A beautiful coastal city bustles with life. One day, a day which began just like every other day, suddenly, a magnitude 8.9 earthquake shook up the whole city, and a wall of water 30 feet high roared in from the sea and washed away everything in its path. The entire city was destroyed in a moment. With the added nuclear threat, will Sendai ever be rebuilt? What kind of creativity, determination, sweat, pain, and perseverance will it take to restore Sendai’s past glory? No one knows the answer, but we all know by now that it takes much, much more to restore than to destroy.
Humanity as a species had an earthquake and a tsunami far back in the Garden of Eden, where the first human pair was enjoying an intimate relationship with God, with each other, and with the creation. One day, facing the temptation from the serpent, they sinned against God by disobeying God’s command (Gen 3:1-7). The destruction was massive! They lost the Garden. They lost the innocent relationship with each other. But most importantly, they lost the intimate relationship with God. They were driven out of the Garden and separated from God (Gen 3). This separation means that they died, first spiritually and eventually physically. Yet the destruction resulting from their sin was way beyond their comprehension in scope and depth. It brought sin and death to this world and to all humanity for generations to come. The paradise lost, not only for Adam and Eve, but also for us. That’s what Paul talks about in Romans 5:12-14:
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
Adam passed on this life of sin and death to all humanity. His sin destroyed the hope of the world. Should humans ever hope to return to the Garden? Paul says “yes” emphatically:
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
It was indeed costly to God to undo the damage the first sinful act caused. It cost the life of the Son of God. Yet, grace triumphs! Christ is indeed superior! Christ’s work removed the stains of not only Adam’s one sin but also all our sin. We now, by faith, have a life of righteousness (16b,17b,19b). Christ’s work reversed the condemnation and the curse of death. We now have eternal life (21b). This is a glorious life of knowing God in Jesus Christ (John 17:3).
Maybe sin has wreaked havoc in your life or in the life of someone you love. Maybe you sink into deep regret for your past sins. Don’t lose hope for restoration and transformation. Come to Jesus! Christ, who raises the dead to eternal life, is your hope!
Let’s pray,
Dear God, Your grace abounds! What a glorious hope we have in Jesus Christ – sin is no longer our master but the Spirit directs us; we are no longer separated from You but can come into Your presence, walk beside You, listen to You, love You, and enjoy You forever! Help us proclaim this good news to all, especially those who are suffering in Japan! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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