God could have justly destroyed man when man sinned in the Garden of Eden. But he instead devised a way for man to be justified in his sight again.

The story of how man’s redemption was to occur is found in the pages of God’s word. The coming of a savior was promised to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3), and the story of this man and his descendants leads us to the time of Christ.

The account takes one through two periods of captivity for God’s people. God gave instructions to his people and many times they failed to follow his word, and they suffered for their disobedience.

It is also seen that God blessed them when they followed him and even delivered them from enemies as long as they followed his commands. God kept his promises to man.

Peter wrote the following: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:9, 10).

God’s desire is that all men would be saved, but he leaves the choice to man whether to accept or reject his terms. He has given the ultimate sacrifice – esus to die for all men (John 3:16). He has given an instruction manual to be followed – the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17). And he has given man time to obey (2 Cor. 6:2).

God has prepared the way for man and it would seem man would be thankful and simply obey God, but many fail to follow God. There are those who feel they have no need for God, and they fail to realize that without God they could not even have life. “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fi e against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).

They assume that just because things always have been they always will be, this also is a false belief.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto file against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:3-7).

Still others seem to think the way God has prepared needs to be changed, so they seek to add a few things to what God has said. Or they think God has asked for too much, so they want to leave part of it off. In other words, they want to have things their way.

This idea will cost countless millions their souls. Can we not learn from Hebrew history that this will not work? God has prepared the way and made salvation accessible for all men, on the same terms. If man will simply study and obey God’s commands he can be saved.

Why not obey God as he desires, since he prepared the way?