Have you ever wondered why God’s first question to Adam after he sinned, wasn’t “What have you done now”? Or “Why can’t you stay out of trouble?” Or maybe something like, “I hate you; I never want to see you again.” Isn’t that sometimes how we respond when were angry?
But God’s first words to Adam were, “Where are you”. Do you believe God didn’t know where Adam was? I’m certain God knew exactly where Adam was. What God was indicating is, come here Adam. I’m looking for you. I want to talk to you. God was restoring a broken relationship.
God did a very similar thing with the second recorded sin in the bible when Cain killed his brother Abel. God said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother”. In James 1:15 we read, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Like Adam and Cain, they first desired something. For Adam it was the fruit of the tree. For Cain it was jealousy of his brothers offering being accepted while his was rejected. The result of both their sins was spiritual death. This is true of all sin. For in Isaiah 59:2 it says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Can you hear from Isiah’s words how sin destroys our relationship with God. Words like separation, removed from His presence (face) and that God will not respond (will not hear). Friend this is a broken relationship that must be restored in order to function as it was designed.
This is why God came to Adam and said, “Where are you”, let’s restore our broken relationship. Let’s remove the separation.
In Mark 12:30-31 we learn that the greatest commandment according to Jesus is to love God with all your heart, and that the second is much like it to love others like yourself. Then Jesus sums up his teaching, and says, there are no greater commandments than these.
The kingdom of God is not made up of rules. Nor is God seeking a bunch of rule keepers. Is obedience important. Absolutely. Jesus said, those who love me will keep my commandments. But loving Jesus, and doing good, is not rule keeping. It’s evidence of a loving relationship.
God is asking you and me today, “Where are you”? I pray today you will take time to mediate on this very important question, “Where are you?” And this is Jesse Walker with the Glenwood Church of Christ.
