Restored

For the church, as a whole, restoration signifies something more than being converted into a duplicate of the New Testament church. Remember that Restoration means the creation of something that surpasses the original. The biblical theme of restoration is found in the beginning of all things: the book of Genesis. God created in his own image, man and woman. Adam and Eve totally enjoyed God's image, his intimacy and an uninterrupted companionship with Him. However, they decided to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. By doing so, they wanted to take their lives into their own hands. Instead of depending on God's wisdom, righteousness and resources, they would live by their own limited resources, according to their own opinion. Many theologians believe that Eve so resented what she did that she had no choice but to persuade Adam to also eat. Adam so resented what he did they both went and tried to hid from the presence of God. With this tragic decision, the human beings lost their divine image, as well as the intimacy and companionship of the Lord, their Creator … resentment was birthed. Resentment stopped the flow of the intimacy they enjoyed with Creator God. But God's restorative work began immediately. As Adam and Eve were already self-conscious, trying to cover his nakedness by their own hands, and harboring resentment … God provided them clothes made of animal skins. This revealed with complete clarity God's redemptive and restorative plan for the fallen human. This first sacrifice, which provided them with clothes, pointed toward the final sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus himself. In Jesus the restoration is complete and resentment is destroyed, claim it and walk in it today!