I’ve fired a shot across the bow of christianity as it exists today, especially in the United States, calling the body of Christ out for chasing materialism and worldly pursuits and seeking fulfillment everywhere but where it matters.  I’ve offered criticism, now I want to offer solutions.

I now want to begin the search for what God originally intended, where we went wrong and, most importantly, the path to restoration.

Where to begin the search is rather easy,  I choose to begin at the beginning.  Genesis recounts the beginnings of many things. I’m more interested, however, in the “whys” of Genesis.  Why, for instance, did God choose to make man, knowing he would fall in disobedience and require Christ’s death on the cross to repair the damage his creation caused.  Why even have a redemption plan?  Why did he not immediately end the mess in the garden?  Why put a tree in the garden that might lead to fall in the first place?  The list can go on and on.

The answers to these questions lie with the God of relationships. God desired a creation that he could fully express his nature to, for his glory. That creation was man.

As in any serious relationship, each individual must be able to express his or her self fully, without inhibitions, to the other.  A lack of such complete intimacy would always stand in the way of total committment.  This is true in a friendship, a marriage and, of course, how we relate to God.

As we enter into a faith covenant with God, it is not a business deal.  We are not developing a contract such that if we keep our side, God will grant certain provisions.  God describes the relationship we have with him in the most intimate terms.  He calls us his children in John 1:12. In other places in the word, he describes our relationship as a bride and her bridegroom (Revelation 19:7).  Clearly, our heavenly Father seeks more than just a band of pre-programmed worshippers.  He seeks, rather, the most intimate relationship that can be had.

This brings us back to the questions I asked earlier.  They all have the same answer.  To have a true, totally intimate relationship, God needed to reveal his complete nature to man.  Why a redemption plan?  The answer is that God can express his love, forgiveness and mercy.  Why not end it when the fall occurred?  Through those events God can express his grace and justice.  Why plant the tree?  By giving us a choice, God can show his righteousness, judgement, wrath, compassion, holiness…. the list goes on and on.

Does this mean that God created the tree so that we would sin, thus luring us into the inevitable fall? Absolutely not!  Scripture is clear on this point. God does not tempt us. James clearly states in his letter to the Jews; “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me,’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;” James 1:13 (NIV).

God had to allow us the freedom of choice, including the ability to choose sin, so that he can fully express his nature to us. Grace arrives in the story, in that God knew what his creation would do and what it would cost Jesus to fix it, yet he still proceeded with the creation.

Simple faith and worship begin when we realize that the God we serve wants to have a full, deep, love relationship with each of us, just as we are.  Our acceptance of his sacrifice on the cross and faith in his promises are all that is required to begin that walk.