“Momma, you gonna get kicked out of the garden”, was the concerned reply when the five year old observed his Momma doing some scratch off’s. I know his Sunday School teacher has been teaching out of the book of Genesis, so this is probably where this warning came from. Perhaps some reasons have been given to the kids of why Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden after they had sinned. If so, that’s good teaching. However, I also know that this particular 5 year old has come out with some profound statements just drawn “out of the blue”. And, the little guy loves to worship the Lord.
The Word tells us that out of the mouths of babes and sucklings God will speak and work his works (Psalms 8:2), so it would be well for us all to pay attention to what the children in the presence of God might be saying. We are living in a time of a mentality that one can just play and frolic in the garden doing anything we please and still have an assured destiny of heaven. What we do reflects what we are. Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, and by the fruit born in our lives, one can know what kind of a tree is growing. He went on to say that even if a person can prophesy, cast out devils, and do many good works, even miraculous works, and that person is persisting in and practicing sin and iniquity with no true affections to the things of God, that person will be told to depart from the portal of heaven. Let no man or momma deceive himself or herself. The wages of partaking in and giving oneself to sin is still death, and always will be.
The good news is that those who repent from sin, who turn from sin, and call upon the name of Jesus to set them free from sin, and commit their life to him for him to be the Lord of their life, receive the life of God and a new nature. Baptism in water shows and seals this commitment to the Lord. Receiving Jesus’ sacrificial payment for sin by his death and resurrection for us is our salvation. Jesus promised to baptize or immerse us with this Spirit to empower us to overcome sin, flesh, satan, and sorry circumstances. Receiving, being filled with and walking in the Holy Spirit of God, leads us into a holy life in communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Living in the presence of God is living in the Garden of God. In this garden are all good things: love, joy, peace, healing, health, and reigning in life. Life in the garden of God is available for all families of the world, with the end of an eternal home with the family of God in heaven. Nothing of this earth is worth getting kicked out the Garden.