1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1. In dealing with the birth of sin the Apostle James speaks of the origin of all evil. The principle he sets forth can be applied to men and angels.
James 1:13 (INV) When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
God does not tempt a person to sin. for to do so would violate God’s moral attributes. God who is eternally righteous did not, and could not, decree or create sin. The Eternal does not approve sin or in any way incite His creatures to sin. To charge God with this is to attack His holiness and moral perfection.
1.2 Scripture clearly shows that the first moral beings were the angelic hosts and that Satan and his angels were the first and in that sense the original sinners. Sin began in the Heavenlies among the angelic order and came to earth in the being of the tempter Satan.
1.3 In the original sinner we are able to discern that the primary weakness began in being self centered. From this a progression began. First pride, then covetousness and lusting then self will turning against God.
2.0 THE ENTRY OF SIN INTO HUMANITY
2.1 The Creation of man
Gen 1:26-28 (NIV) Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, ” Be fruitful and increase in number; f ill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Note that the perfect humans were to multiply and have dominion over the earth. This was God’s plan. It still is His purpose.
Gen 2:7 (NIV) the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Gen 2:15-20 (NIV) The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” 18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
Gen 2:21-25 (NIV) So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman, ‘ for she was taken out of man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
These extracts speak of the forming of man as a free will, morally responsible and intelligent creature. He was created in the likeness of God, as a triune being composed of spirit soul and body. He was sinless and lived in a state of untested perfection.
2.2 The probation of man:
Within man could grow the attribute for which he was created. This was the beginning of a creature who would be able to be love. To do this he had to have the free will to choose; for love cannot exist without the ability of the giver to choose. Both Adam and Eve had to make a choice between God’s spirit and the oneness of divine purpose (Which by definition is perfect) or their own self will, to be dependent or independent, to be self gratifying or self giving..
Mankind choose to be independent.
3.0 THE TEMPTATION OR TEST.
3.1 The Two Trees:
Gen 2:9 (NIV) And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground–trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
God set before Adam and Eve two trees. One was called LIFE and the other KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD & EVIL. Note that they were in the middle of the garden. Common tales often ignore the fact that there were two trees. The same idea of a garden is present within us all and a time of testing comes to every person.
Song 4:12 (NIV) You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.
Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices. You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon. Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.
Every person must choose as did the first couple.
God sought a creation that would choose to follow righteousness. A creature that would out of thankfulness for all the blessing given by a Father creator would worship Him. He did not desire or seek to create robots so choice was essential.
Israel had a similar choice in Deut.30.
Behind the two trees (which represent two kingdoms) are two persons.
Tree of Life ……………………………………………. Christ the Anointed One The Kingdom of Light
Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil…………….. Satan The Kingdom of Darkness
So it was that when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit they entered another kingdom. Satan’s purpose was to get Adam to eat for in doing so he disobeyed the Word.
This concept is central to understanding the Christian life, the Ecclesia and the whole of the redemptive work of God. Absolute obedience to the Word and faith (trust) in the one who brought forth the Word is a foundation concept.
Rom 10:17 (NIV) Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
THE WORD AND THE FALL.
The only test God placed before Adam was the Word. Adam was free to eat of any fruit in the garden except the one . No restriction was placed upon him. He was in a state of innocence. ( didn’t know good and evil.) He was the first man-child; created a man but only a child compared with what he could have been. Clearly intelligent; he is portrayed as able to name all the animals and fowl of the air.
The forbidden tree was KNOWLEDGE OF both good and evil. (not we note sin) This knowledge is man’s present heritage in the world system of things. Man does know good, and many of his attempts to save himself are based on this knowledge. The resultant religious systems are proclaimed by mankind as being “good” for man. And so they are!! But they do not permit him to escape the net of the Adamic nature.For example the Buddist teaching on the wheel of life and reincarnation. Born again and again in order to attain virtue with the hope the some state of enlightenment will one day allow an escape in to Nirvana. This is a classic deception from the tree of Good and Evil.
Notice that there is only one “thou shalt not” not ten. and only one punishment.
In the innocent state Adam lived in dependence upon the Word and in a state of faith towards God. Life was present in the form of the tree of Life in the garden. From this they could freely eat and they had fellowship with God because of this life.
If Satan wanted to upset this idyllic state he had to destroy Adam’s dependence upon the Word by persuading or causing him to disobey. So it is that we fell in Adam by a disobeying of the Word and we will be restored in Christ by obedience and faith in the Word.
T he command to Adam that he must not eat was given before Eve was made When God said “Where are you?” the man answered. God said to the woman “What is this you have done?” not ” Why did you disobey me.”
