Today we start a new series called “Clean” which picks up again in Genesis. In Chapter 2 it says God formed man out of the dust of the ground. At that time the dirt was clean dirt. Remember, God created everything and said it was good. It was healthy. It wasn’t under a curse. It was pure, holy, set apart. Therefore when God created man from the “dust of the ground” and “breathed into us the breath of life” we were clean physically and spiritually as well.
There in Genesis 2 God planted a garden. God is a Gardener. Then God placed man in the garden to tend and keep it. The Word goes on to say, “Out of the ground God caused every type of tree to grow.” Then satan shows up in the form of a serpent and questions the character of God. . .and Adam and Eve choose to disobey God.
It is at this point that dirt was no longer clean, but “dirty”. Man becomes unclean or dirty. The dust of the ground becomes unclean or dirty. God says to man that the dirt which was pure is cursed and will now produce thistles and thorns. We and all of creation desperately need to be cleansed!
Many times we simply approach the gospel from just a legal, transactional, destination oriented stand point. The Gospel is legal, yes. . .but even more so, it is relational. Jesus came to cleanse us from the inside out so we could walk and live in intimacy with Him.
In Genesis 3:16 Adam and Eve eat the fruit they were told not to eat. And then they try to cover themselves. Remember, up until this point God had assigned fruit and plants for man to eat.
However, once sin enters the world death is necessary. God kills an animal and sheds blood so that man could have clothes to be covered in the natural. The blood was prophetic, speaking of Jesus’s blood which would be shed for us in the future. Sin makes us dirty and separates us from God. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from the inside out. He gives us a new heart and a new spirit and restores our relationship with Him.
This week, ask God to give you a fresh revelation of how much He has cleansed your heart from sin.
