God's plan for redemption

Romans 5:12-21 (NLT)

(12) "When Adam sinned, sin entered the world.  Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned."  (13)"Yes, poeple sinned even before the law was given.  But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break." (14) "Still, everyone died--from the time of Adam to the Time of Moses [when the law was given]--even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did.  Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come."  (bracket mine)

(15) "But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift.  For the sin of this one man, Adam brought death to many.  But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ."  (16) "And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man Adam's sin.  For Adam's sin lead to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins." (17) "For the sin of htis one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many.  But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who recieve it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ."

(18) "Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's on act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone."  (19) Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners.  But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous."

(20) "God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were.  But as many people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more and more abundant."  (21) "So just as sin ruled over people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." 

That was all quoted Scripture, now I will add my own comments:  God's plan was never for evil, sin, death, sickness, or any kind of suffering to come upon the human race.  God created the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve, and it was a perfect paradise with blissful happiness, and no suffering at all.  But God respected Adam and Eve's choice to be disobedient.  He told them that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then they would surely die (Genesis 2:17), and they did.  In the Hebrew it actually says, "die, die" meaning they would die two deaths: The first death was spiritual seperation from God, the second was physical death.  So Adam's sin brought with it terrible consequences that God never wanted.  We can see in verse 20 above that even though people were sinning more and more, God stilll loved us, and He showered us with His grace and mercy.   The verse says, God's grace was "abundant."   God showed His love, by sending Jesus to die for us, so His blood could cleanse of our sins, and our spirital relationship with God could be restored. 

Hebrews 9:22 tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.  Once sin entered the world, blood had to be shed in order to remit those sins.  In the Old Testament they killed animals in order to have blood that cleansed and purified things.  We can see this in Hebrews 9:13 "Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and ashes of a young cow could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity." But this isn't what God wanted either.  Hebrews 10:5 tells us, "That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, 'You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.  But you have given me a body to offer."  I would encourage you to read all of Hebrews 8-10, I can't summarize all of it. 

But the point I am making here is that sin brought suffering upon the human race which God didn't want, but God in His love, mercy, and grace brought redemption through Jesus sacrifice and His shed blood if we will accept it.  Hebrews 10:18-20 tells us, "And when sin has been forgiven there is no more need for sacrifices. (19) And so dear brother's and sisters, we can can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.  (20) By his death, Jesus opened a a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the most Holy place."  Redemption is available for anyone that wants it, but for those that reject God's grace and Jesus sacrifice, there will be terrible suffering.  If you keep reading in Hebrews 10, verse 29 says, "Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as is it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us."

God wants us all to accept the sacrifice, but He will accept our choice if we don't want it.  2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord...is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (KJV)

2 Peter 3:15 "And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved..."