WHY?
Man sails across uncharted seas in his search for knowledge. Ever since he first began his probing. he has had as his guiding star, the question, WHY? He has followed that question through every field of learning and civilization has prospered as he found the answers. Still, every answer uncovers more questions.

The same question is repeatedly asked in the field of man's relationship with God. Why does God expect certain things from those who are his? Why will He accept service only under certain conditions? Why did Christ have to die? Why is there only ONE plan of salvation? Why does man need salvation? Why? Why? Why? The questions seem endless but there are answers to be had too.

It is easy for one who knows the Bible to say,"God has commanded all men everywhere to repent." But for one who has no religious background at all, the natural response is, "Why?" The search for the answer to this takes us all the way back to the Garden of Eden.

Before man can be expected to understand his need for repentance toward God he must see his present relationship with God and what brought it all about. The logical place to start our search is at the beginning. That is precisely where God begins as He explains things to us. It is here that God laid the foundation for all that was to follow.

If man will only accept the fact of God's creation of all things he can quit wasting his time in foolish conjectures as to beginnings and get down to the business of his relationship with God.

The statement,"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" is a constant reminder to man of his responsibility to God. Since the 'earth is his and all the fullness thereof', we have a stewardship, not only to see that we leave the earth intact for future generations but also to see that we use God's world wisely in order that we please Him, to whom it belongs!

The next step toward seeing the need for repentance and salvation is to understand that man is NOT just another animal in a long line of imagined evolution, but is distinct from and intended to be, superior to all other created beings. The same God who created the heaven and the earth said,
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

There was great beauty in the heaven and the earth which God had created but there was no fellowship to be had with the stars or the mountains and seas. There was perfect order and harmony in every part of nature. The fish, birds, beasts and insects were performing exactly according to the will of the creator yet there was no companionship for God in all of these. The only answer to this need was a creature who bore the image of the creator. This one must have the ability to think and to will or decide for himself. He must have emotions that give him the ability to like and to dislike. He must have a body in order that he might take dominion over the material creation. Finally, and perhaps the most important of all, he must have a spirit that he might commune with God who IS Spirit. Thus man was created in the image of God, a triune being with body, mind and spirit.

He placed man in the garden of Eden that He might fellowship with him there. We are not told how long Adam and Eve enjoyed the bounty of Eden and the fellowship with their creator before they disobeyed the one simple prohibition they had been given. We do know that Adam was not surprised at the Lord walking in the Garden and he was familiar enough with the Lord that he recognized the voice which called out, "Adam, where art thou?"
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Man and God had been fellowshipping in spirit for the spirit in Adam was the Spirit of God. They had been in harmony in mind and thought for Adam knew only that which was good. They had walked together in friendship for Adam had never walked any other way except according to the will of God.

Tragedy struck and it all began when Eve paused in doing her job and listened to what Satan had to say. He appealed to her fleshly desire and she saw that the forbidden fruit would be good to eat. He appealed to her mind and emotions and she saw that it was desired for its beauty. He appealed to her spirit and made her believe that she could be as wise as God through this fruit!. She ate and gave to Adam and he ate also.

Immediately their eyes were opened. Something had happened to their minds. They became ashamed of their naked bodies. Adam could no longer converse with God as an equal for he no longer thought as God did. He could no longer walk with God in the Garden for;
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? He could no longer fellowship with God in the spirit for his spirit was dead.

What does all this have to do with us?
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Man, who had been created in the image of God is now a flat, two dimensional distortion of that once glorious creation.
He still has a mind but it is alienated from God.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

With this alienated mind man searches for his beginnings and accepts the most absurd inconsistencies, yet closes his mind like a clam against the truth that he is a creature of the eternal God. He searches for and yearns for peace even if it means surrendering to godlessness in any form, yet refuses to turn to the one who can give him real and eternal peace.

His emotions cause him to shed tears over some form of wildlife which he thinks threatened while he turns his back upon the possibility of souls suffering eternally in Hell.
He will sing of the need for love while turning his back upon the greatest love the universe has ever known.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Man still has a body that is, as David said,
Psa 139:14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made: but because of a warped intellect, twisted emotions and alienated will it is given to wicked works.
This is what Jesus meant when he said,"
Mark 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mark 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mark 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Man still has his mind but it must be changed. He still has his body but it needs to be directed in new paths by a renewed mind. It is in that third part of man that the greatest need lies. His spirit had set him apart from all other material creation and made it possible for him to meet God on a heavenly plane. This spirit is dead. It was of this part of man about which Jesus spoke when he said,"Ye must be born again." Man's spirit was not twisted or deformed by sin. It was killed and remains dead until he is born again. A reformation will not get the job done.

Only when man's spirit has been born again will his mind be renewed and his body can begin to serve God!
This is WHY men must repent, turn from sin and allow their creator to create in them a new life.