The question of disobedience was addressed to the man.
This has implications in regard to divine order in the home even to this day.
THE SUBTLE SERPENT.
5.1 Gen 3:1 (NIV) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
As here in the garden so also will it be in the end times. The serpent before the woman seeking to destroy the creation of God. In Eden Satan sought to destroy or devour the manchild Adam, in the end times he seeks to destroy or devour the manchild. which is the finished mystery of God’s purpose among the Ecclesia. .
Rev 12:1 (NIV) A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
Rev 12:2 (NIV) She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
Rev 12:3 (NIV) Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
Rev 12:4 (NIV) His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
Why did Satan select a serpent (a beast) This was a literal snake since there was no man to serve his purpose. Not so in the end times. Read Revelations 12 and 13. Satan in man called “the Beast”.
Rev 17:3 (NIV) Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
This is a revelation of the beast and the false woman.
Gen 3:14 (NIV) So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Herein the curse God placed upon the serpent. This has within it a prophetic sense. In the natural it applied to the natural snake but prophetically speaks of the prince of serpents, Satan. This is both during the ecclesia age and during the end times. Mary and her seed Jesus, the Ecclesia as a woman and her seed, ie the sons of God, all have had and will have a part in the fulfilment of this prophesy.
Rev 12:9 (NIV) The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
We should note that when God pronounces a curse…
1. It is first a denunciation of sin
Num 5:21 (NIV) here the priest is to put the woman under this curse of the oath–” may the LORD cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell.
Num 5:22 (NIV) May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away. ” “‘Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.”
Num 5:23 (NIV) “‘The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash them off into the bitter water.
Deu 29:19 (NIV) When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.” This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.
Deu 29:20 (NIV) The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.
2. It is God’s judgement on sin
Num 5:22 (NIV) May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away. ” “‘Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.”
Num 5:24 (NIV) He shall have the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and this water will enter her and cause bitter suffering.
Num 5:27 (NIV) If she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, then when she is made to drink the water that brings a curse, it will go into her and cause bitter suffering; her abdomen will swell and her thigh waste away, and she will become accursed among her people.
Isa 24:6 (NIV) Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.
3. The person suffering the consequence of sin by the judgement of God is called a curse.
Num 5:21 (KJV) Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;
Num 5:27 (KJV) And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.
Jer 24:9 (KJV) And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.
The snake is often used a a simile for the harmfulness of the wicked.
Deu 32:33 (KJV) Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
Prov 23:32 (KJV) At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Interesting to note that the snake and its symbolism was much used in Egyptian religious practises. The sacred Uraeus snake on the Pharaoh’s brow was worn that it might lead him to victory.
THE STEPS TO UNDERMINE THE WORD.
Gen 3:1 (KJV) Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
6.1 The first utterance of the tempter. Did God really say??? This applies today when we are confronted with temptation. Did God (the Word, the Bible does it really say?) say? This is typical of the trained question used by sects such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and it usually leaves the Christian without an answer. Consider why. Or does the Christian give an answer of the sort Eve used and so lead on to disaster and downfall.
This is also typically the history of man in relation to the Word of God. The first refuge of the sinner…..question the Word. The deception of worldliness is to keep the sinner from facing the fact of God’s existence.
Heb 11:6 (KJV) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Because of uncertain faith the “has God said” question finds lodgement in the mind and doubt begins .
And the woman said…….
Gen 3:2 (KJV) And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:Gen 3:3 (KJV) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.
Doubt had entered and the mind was uncertain as to how to deal with this situation. (What would the appropriate action be?)
Notice three things about the reply Eve gave to the serpent….
1. Eve took away from the Word.
2. She added to the Word.
3. She watered down the Word.
Took away:
the word “freely” was left out.
This is a typical objective of Satan. Reduction of the idea of freedom. Often heard in those who have not completely submitted their lives to Christ. “The church ties me down” “I want to be free to move” etc.
We are free …but only in submission to Christ as the Word. Freedom is not licence.
Added:
The words “touch it” were added
All false cults do this. Mormons add the “Book of Mormon”
Some denominations add their “special” teachings. Some proclaim a priest class have special knowledge and add this to the Word.
Watered Down:
Used the words “lest you die”
God said “surely die” This is typical of modernistic preaching and teaching from the Word of God. eg. the bible only contains the Word of God. Much of the stories and content is myth and fables. The miracles are only psychological etc. Speaking in tongues is only emotional babbling. Healing is all in the mind.
With this answer from Eve Satan had achieved his purpose. The Word had been corrupted. What had been in the woman’s heart as a pure Word was now defiled by sin.
