The Second Exchange (III)

The story of the Garden is told within the earliest of Hebrews traditions and has been told a million or more times in the centuries which have followed.  In the beginning the Lord God gave the Garden of Eden couple freedom to eat from every tree except one.  "...but of the tree of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."  (Genesis 2:17)  Adam and Eve heard and they understood.  Later when the talking snake shows up telling them to eat what is forbidden, he says, "You will not die..."  (Genesis 3:4)   They chose to believe the lie instead of what they knew to be the Word of the Lord God.   

The Apostle Paul wrote about this happening in his letter to the Roman Christians as he spoke of those who lived to dishonor God and who lived lives empty of gratitude to the Creator.  (Romans 1:21)  Those who lived in such a way "exchanged the truth about God for a lie."  (Romans 1:25)  Here is something which had its roots in humanity since the days of beginning, on through the time of the Apostle Paul, and into the day in which we live.     

All around us and within us do we see evidence that the lie is embraced rather than the truth of God.  The truth God proclaims to us in His Word, through the creation around us, and by the power of the Holy Spirit does not always make us comfortable.  It does not fit into what we want to do.  So, we become like those walking by a buffet.  We pick and choose what we want to believe God is saying.  We accept what we want to accept.  If it does not give us permission to do what we want to do then we take a black marker and cover it on the pages of the Word.  Whenever we do this, we end up building our lives on a lie instead of the truth about God.  It may tickle our ears, but it surely must break the heart of God even as it did in the Garden when He spoke those heart breaking words, "What is this that you have done?"  (Genesis 3:13)