).
The new covenant in Jesus Christ is a covenant of grace that grants forgiveness of sins and restores fellowship with God. This is achieved through the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ. (Röm 8,9), people are reborn as new creatures who possess a heart that turns anew to God.
In this renewed communion with the Creator, the human heart is transformed by the grace of God. The previously misguided desires and tendencies are replaced by a quest for justice and love. In following Jesus Christ, believers find comfort, guidance, and hope for a fulfilling life based on the principles of the kingdom of God.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the lives of those who follow Christ are transformed. In a world marked by sin and separation from God, faith in Jesus Christ offers salvation and a life-changing relationship with the Creator of the universe.
by Eddie Marsh
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