S200P4 – Who we were: God’s enemies

Rom. 5:10

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved by His life.

There is a great tragedy within humanity.  God in heaven formed a man in his own image from the dust of the Earth and breathed life into him.  Next, He made a woman from the man to be his companion.  These were people made by the hand of God with the imprint of his Spirit.  We cannot know now all of the glory that existed in life at that time before sin entered the world.  We can only say that life was perfect, although that is a completely foreign concept to us in this order of things.  Part of that perfect life was a friendship with God.  When sin entered the world, enmity grew between God and man.  God’s friends, his creation, disobeyed and betrayed him causing the loss of that precious status.  That is where we begin.  Our entry into this world is as enemies of the most high God.

This is another one of the spiritual dichotomies that we cannot escape.  No one is on neutral terms with God.  You are either his friend or his enemy.  The incredible thing is that we can come into this world as enemies of God yet be showered with his love and grace before becoming his friends.  The fact is that we cannot transition from one to the other without God himself first intervening.  Without God moving to restore our relationship with him, there would be no hope for restoration.  He makes the first move in developing our friendship.  His desire is not that we would remain at odds with him.  God’s desire is that his creation, made in his image, would be restored to fellowship with him.  Mankind chose to sever the intimate relationship that they had with their Creator.  The Creator chose to re-establish that relationship out of his love and mercy.

When we review the history of mankind’s relationship with God, we see a Creator who could have abandoned his creation for lack of honor and obedience.  Instead, we see a loving and merciful God who continues to desire to connect with those who run from him.  Being enemies of God at one time, we know how much of our lives we spent trying to stay far away from the Lord and all that He represents.  Being now friends of his, we should marvel at his persistence in drawing us near.  We hated him, but He loved us.  Our sin put his Son on the cross, yet He willingly offered his Son to save his wretched enemies.  It is only by God’s unlimited goodness that we ever have a chance to be called his friends.  Father, thank You for taking us from being your enemies to being your friends, and help us lead others to the same restoration with You.