Consider the question….”Had the woman sinned before she took from the tree?”
Deu 4:2 (NIV) Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from i t, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.
Deu 12:32 (NIV) See that you do all I command you; d o not add to it or take away from it.
Prov 30:6 (NIV) Do not add to his words , or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
Rev 22:18 (NIV) I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
This places a very great responsibility on those who presume to say that their tradition is equal to the Word of God. Even more so for those who continue in practises that are not Scripturally based or ignore the examples given in Holy writ. (e.g. Assumption of Mary, Celibate priests, Special days, Titles.)
6.3 The serpent said:
Gen 3:4 (NIV) “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.
Notice he quotes with one small addition. Again this is typical of cults and false teachers. In this case a direct negation of the Word. A lie against the word of the Lord God.
Then comes another cunning move to undermine the woman. Satan uses slander. That is telling the truth in a manner that conveys a lying impression. (Of course God wouldn’t tell you.. but of course you will be as Gods.. etc etc. if you eat.)
In this Satan says that they would become as Gods and know good and evil. This was true for God had said it was so.
Gen 3:22 (NIV) And the LORD God said, ” The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
But the evil one left out the price that had to be paid, the total truth involved. God does know good and evil but can only do good. Not so with man, after disobedience he would be the opposite to this.
A modern version would be….Of course you will be like grown ups/adults if you drink alcohol, have sex, take drugs, smoke etc but there is never the mention of the whole truth…………………………
6.4 And when the woman saw….
Gen 3:6 (NIV) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
This is where sin took hold of the soul life and the Word was rejected. A turning away from God and believing the adversary.
NOTE: she gave some to her husband WHO WAS WITH HER. Adam was there and was a consenting partner to all of this. He also turned away from the Word at the same time. and was equally guilty.
6.5 A Divine Principle.
Rom 5:12 (NIV) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned–
The principle is that the inheritance is handed down through the male seed. This is illustrated in
Heb 7:9 (NIV) One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham,
Heb 7:10 (NIV) because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Other references are ….
1 Cor 15:45 (NIV) So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being” ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
1 Cor 15:21-22 (NIV) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
7.0 THE DOUBT BECAME FACT AND DEED.
1 John 2:15-17 (NIV) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Gen 3:6 (NIV) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
i. it was good for food………… .. lust of the flesh..
ii. it was pleasant to the eye … lust of the eyes.
iii. it made one wise. …………… pride of life.
Adam was party to the sin and he ate also.
8.0 BOTH MAN AND WOMAN FAILED THE TESTING.
8.1 Adam Eve
i. the sin of omission the sin of commission
(Adam said nothing, did nothing. He was not (acted against the Word, subtracted, added and
deceived yet he still ate. watered down.)
1 Tim 2:14 (NIV) And Adam was not the one
deceived; it was the woman who was deceived
and became a sinner.
ii. Direct disobedience. Indirect disobedience.
Adam was told directly by God not Eve knew but allowed doubt to cloud her mind. to eat. He ignored what he had been (??did Adam tell her not to eat)
told.
Gen 2:16-17 (NIV) And the LORD God commanded
the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely. die ”
iii. Adam failed to give support to his wife Eve failed to look for support.
iv. Adam seeks to justify himself by blaming Eve seeks to justify herself by blaming another
another.
Gen 2:22 (NIV) Then the LORD God made a Gen 3:13 (NIV) Then the LORD God said to
woman from the rib he had taken out of man the woman, “What is this you have done?” The
and he brought her to man. woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
v. They both fell victim of the basic sin “to covet”
8.2 The Consequence:
For Adam For Eve.
Gen 3:19 (KJV) In the sweat of thy face shalt Gen 3:16 (KJV) Unto the woman he said, I will
thou eat bread till thou return to the ground for greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception;
out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and and unto dust shall you return.your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you. .
From this point he had to toil and be the provider, for the woman sorrow in conception, towards her husband, husband to provider rule.
The man was to learn to ACT rightly. The woman was to learn to REFRAIN from acting wrongly. In natural man and woman can be found typical forms of behaviour which show aspects of the above.
| Man | ` Woman.’ |
| Doesn’t like work. | Doesn’t like submission. |
| Puts things off, needs much asking. | Seeks to rule by much asking. (nagging.) |
| Egocentric to cover weak authority. | Egocentric in wanting to rule by taking over |
| “I’ll do my own thing.” | Gets involved in othersà business. |
| Seeks power in order to escape the curse | Seeks power in order to escape the curse by by making others work. taking over the role of man. |
| “Being boss, macho.” | “women’s lib in excess.” |
8.3 The Reality in Christ.
Gal 5:1 (NIV) It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
The essential truth is that in Christ both man and woman are free by being and doing that which God has ordained as our place in His divine order.
