阅读经文 

想像一下这样的场景。一个孩子做了一些他知道不应该做的事情。也许他弄坏了不应该玩的东西。他知道一旦被父母发现就会有麻烦，所以他躲在壁橱里，或在后院，甚至可能躲在树上的堡垒里，希望能逃避他行为的后果。

亚当和夏娃得罪了神。他们知道神告诉他们不要吃园中那棵树上的果子。但他们受了诱惑，还是吃了那棵树上的果子。就像害怕父母的孩子一样，亚当和夏娃躲避神，希望能逃避他们行为的后果。亚当和夏娃害怕神会因为他们的不顺从而对他们说什么或做什么。

他们的罪当然有后果——我们今天仍然在经历这后果——但神也有宽恕和恩典。神继续照顾他们。祂并没有让他们自生自灭。事实上，从他们犯罪的那一刻起，神就开始塑造历史，让亚当和夏娃以及他们所有的孩子与自己和解。

虽然神憎恶罪恶，但祂爱我们，并不遗余力地使我们回到祂身边。

宽恕和恩典是神每天给祂子民的礼物。

Picture the scenario. A child does something that they know they aren’t supposed to do. Maybe they broke something they weren’t supposed to play with. They knew they were going to be in trouble when a parent found out, so they hid in a closet, or in their backyard, or maybe even in a tree fort, hoping to escape the consequences of their actions.

Adam and Eve sinned against God. They knew that he had told them not to eat from one of the trees in the garden. But they gave in to temptation and ate the fruit of that tree anyway. Like children afraid of a parent, Adam and Eve hid from God, hoping to escape the consequences of their actions. Adam and Eve were afraid of what God might say or do to them because of their disobedience.

While there certainly were consequences for their sin—consequences that we still experience today—there was also forgiveness and grace. God continued to care for them. He didn’t just leave them to themselves. In fact, from the moment of their sin God began to shape history toward reconciling Adam and Eve and all of their children to himself.

While God hates sin, he loves us and has gone to extraordinary lengths to bring us back to him. Forgiveness and grace are God’s gifts to his people every day.