The Ohio Independent Baptist, April 2003

The Newsletter Promoting Interdependence Among The Ohio Association of Regular Baptist Churches Vol. 76 No. 2 April 2003 THE OHKO KNDEPENDE TBAPTKST Struggle -The Legacy Of Sin ur troubles began in a Garden. It was like a sniper attack - unexpected under cover. Adam and Eve thought they were in a secure environment, but no, the enemy, under the guise of a friend, showed up. Hi s tactic proved to be the same as in the first round of battle in the heavenlies. Lucifer had challenged God's authority and had insisted, "I will be like the Most High." Now in the Garden of Eden he lured Eve with the idea that she and Adam would "be like God." They could be in control and take charge of their own li ves and futures . Adam and Eve's defenses crumbled. They disobeyed tl1e clear command of God putting their will above God' Although Lucifer had given the impression that he had their good in mind, in reality he was out to de troy them - and us along with them. A legacy of sin began. Gui lt. Separation from God . Fear. A groaning creation. A curse that brought sorrow, paan. subjection, weeds, di stortion . Death . Paul put it succ1nctly, "Therefore . just as through one n1an in entered the world and death through sin. a11d thus death spread to all ,nen, because all siru1ed" ( Ro,nans 5:12). Quite a de eat for tJ1e hun1nn race! ucafer's tactics appeared to be uccessful. Hu111a111ty fell into misery, God'!> in1age \Vitlun n1an ,vas n1arred, n1an • s 1nhun1anity to rnan rea red its ugly head. ht! entire I ca tion ai, reeling under the 11npact of sin. 4 0 r the mon1enl tht! l~nen1y secn1ed to be in the a:scendancy; he had \\'on at least the 1irst round on ea11h. • 10 irt rates I • ells rang al l across Ohio on March 3rd to celebrate Ohio 's 20Qth birthday. The offi cial bicentennial celebration began in Chillicothe, home of Ohio' first capital. A parade at noon featured repre entative carryi ng fla g and county ign for all 88 count ie . A brief hi story of the county wa read aloud as the repre entatives of each county reached the Ida St. Clair rings bell in Cedarville, Ohio courthouse tep . Onlooker were then allowed to ring the new county bell that wa ca t ju t for thi day. A majority of Ohio ' tate legi la tor \Vere al o on Ross County Courthouse hand for a joint e ion in the Ro oun ty Cou rthouse, where the fi rst tate bt1 ine ... began on March I , I 03 . The bu ine of thi birthda \Va to ., pa s re e luti on to honor Ohio, Chilli cothe, the bicentenni al barn painter cott Hagan, and bi centenni al bell-n1aker Ve rdi n 01npany . Round two of thi co mic struggle began in a garden a well. The Garden of Gethsemane. In this quiet and dark garden in the Kidron Valley j ust out ide the wa ll of Jerusalen1 our Lord Je u hri t began a li fe-and-death tn1ggle again t sin and aLan. What tarted in Geth etnanc eventuated in the ro . His traun1a bega n in that Garden. fter hrist entered ethsernane "l le began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed" (Matthew 26:3 7). To l l i weary di iple I le aid "My soul 1s exceedingly sorrowful , e\en to death . tay here and \Vatch \Vith Me" (Matthc\ 26:38). And to l I 1s rather I-le prayed three tin1cs. "O My J~athcr, 1 r it is possible. let thi ~cup pass fron1 Me" (Matth~w 16 19). What traun1a thi i ! ~ ' hat di ' tress o f out! Our Lord began to feel the \\'eight of the in f the whole \\'Orld con1ing ... do,vn upon Hi1n. With the on1n1 sc i "11 ·e of One Who \Va , od 1-l in1 ·elf He began to anticipate the ·utlerings on1ing in the next fc:,\ hours. I le.: under tood the pain rlc ,, ould endure to undo the etTects o f that first deft'4lt 1n another ga rden . I le rccoi led fron1 the thought of becon11ng stn. and frt)ll1 the thought of being separated fron1 ~{ ts Father. e\ er fron1 eterntt} past h.1d l-le C\ er e,perien~cd such thing~' I le \\ a~ ho l) . harn1les~. <1nd separ,ue f1on1 ~,nne, ~. Ile nnd I Its 1--ather had k.nt ,\\ n unbt'l )h.Cn hnrn1on\ fore\ er t)\\ . a fan1iliar '"~ue c.,nlt' 1nttl ft,t' ll" ~truggle u, e1 ..\, di " ,, ht),, l)Uld b'"· 111 t' ha1 ge I hough l It>"'' t.',lt g1~.,t d1,Jp~ of blt)l)d l lt: "ub1111tted l ltn1"c-lt tl, th~ £'t)Jl{lllflt'tl f>,l,~l· - "I