Letting God Be God

What is the first sin?

In Isaiah 14, Hellel ("shining one", Lucifer "light bringer" in Latin), the most glorious angelic being in all of God's creation came up with this thought in his heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars (angels) of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High" (Isa. 14: 13-14).

The original sin is the attempt to usurp God's rightful place as God, the Most High.

When Adam ate the fruit in the garden, it was essentially the same thing.  Although God had told Adam not to eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam decided to usurp God and make the choice himself. "Just who does Yahweh think He is? I'll be the god of my own life. After all, I'm not sure God is the best one to decide for me. He may not have my best interests in mind."

You see, at its root, sin is rebellion.  It is taking the role of God in our lives.  I know best.  I will be god of my own life.

When Jesus came, the second Adam, he walked as a human being empowered by the Holy Spirit, and fully submitted to God's will. That is why, in the garden of Gethsemane, we have such an incredible picture of restored humanity.

"Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will" (Mark 14: 36).

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was heard when he prayed this prayer. And, "although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered" (Heb. 5: 8).

Jesus did what Hellel and Adam could not.  He faced the temptation to usurp the role of God and learned obedience by letting God be God, not only in Gethsemane, but throughout his earthly life.

What does it mean to let God be God in your life? Learning obedience through what we suffer means submitting to Him as Lord, even when it's tough.