The Three Obstacles or What Christ Accomplished

Before what is called “The Fall,” that moment when humanity decided to be disobedient to the will of God, man existed in a sinless and therefore immortal state. He was not cold or hot, or hurt, or aging. He simply existed in the presence of God as his companion—his friend. Sin changed that; it corrupted us. Not only was humanity now subject to the elements and decay but, more importantly, was no longer a fit companion of the Almighty. Man had become spiritually corrupted by his actions.

Man’s disobedience to God (eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) separated him from his Creator. Because he was spiritually sullied, he was no longer fit for the eternity for which God had prepared him. Heaven was now off-limits to humanity. Consequently, the fellowship God had created could no longer be.

You and I are not guilty of the same disobedience as Adam but we are indeed tainted. Thanks to him, the whole line is born into corruption and we are susceptible to our own disobedience. We prove this each day and join with countless “holy” men and women of days gone by in being unable to pay for our own sins—let alone for the offenses of everyone else. We cannot reverse the effects of the fall of humankind. Indeed, the sad fact has always been that any personal holiness was temporary; it would not last a lifetime, let alone an eternity.

The Law was given to help man lead holy lives but not even the likes of King David could keep the Law. Even God-ordained sacrifices of animals merely provided temporary absolution but no permanent fix for man’s predicament.

Just as God provided law and sacrifice, he provided a graciously, permanent solution. Because of his intense love for his creation, God sent his Son as a new and final sacrifice for man’s disobedience. Jesus, God himself, came to us in the same flesh as we possess. But he was no issue of the old Adam. Instead he came by the Holy Spirit of God. Though he was flesh and it was possible for him to sin, God assuming human nature, gave it a new nature—a nature like his own. Just as the first Adam gave sin to his offspring, so did the Second Adam (Christ Jesus) give humanity the potential through adoption—not child bearing—to share in this new creation.

One obstacle has been cleared by Christ. He overcame apparent fate by restoring our potential as spiritual beings. Two obstacles have yet to be cleared: sin and death. Jesus overcame sin by becoming that same kind of animal sacrifice instituted in the Law. The sentence for sin is death. Yet our deaths would not permit God to enjoy the fellowship of those he created to be his friends. A better death was necessary—a death that would end all deaths.

Jesus, both God and man, was sinless. Nevertheless, he was condemned to death—not just by his contemporaries but by Adam and in a very real sense, by our sin. He had to die to pay for our sins if he wanted to call us friends forever. As God, Jesus took upon himself the sentence for man’s sins. With that innocent God-man, the invoice for what humanity owed God was nailed to the cross. God paid the debt man never could. Jesus died in our stead so that we could be freed from the curse of sin. Death is the only payment for sin in God’s economy and Jesus paid the bill.

God restored the potential of humanity and paid the penalty of sin which was death. The second obstacle to eternal friendship with God has now been cleared. However, one last obstacle remains: death itself. The Apostle Paul states it well: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:22-23 ESV) All of humanity is subject through Christ to live forever via resurrection (being raised from the dead to live again). Still, this resurrection only happens for those who “belong to Christ.”

Just as man was capable of failing God in days gone by, he is capable of missing the mark today too. The mark is not high—not so high as to be considered an obstacle or a hurdle. Too many miss it, nevertheless. The mark, though not high, is wide. One has merely to open his arms wide enough to receive the embrace God has offered. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 ESV) In the offering of this free gift of eternal life, God removed the third obstacle.

Friendship with the Almighty Father is a matter of receiving a gift. This is accomplished through faith—believing what Christ has accomplished for you. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 ESV) Real faith leads to the commencement of that eternal friendship in the here and now. It leads to a life of devotion and service—the beginning of friendship forever. But it all began with God in Christ breaking down the three obstacles to that divine companionship.