Amazing Atoning Grace

Many people believe Grace and Gospel are synonymous (the same thing), and, in a way, they are. The definitions of these deep, profound words are, for us today in this age, I believe, too simplistic... basic, unsophisticated, adolescent. The Christian (Bible) definition of Grace = “unmerited favor” while the definition of Gospel = “good news.” Many believe the Gospel and Grace “began” with Jesus and the four “gospel” accounts of His ministry.

According to Strong’s Concordance, the first mention of the word  “grace” in the Bible is Gen. 6:8, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah received "unmerited favor" from the Lord... he certainly did. Noah did not deserve this mercy, according to the flesh, any more than anybody else did . This grace from the Lord, which He purposed according to the counsel of His own will, spared Noah and his family from certain widespread destruction. Noah was no more “deserving” of God’s mercy in this time of cataclysmic destruction than anybody else was. The homosexual that is abominable to God is no more deserving of hell than I was... but I received mercy by the grace of God. Noah was just as deserving of death and destruction as everyone else. But because of his faith toward and in God, God saved him and his family. That is “Good News!” 

But let’s go back 1500-1600 years from Noah, to Adam.

Gen. 2:16-17, And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “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, dying you shall surely die.”

The verse seems to say... “you will die in the same day you eat of that fruit” and, in fact, some translations say exactly that. Adam lived 930 years, as best that I can determine, which leads some people to say Adam did not die, as the scripture says. Oh yes, he did! First of all, he died spiritually immediately. Scripture says in many places, “we who were without Christ were spiritually dead (separated from God) because of sin.” That’s one reason why we need to be born again. 

But Adam also began to die physically. The literal rendering of that verse in Gen. is “dying you will surely die.” The process of death (corruption) on the flesh began immediately. Death had entered creation through Adam and in him... and in us, as we age. But what does Peter say in 2 Pet. 3:15... Consider that the long-suffering (patience) of our Lord is salvation. Consider too, that God in righteous judgement, could have immediately taken Adam’s life.

But, “GoodNews” 
...Amazing Grace.
God allows Adam to live a long time and reinstated his relationship with God, to some extent, by making Atonement for his sin, which separated them. 

Gen. 3:21, And the LORD God made coats of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
Because they had not only become naked (of righteousness), but they knew it and were ashamed. So God Himself provided the first blood sacrifice to “atone” for Adam’s sin. God had to take an innocent animal (scripture doesn’t identify it) and put it to death. Nothing had died physically yet. And here we see the Lord Jehovah imposing death on this innocent animal, spilling its blood and using its skin to cover man’s nakedness. I feel God was very grieved in all this. 

Job 29:14, I put on righteousness, and it clothed me 

2 Corinthians 5:3, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.

Galatians 3:27, For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 

Isaiah 61:10, I will rejoice greatly in the LORD; my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness.

Hebrews 9:22, According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 

The good news of Grace (gospel) is that God the Son (Jehovah) took upon himself mortal flesh for the necessary final innocent sacrifice - Jesus, the Lamb of God, for man and all of creation.

Heb. 10:5, Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.