The Remedy

On May 11, 2000, a lady found a new e-mail message on her computer, which simply said, "I love you."  It looked innocent enough, perhaps even romantic.  Like most of us would, she clicked to open the message, and the so-called "Love Bug" was born.  With lightning speed it raced around the world, bringing politics and business to a halt.  It was a deadly computer virus that caused millions of computer software programs to crash.  One virus, but so much contamination!

But it's not the first time that a single "virus" has caused so much grief to mankind.  
In fact, it's a kind of replay of a deadlier "virus" that hit Planet Earth years ago infecting the first human couple, Adam and Eve.  Despite God's clear warning, they accepted Satan's message, and they did so with appalling consequences for both themselves, and through them to ALL mankind.  That "virus"  is called "SIN." SIN." --Owen Bourgaize

The "virus" of SIN did not infect mankind by accident, rather it "gained access"  because of poor choices!  God's instructions to Adam and Eve in the beautiful Garden of Eden were clear: "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).  Then "the serpent," Satan, tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit.  When she "saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate" (Genesis 3:6).  Adam and Eve disobeyed God's instruction; they sinned.  

Due to sin, DEATH became a REALITY.  And, due to OUR disobedience, WE suffer the SAME consequence of sin!

Observe the Apostle Paul's commentary on this matter: "Therefore, just as 
through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through  sin, …thus death spread to ALL men, because ALL sinned" (Romans 5:12).  Paul also revealed the -Divine Remedy- for the "virus" of sin: "For if by the one man's offense [Adam's sin] death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).

TRUE LOVE – not a "love bug" – motivated God to send His Son, Jesus, to live as a man and then to die the horrible death of the cross in our place (John 3:16).  He died for us that we may live – the ABUNDANT LIFE NOW (John 10:10) and ETERNAL LIFE TO COME (Mark 10:28-30). Paul sums up the matter saying, "For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

This gift – as any gift – must be accepted!  To accept God's gift of grace, one must: place his trust in Him (Hebrews 11:6), repent of sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) in the 
name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  One continues to accept the gift through - a life of dedicated obedience continually cleansed by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7).

The - Divine Remedy- for the "virus" of SIN has been offered.  

Will YOU accept?

God bless you!

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695  

To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:

                      HTML version:  subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net
                   TEXT version:  subscribe-livingwater-text@lyris.dundee.net

Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchsearch.org

Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org