Page 22 - Overcoming Addiction

Chapter 3 - Christ Repairs the Breach

he first two chapters of this book could be summed up in the statement, “All
Tmankind is born under the dominion of sin, and this sin has caused a
separation between man and God.”
It is my hope that you might understand and acknowledge these first two
foundational truths that we might proceed further to build upon them. The next
foundation stone that needs to be laid is the understanding that sin always must
be atoned for. The word atone actually came into existence by combining the
words ‘at’ and ‘one.’ The underlying sense of the word is to bring forth a unity
between two or more parties.
Adam and Eve’s sin caused a separation to occur between God and man. It
was not Yahweh’s desire that this separation should remain. Sin, however, could
not simply be forgotten. Sin always bears a cost, even as breaking the law of man
incurs a penalty. To comprehend the penalty of sin, we need to understand a
couple things.
As was mentioned in the last chapter, sin is actually a turning away from life
to embrace death. What man needs is a return to life. God has determined that
mankind can only be restored to life through the sacrifice of another life. In
effect, someone, or something, must surrender their life in order for the penalty
of sin to be blotted out and for life to be restored to mankind.
In the Old Testament we see that it was the life of an animal that served as
this atoning sacrifice to bring man back into harmony with God. Sin had to be
covered by the blood of an animal. This animal effectually surrendered its life
that man might not die, but might be restored to the life of God. This
substitutionary sacrifice to deliver mankind from the penalty of death was most
clearly seen in the Passover lamb.
For 430 years the descendants of Abraham dwelt as slaves in the land of
Egypt. They were treated harshly and ruled over by stern taskmasters who put
them to forced labor. Their condition was very bitter, and their history serves as
one more parable that Yahweh has provided in order to lead us to understand
spiritual truth.
The descendants of Abraham, were known as God’s chosen people. They
stand as a type and shadow for the children of God today. We too have been
subject to slavery from the moment of our birth. We are held under bondage to
sin. This servitude is extremely vexing, and no matter how much we long to break
free from sin’s dominion, we find that sin, like Pharaoh, is too strong for us.
Sin/Pharaoh will not willingly allow any to leave their service. Even as Moses
repeatedly told Pharaoh “Let my people go,” and Pharaoh refused to do so, so too
does sin decline our repeated entreaties.
The children of Israel in bondage in Egypt is a parable of mankind in
bondage to the sin that rules in their flesh. Israel was unable to leave Egypt until
God performed one final act against the land of Egypt. God had already sent nine
plagues upon the land, bringing judgments against that which enslaved His
people. But one final judgment was yet to come, and only then could Israel go
free.