Day 4: Grace that outweighs a history of decay

Genesis 3, Romans 5 

Adam and Eve bite into the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil:
This is the most tragic event of all history and time. From this moment flows judgement and condemnation, perfection is nullified and mankind banished from living Eden. Pain and man's affinity for evil are multiplied many times over in that one bite of a moment as their once protected minds are exposed to the knowledge of evil and the earth is cursed.  

Just think for a second on the intense drama when God asks them "who told you that you were naked?". This is just overwhelmingly tragic. From this flows a separation of a Father from the one's He lovingly created. Children are eternally separated from their Father as they were deceived into thinking they should become like God. It was not for riches and wealth that they were allured to betray their Maker, but it was with the knowledge of good and evil for it is through 'knowledge' that we become more like God.

Consistent with the character of a Good God, there are still glimmers of grace in a midst this cosmic disaster and epic betrayal. The Father voices the proceeding pain and the deepest consequences for their actions, yet still reaches down and makes garments to cover their shame and nakedness despite their gross evil and utter betrayal of Himself. This reflection of grace and forgiveness  is echoed again on earth as Jesus washes his disciples feet, knowing they would either betray Him or desert Him in just a few minutes. It's as if He is saying "I love you, I will serve you, regardless of your sin and shame". There is Grace even in our lowest moments.

While God lays out his curse and judgement, He is all the while devising a plan to show them the abundance of His Grace.

Genesis 4 vs 14-15 
"So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers, he will crush your head and you will strike his heal". 

All ready there is reference to the coming Messiah, to His victory on the cross...the Grace to be revealed. If this grace had been revealed at the fall of man or anytime between then and Jesus' coming, man could never have begun to contemplate its magnitude. Time was needed that Magnificent Grace could be juxtaposed against the cumulative atrocities of mankind and his sin. Romans 5, probably one of the most powerful revelations of the new testament, reflects this....

Romans 5 vs 6-7,15
vs 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
vs 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 

Jesus' coming to this earth is appointed for a period of time, thousands of years later when sin had accumulated upon sin and the extent of atrocities deserved only the complete annihilation of mankind and his eternal destruction. Jesus dies for us, taking all this cumulative mess upon His perfect, blameless self. And as He says "It is finished" it is almost as if He is saying:

"Look here, this is infinite grace. You have committed a weight of sin from the time of Adam till now and today you commit the worst sin of all, killing your very Creator. Yet I chose to love you. I choose to completely forgive and set you free from all condemnation and judgement for every sin committed on earth. The extent of My Grace exceeds the weight of your historical sin, and this sin. My Grace outweighs it all."