by Pastor Joel Lawler

When God first created us, we were perfect and without fault. We had a relationship with God that included Him physically coming and taking walks with us. We were able to have this relationship with God because there was nothing between us. In fact we were naked and unashamed. While this refers to us not wearing clothing it also pertains to a state of complete openness and intimacy. We did not have anything to hide physically or spiritually. Everything was out in the open.

When we chose to go against God's rules, it put an end to our ability to have a relationship with God. He is perfect and we became imperfect. He is righteous and we became unrighteous. With our disobedience came guilt and shame. We were no longer naked and unashamed. We became closed and defensive. When God confronted Adam about his sin, Adam blamed Eve and also God by saying "It was the Woman you created". Rather than take responsibility, Adam looked to cover up his mistakes. He damaged his relationship with God and he also damaged his relationship with Eve.

God established a faith system through Abraham and his decedents the Jewish people, that pointed to His ultimate solution to the problem of our sin. Part of the Jewish faith is temple worship. The temple had a room called The Holy of Holys. It was in the middle of the temple. Only once a year could the

High Priest enter this room. He had elaborate rituals he had to follow prior to entering The Holy of Holys. If he made a slight deviation from the rules, he would be struck dead upon entering the curtain that separated this special room. He has a rope tied around his ankle so that if he did die, they would be able to pull him out. Entering The Holy of Holys was entering the presence of God and was not to be taken lightly.

Man had gone such a long way from the days he could walk in the garden with God and be naked and unashamed. Sin was such a hostile act towards God that it demanded a terrible price. Not only did it break off our relationship with God it also cost us our lives. The cost of sin is death. God's solution to our fall was to send Jesus, His Son, to live a perfect life, die a horrific death and rise from the dead so that we could put our faith in Him and be restored to Him. Jesus paid the debt of our sin on the cross. One of the signs of the new hope that we have is that upon His death, the curtain that separated The Holy of Holys, where God's presence was in the temple was torn from top to bottom. We now can once again go into the presence of God.

Every year we celebrate the miracle of Christmas. We mark the day that Jesus, the King of King, was born into the most humble of all circumstances. It was the beginning of what would be His solution to our sin problem. While we

gather with friends and family and celebrate Christ's birth, we should take time to think about what we lost back in the garden when we chose to turn from God. We should reflect on the incredible price God paid in order to pay our sin. We should express our gratitude to Him for all that He has done for us. We should take great joy in the fact that we can have a relationship with Him once again.
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