Only Trust Him- the Essence of Salvation

In the Garden of Eden, the serpent introduced something into Eve's mind that she had never had reason or opportunity to encounter - distrust.  All her existence on the earth, she and her husband, Adam, had lived in total trust and dependence on their Creator and Father, God. 

Then the serpent said, "Did God say....?"  (Genesis 3:1).  These words from the serpent were a deliberate twisting of the words of God designed to achieve one objective...to introduce doubt and distrust in Eve.  

All sin has the character of distrust and unbelief in God.  All sin is self-reliance and self-sufficiency.  God is not all that good, and if He is, it is only for His benefit and not yours.  The flickering ambers of doubt about the goodness and truthfulness of God were now burning in Eve's mind.

Soon, this doubt will be full-blown, resulting in her and Adam being driven out of the Garden and the relationship with God severed without the full trust and belief of man.

The Old Testament shows God's continual faithfulness and trustworthiness toward His people, ending with the full light of God's Son revealing in human flesh who God is. By never sinning, doing miracles, raising the dead, and revealing His unique oneness with the Father, Jesus demonstrated that both the Father and the Son are trustworthy and faithful. He was the Messiah, the one and only true Son of God.

Then the cross.  Questions replaced answers.  Doubts again flooded the rich valley of faith.  And on the Sunday after His crucifixion, these doubts took on words when Cleopas said to an unrecognizable Jesus, "But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.  And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place..." Luke 24:21 (NIV)

Do you hear the avalanche of doubt, hopelessness, and lack of faith pouring from his heart through his words?  "And what is more...desperate words.

They had put their full trust and faith in Jesus, but now....

But within seconds of their disclosure, something marvelous and life-changing happened.  "Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him..." (verse 31).  Oh, what a revelation.  Jesus is alive.  Their trust and faith are not dead.  And their "heart burns within them" as they return to Jerusalem to find the eleven exclaiming to them all, "The Lord is risen indeed and he has appeared to Simon!" (verses 33-34)

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead proves once-and-for-all He is trustworthy and faithful.  What sin took from humanity in the first garden, God restores without any conceivable doubt in the second garden.  

The old hymn, written by John H. Stockton, says it best:

"Only trust Him, Only trust Him,

Only trust Him now;

And He will save you; He will save you:

He will save you now."

Jesus restores the gift of trust and faith!!!!  Trust Him only.  Trust Him completely.  Trust Him now.