Back to the Garden – Summary

Summary Outline of the Essay

I. Introduction: Humanity’s Journey with God

• Humanity was created to walk in fellowship with God in the Garden.
• Sin disrupted this relationship, leading to pain, separation, and decay.
• God offers redemption and a way back to Him through accepting Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and living according to His Way.

II. The Fall: Humanity’s Contract with Sin

1. The Choice to Disobey:
   • Adam and Eve’s sin opened the door to knowledge of good and evil.
   • Humanity entered into a spiritual “contract” with sin and death.
2. Consequences of Sin:
   • Sin leads to fleeting pleasure but results in bondage, suffering, and death.
   • God’s Law defines God’s character, what pleases and what offends Him
   • Humans choose their fate by their choice of actions, habit, and character
   • Desires must be tamed. Following these  inherently
   • Choosing to sin is a de facto contract with Satan, trading pleasure for bondage and death.
   • It is this contract which the death of Jesus Christ paid by His undeserving death.
   • The demonic realm thrives on and is nourished by mankind’s experience of pain, death, and rebellion against God.

III. Free Will and the Purpose of Life

1. The Gift of Free Will:
   • God created the universe as a training ground for the soul.
   • Life’s trials challenge our character, which is the treasure we lay up in Heaven.
   • We have free will, and we can choose Heaven or Hell, fellowship with God or Satan.
   • Choosing God’s way in our lives satisfied His desire for love.
   • Humanity is given meaningful choices between good and evil, God or Satan.
   • Satan appears as an angel of light. His promises are seductive and pleasant but end in pain, poverty, debility, and death.
2. God’s Law:
   • Living according to God’s principles leads to fulfillment and joy, eventually.
   • Feeding sinful desires results in captivity and death.

IV. Redemption Through Jesus Christ

1. The Sacrifice of Jesus:
   • Jesus lived a sinless life and offered Himself as the sacrifice, which can substitute for our death sentence.
   • His unjust crucifixion created a “credit” available to pay our debt of death for our sins.
2. Freedom from Sin:
   • Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior frees us from the contract with the demonic and our debt of death for our sins.
   • Redemption involves sincere repentance and commitment to Godly living.

V. Returning to the Garden

1. Sanctification Process:
   • Humanity is invited to return to fellowship with God through accepting the atonement.
   • The Kingdom of Heaven can be within as we follow God’s principles.
2. Impact on the World:
   • Obedience to God’s way (making Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives) transforms families, communities, and nations.
   • Resisting sin and cultivating Godly culture restores the world to its intended purpose.

VI. A Call to a New Renaissance

1. Integrating Faith and Knowledge:
   • A new Renaissance will come on Earth as we integrate Scripture with science, philosophy, and culture.
   • Renaissance Ministries seeks to resolve the questions of a properly lived life by rationalizing the Biblical worldview.
2. God’s Nature and Purpose:
   • God desires obedience, not sacrifice, and has revealed His will through the Bible.
   • Science, when it discovers the Truth, will illuminate God’s hand in the Creation and confirm the rationality of His Law,

VII. Conclusion: A Life of Purpose and Peace

1. Choosing God’s Way:
   • Following God’s principles brings freedom, peace, and joy.
   • Redemption transforms individuals from sinners to citizens of His Kingdom.
2. Restoration of Creation:
   • Through faith and obedience, humanity can participate in restoring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
   • The journey back to the Garden is a return to fellowship with God.