Forty Days Full - An Invitation To Real Life

planet. As God's chosen people, His plan was for them to become a blessing to the world, not a nation of bigots.

For Adam and Eve, God replaced their insufficient coverings. "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21 NIV) This is the first recorded occurrence of the shedding of blood. Their food had been the produce that came from the garden. This blood shedding is symbolic of what is needed to cover sin and a foretelling of Christ who would shed his blood for all humanity. Anything short of God providing a covering for us is insufficient. We could pile up a mountain of philanthropic achievements, but they cannot do what only God can do. Over the years I've talked to many people about the good news of Jesus. I will often ask a leading question like, "Why would God allow you into heaven?" The replies are often the same, "Well, I'm a pretty good person" or "I'm not as bad as so-in-so" or "I've done good things." All these answers are an effort to provide a covering for themselves. They won't stand up under any scrutiny. How good is good enough? Is a thief innocent and murderer guilty? What measure of good things will be enough to impress God? When someone says, Jesus paid the price for me by dying on the cross, I know that person has allowed God to make a covering for them. This tool from the dark side feels like a solution to our problem. But it too is just smoke and mirrors. It gives us a sense of satisfaction because we can feel good about ourselves by taking pride in our accomplishments. But it is the breeding ground for division. I will compare everyone else by my own standard. This is when rules are established for proper behavior. It's also been called a holiness list. All others must measure up to my