Sin is not only disobedience of God’s moral law. We were created for communion (fellowship) with God. John 17:3, 1 Corinthians 8:3, 1 John 1:3, Revelation 3:20 Sin broke that fellowship, and the original design of humanity was marred. When we speak of a penalty for sin, it is not so much active rebuke or discipline for the act of sin. Rather, there is a certain consequence for the broken fellowship between humanity and God. Restoring that fellowship avoids the consequence.
Those who reject Jesus Christ do so on the purpose for Christ in the first place, namely, repairing the breach between God and humanity caused by rebellion against God’s moral law. We would prefer not to be accountable to a moral law and not even to acknowledge morality and the requirement for fellowship with and devotion to God. If we admit that Christ rights the wrongs caused by sin, then we are also admitting that there is sin in the world and that we have participated in that sin and must do something different.
1 Corinthians 8:3 introduces an interesting concept. “[I]f anyone loves God, he is known by Him.” Also, in John 17:3, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” What does “know” mean?
We first see knowledge in Genesis 2:17, 3:5, 3:22, and 4:1, and it is presented in three distinct manifestations:
1. The tree of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil represented forbidden knowledge. This forbidden knowledge was the basis of the first temptation in the Garden of Eden. The temptation was to expand their enlightenment and understanding beyond that which God gave them in creation.
2. Knowledge is then presented as “knowing good and evil”, or as all that is desirable to be known. In this way, knowledge became something to be worshiped, as something which competes with God. Alexander MacLaren wrote, “To know evil was, no doubt, a forward step intellectually; but to know it by experience, and as part of themselves, necessarily changed their ignorant innocence into bitter knowledge, and conscience awoke to rebuke them.”
3. Knowledge is presented in the third instance as intimacy between Adam and Eve. This knowledge represents fellowship and communion.
Some definitions may be helpful here. Knowledge generally means:
1. Familiarity gained through experience or association.
2. Acquainted with or understanding obtained.
3. Being aware of something.
4. Range of information or understanding.
5. Apprehending truth or fact, particularly through reasoning.
6. Information gained through learning.
7. Knowledge as a noun represents the body of truth, information, and principles acquired by the human mind.
Interestingly, the root of ignorant (norant) is Latin for “knowledge” or to be acquainted with. Thus, “ignorant” means without or not having knowledge or unfamiliar.
We often do not consider in today’s definition of knowledge that it means an intimate familiarity. Throughout the Bible, “walk” is also used to express closeness, familiarity, and obedience. The most famous verse would be Genesis 5:22-24 in which we see that Enoch walked with God. Enoch’s walk was a way of life which involved closeness and familiarity with God. Genesis 6:9, Genesis 17:1, Deuteronomy 5:33, Psalm 26:1-3, Micah 6:8, Malachi 2:6, 1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 John 1:1-9, and Revelation 3:20 also all represent close fellowship with God. Psalm 15:1-2 are two verses which are particularly interesting. The Psalmist ties abiding and dwelling directly with walking in integrity, righteousness, and truth.
Abiding and dwelling with certainly involve closeness, familiarity, and fellowship.
Sin separated us from God, so that we cannot be familiar with God while in sin. Sin broke fellowship with God. We see this occur in the Garden of Eden. This is confirmed in Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
The way back to God is reconciliation. 1 John 1:9 lays the foundation for reconciliation, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Enmity or separation began in the Garden of Eden with the consequence of the first sin. We see reconciliation summarized in Ephesians 2:14-16, “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”
Through reconciliation, the enmity between us and God is ended, and we can again walk before God in knowledge, familiarity, and closeness. From Ephesians 2, we first understand that without or before reconciliation we were walking in sin. After reconciliation with God, in verse 10, there is a reversal of enmity, and we are walking in good works before God.
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