February 7, 2009

THE PROTOEVANGELIUM OR "FIRST GOSPEL"

“So the LORD God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, You [are] cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.’” (Genesis 3:14-15 NKJV)

On the day that man fell, God promised a seed, a Savior. This is an obvious allusion to the atoning work of Christ. At the cross, Christ crushed Satan. The result of which is your freedom.

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:13-15 NKJV)[emphasis added]

Looking at this early declaration of the Gospel reminds me of some comments I have often heard. People question sometimes why God created the world and man knowing that man would fall.

Perhaps we should be asking why God created knowing that His Son would need to die on a Roman cross. You know the cross was all part of the plan. When God said let us make man, He knew He was agreeing to die in the hands of sinners. He was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13.8).

There are some things that God has not told us. Many of those things are probably beyond our comprehension. This could be why He has not even attempted to tell us.

However, we do know that God is good. We do know that God is worthy of our praise and adoration. Therefore, let’s not venture into areas that will provide devils ammunition with which they can attack us. Be thankful He wanted to fellowship with you so much that He died for you. Amen.