The Path Into His Presence - Part One by John Belt

By John Belt
Romans 5:12 Therefore just as through one man sin entered the world and death through sin and thus death spread to all men because all sin. We see in this passage that, through Adam, sin came into the world. God had told Adam, "Hey, you're not supposed to eat of the forbidden fruit that's in the garden." There were two trees in the Garden of Eden. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil and there is the tree of life. God did not forbid Adam to eat from the tree of life, but only from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The Path Into His Presence - Part One by John Belt
 
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Through One Man Came Sin
 
Romans 5:12 Therefore just as through one man sin entered the world and death through sin and thus death spread to all men because all sin.
 
We see in this passage that, through Adam, sin came into the world. God had told Adam, "Hey, you're not supposed to eat of the forbidden fruit that's in the garden." There were two trees in the Garden of Eden. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil and there is the tree of life. God did not forbid Adam to eat from the tree of life, but only from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
 
And so after Eve had taken of the forbidden fruit, Adam entered into that same transgression. Because of this he turned over the keys of authority in the earth to the devil – because it was the serpent that tempted him. Adam came into alignment with the enemy of his soul. And so from that point they were, both Adam and Eve, barren of spiritual covering and they knew they were naked. They were now in a place where they'd lost their sense of the presence of God. They've lost their covering of God's glory. At that point the Lord God expelled from the garden. Then the Lord prophesied of a day where Jesus would come and bruise the head of the serpent and that the serpent would in also strike His heel.
 
Jesus Made the Way
 
And so Jesus fulfilled that prophecy when He died on the cross for the sins of the world, also being resurrected from the dead – being seated at the right hand of God. All of this is was for our restoration to intimate relationship with God. God wanted to restore us into His Presence. He desires that intimacy with us more than we want that intimacy with Him.
 
He wants to be with us. It's an amazing thought that God loves us so much that he paid this highest price, just so he could be with us again. And that we would know the reality of who he is and that we would have that genuine relationship with him. Cause that's really what it's all about. It's all about coming into a knowledge and knowing of intimacy with Christ. Even as Paul said, "that we would not be beguiled," that we would not be "deceived from that simplicity" that we have in Christ. Just like the simplicity of devotion that Mary exemplified as she sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to His words – she knew what was of eternal value, as it is most important.
 
Mary knew what was important. It's not about all the things that we do. It's not about that. It's about knowing Jesus. That's what God wants for our lives – is for us to know him and have that communion of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Paul understood this saying, "let the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." He wants us to have that place of intimacy with Him – knowing Him as our dwelling place. (Psalm 91) He is a dwelling place for us. And so through Adam sin entered into the world, but Jesus came to restore us to God.
 
The Free Gift
 
Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the offense for if by the one man's offense, many died much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one, man, Jesus Christ abandoned too many. So just as sin abounded through Adam's transgression into the world. So righteousness of abounds to those who believe in Jesus Christ, because it's a free gift.
 
It's not about our works. It's not about what we can do. And I say many times, "Many people get saved by faith and then they live by the law." They enter into this freshness of knowing Jesus in the reality of who He is and then after that they try to please God in the flesh. They get bad teaching that leads them into following a list – instead of enhancing the relationship by spending time with God.
 
Putting God First
 
Matthew 6:33 The most important thing is our spending time with the Lord. That's the number one. Jesus said, "Seek first." Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.
 
All these things will be added to you as you seek Him first. And what is seeking God? It's spending time with Him. It's spending time with Him. How would it be in a marriage if you didn't spend any time with your spouse? That would be a superficial relationship. It wouldn't be real. If you don't have any intimate connection and if you don't have any intimate communication with your spouse – then it becomes very superficial. God does not want a mechanical relationship with us. He wants true intimacy with His people.
 
Why would we want to be with God anyway? Because he is so good! When we experience and taste of the goodness of God, it draws us to Him. "Taste and see that the Lord is good." When we taste that he is good we're going to want to be with Him. We're going to want to spend time with him. We'll be motivated. We'll be inspired to spend time with Jesus because he's the most wonderful thing that's happened in our lives. It's not like we have Jesus among all these other things that concern our lives. He takes the top place in our lives.
 
Jesus needs to be at the top. He doesn't need to be among everything. He needs to be ABOVE everything. Jesus is only Lord when we allow Him to be Lord. Welcome Him and say today, "Jesus° be Lord of my life." It's just the beginning of living a blessed life in His Presence!
 
John Belt