What Has God Done? -GOD GUARANTEED HIS PURPOSE

Yet another of God's achievements is the special provision he made to guarantee his purpose for us. As mentioned earlier, God intended that humans live forever on earth.  However, when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and thereby sinned. he lost the opportunity for everlasting life not only for himself but also for his future children.  'Through one  man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned."  (Romans 5:12)  Man's disobedience thus challenged God's purpose.  How did Jehovah react?

Jehovah's actions were consistent with his character.  He justly held Adam and eve accountable for their actions, but he lovingly made provisions for their future offspring.  In his wisdom Jehovah determined how to deal with the challenge and immediately announced a solution.  (Genesis 3:15)   The way out from sin and death would be provided through God's Son, Jesus Christ.  What did that involve?

To redeem humans from the effects of Adam's rebellion, Jehovah sent Jesus to the earth to teach people the way of life and to "give his life as a ransom in exchange for many." (Matthew 20:28; John 14:6)   Jesus could provide the ransom because he was a perfect man like Adam.  But unlike Adam, Jesus maintained his obedience, even to the point of death.  Since Jesus did not deserve to die, Jehovah resurrected him back to heavenly life.  Jesus could now do what Adam failed to do-pass on to obedient humans the prospect of everlasting life.  "For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one person many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19(  Through Jesus' ransom sacrifice, God will fulfill his promise to have mankind live forever on earth. 

We learn must about Jehovah from the way he dealt with the challenges posed by Adam's disobedience.   We see that nothing can prevent Jehovah from finishing what he started; his word will meet with "sure success."  (Isaiah 55:11) We also appreciate the magnitude of Jehovah's love for us.  "By this love of God was revealed in our case, that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might gain life through him.  The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but he loved us and sent his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins." - 1 JOHN 4:9, 10.

God "did not even spare his own son but handed him over for us all," so we are assured that God will "kindly give us all other things" that he has promised.  (Roman 8:32)  What has God promised that he will do for us? Read on.

Next time: What Will God Do? 

From the jw.org publications