Genesis 3:1-13 AMP  Now the serpent was more subtle and crafty  than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he (Satan) said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the Garden?’ And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the Garden, Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the Garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ But the serpent said to the woman,’ You shall not surely die, For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity. And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable and pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at and the tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband and he also ate, Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apron- girdles. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the Garden  in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the Garden. But the Lord God called to Adam and said where are you? He said, “I heard the sound of you walking in the Garden and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself. and He said , who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?

The very first Law given by God to man was violated by the very first people made to dwell the earth, resulting in the very first sin (wilful disobedience) and with it, the very first mention of shame and condemnation. Genesis 3:23 AMP continues – therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east corner of the Garden of Eden and a flaming sword which turned every way to guard the way to the Tree of Life. (Cherubim guard the holiness and righteousness of God).  This is not only the Bible’s first account of sin but also the first account of sin conciousness  and condemnation and attention to self.

For sin to have any strength there first must be a law, rule or commandment that can be violated – something that is forbidden. This was the only place that Satan could get to man because eating of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the only thing that was forbidden. As we know, Satan found his opening and thereafter Adam and Eve lived with the ever-present reality that they had unbroken fellowship with God and no access to His presence.  There was no knowledge of faith, no hope through a Savior, no divine revelation available from the Holy Spirit – God dealt with them directly, and severely.

Enter Jesus …….
Hebrews 7:11 AMP   Therefore if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law) what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron (or the law of Moses)? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe from which no man has officiated at the altar.  ….. And a Better Way.

Perfection and holiness had to be purchased for us through Jesus’ sacrifice  – we could never attain perfection and holiness in our own strength or through our own consistently good behavior.  We are now perfect and holy in the sight of God as He views us through the perfect lens of His Son. It is only through the glorious work of the Cross and the Exchange that allows us to be seen by God wearing white robes of righteousness; not draped in our perceived shame, our defeat or our condemnation. Condemnation, shame, defeat, fear occurs through the Knowledge of Good and Evil ; and a conciousness of sin.  We can never be Good Enough to completely satisfy God – that is why He sent Jesus, the Tree of Life. Condemnation is defeated in the full understanding and knowledge of the perpetual cleansing flow of the Blood of Jesus that not only pardons us from sin but constantly  sanctifies and transforms. The Blood of Jesus  is nothing less than the eternal power of God Himself – and where He exerts His Almighty supernatural power to resurrect us from our sin and sin conciousness.  We must look to and through Jesus as the Author and the Perfecter of our faith and lives. Only when we fully recognize what He has done for us and the fullness of the completion of the Finished work, can we understand the magnitude of our freedom. He is now seated at the right hand of God, at rest,  because His work of purging sin is Finished and perfect!

John 20: 19 – 23 NKJV  “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and is side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He said this He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

When Jesus showed the nail wounds on his hands and side to the disciples, and said, “Peace Be With You.”, he could have said that HE was Peace and with them and to rest in His finished work. Shalom! I am Peace in the middle of your Fear! We can now come with  innocence and child-like faith, open our hearts to the ever-increasing experience of the sanctifying, delivering power of the finished work by simply asking Jesus to perform its effects in us. The Blood of Jesus is brought by the Holy Spirit to cleanse our consciences, cleansing us from all sin and even the stain of sin however this divine work cannot be separated by the choice of man to cease sinning. You must stop the sin.

When we understand and receive, by faith, Jesus’ finished work on Calvary, the Holy Spirit sprinkles Christ’s own blood on our hearts in response. Until we truly believe in His finished work at Calvary, there will be no transformative effect on our souls. Although we may struggle with condemnation or fear, if we believe with all of our heart that Jesus has paid the price of sin it will bring our conscience and soul into a state of rest.  To be sprinkled by the blood of Jesus allows one to take full command of their conscience in the Spirit and know that only through the justifying power of the Blood can we even experience righteousness  and fully rest in its cleansing – we can feel totally secure and our conscience  should no longer condemn us. Freedom. This is the way …. walk in it.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience… Hebrews 10:22.