While God was satisfied with the good world he had created, He was very satisfied after the creation of man and woman. Perfect harmony between man and God, with man and woman, and with nature. That’s a picture of the Hebrew word “Shalom.” But, sin entered the world when Adam and Eve freely chose to eat the forbidden fruit. Looks can be deceiving, and our senses are not often helpful in determining what is good, true, and beautiful. That fateful decision reverberated throughout creation, causing disharmony in all the aforementioned relationships.

In the 4th-5th centuries, St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo (Northern Africa), argued, from personal experience, what Paul claims in Ephesians 2: this fall into sin left him, and leaves all of us, spiritually dead. We need someone outside of us to graciously come and rescue us. We can’t naturally reason our way to faith in God.

You probably remember the deadly predicament of the soccer team from Thailand trapped in underground caves. Their coach led them into a labyrinth of caves during the rainy season and soon the team found themselves trapped deep underneath the earth. They could not rescue or reason themselves out of their situation. They were essentially dead men walking, without hope – unless somehow, someone, someway, could make his way into the caves and lead them out.

The first Adam led us in to that cave of death and despair. But the cave was not too deep for Jesus, nor were the riches of heaven too much to leave behind and arrive in poverty. The second Adam, Jesus, came to lead us out.

Amazingly there were no casualties among the boys in the caves. But one man did volunteer for the rescue mission, and freely paid the ultimate price. Like that man, Jesus volunteered for this rescue mission, compelled by love, despite the great personal cost to himself. In the end, he considered the horrendous cost to be worth it comparedto the gain. The “gain” was losing none that the Father had given to Him (John 6:39). While Adam’s sin brought death, Jesus death brought life.

Hallelujah what a Savior! We’re not too far lost, too dead, too confused, too self-righteous for His rescue. Even that person that you’re thinking of right now. Even him or her. No one is! If the caves of sin were not too deep to keep Jesus from entering in, remember that neither are your falls, doubts, secret struggles, or obvious weaknesses!