Both man and woman have a place in the Bride. (a divine female principle)
Both are to be in right relationship with Christ.
In essence BOTH must submit……. BOTH must submit to the Word of God.
9.0 CREATION AND THE LAW.
9.1 The doctrine of sin and the subject of law are vitally connected. Where there is no law there is no transgression.
Rom 5:15 (NIV) But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
1 John 3:4 (NIV) Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
The problem is not the law for the law is holy, just, good and spiritual.
Rom 7:12-14 (NIV) So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognised as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
The real difficulty is the creature who transgresses the law.
9.2 Think what would happen if the stars and the planets, the plants, the sun and the moon, the tiny particles called electrons all began to behave in a random manner. The result would be chaos.
The world of humankind suffers in a similar fashion because humankind fails to obey the maker’s instructions. To the extent that humankind will not submit to the law of God (which are the only rules and instructions that will work in God’s creation.) then humankind will cause strife, discord and suffering. In one sense humankind has genius, putting together things of incredible complexity. e.g computers, space vehicles, but when it comes to living together and understanding the complex ways in which life has been ordered by its Creator to provide harmony the race of man seems to be composed of moral and ethical idiots.
10.0 IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF THE FALL.
10.1 The forfeiting of purity:
Gen 2:25 (NIV) The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Gen 3:7 (NIV) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
“They knew they were naked” A sense of shame came upon them after the fall. Possibly the loss of garments of light. Consider also the nature of the divine body. In addition they acquired the knowledge of evil and became aware of the possibilities of perversion and deviant behaviour.
Psa 104:2 (NIV) He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent
2 Cor 5:1-5 (NIV) Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Phil 3:21 (NIV) who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
10.2 Good and evil knowledge.
Rom 7:18-24 (NIV) I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law ; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Knowing this brought double mindedness and instability.
James 1:8 (NIV) he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
10.3 The law of conscience began to work.
Their thoughts began to accuse and excuse. Guilt was produced.
Rom 2:14-15 (NIV) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
10.4 The law of works.
A guilty conscience drove them to works, to try to make themselves presentable to God when He came in the cool of the evening. They sewed fig leaves together to make aprons to cover themselves.
Gen 3:8 (NIV) Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
10.5 The blaming of others.
When God came and called them Adam and Eve were in hiding. Notice God sought a confession from them. ( What would have happened if had confessed their sin ?) They didn’t !
Adam said, ” The woman YOU gave me, she gave me to eat.” Blames God then blames the woman. This is typical human behaviour even to this day. The woman not wishing to blame her husband blames the serpent.
This is the typical cry of the sinner, blame God, the other fellow or the devil.
10.6 Mankind’s nature was corrupted.
Man’s spirit was thrown into darkness and lost contact with God. The soul and facilities of the mind were affected. The mind became self centered, the emotions uncontrolled and the will ceased to be God centered. Man’s body with its senses became subject to perverted instincts, sickness and death.
Prov 20:27 (NIV) The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man ; it searches out his inmost being.
Eph 2:1-3 (NIV) As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
2 Tim 2:25-26 (NIV) Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Titus 1:15 (NIV) To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
11.0 THE LAW AND THE BOOKS OF GENESIS AND ROMANS.
11.1 In terms of the law, Romans is a development of the early chapters of Genesis.
Rom 5:12-21 (NIV) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned– 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
These Scriptures take up the story of the first Adam. Adam also broke the first law of God “You shall not eat”. At that moment another law entered into Adam. This law was called “The law of sin” and by sin death.
Rom 8:2 (NIV) because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
( I believe that at this point time as we know it began.)
This law of sin and death began to work in Adam’s members bringing bodily awareness.
Gen 3:7 (NIV) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Rom 7:22-23 (NIV) For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
They hid themselves as the law of conscience began to accuse and excuse.
Gen 3:12-13 (NIV) The man said, “The woman you put here with me–she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Rom 2:14-15 (NIV) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
At this time another law came into effect “the law of works” Conscience pricks then and under its accusations shame comes and then the feeling that they must DO something. A sense of GUILT began.
Gen 3:7 (NIV) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Rom 3:26-27 (NIV) he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.
Rom 9:32 (NIV) Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”
11.2
This is the driving force behind “good works” produced by the knowledge of “good” derived from the wrong tree. Mankind seeks to produce WORKS to appease his conscience and make him/herself presentable to God. A striving for self atonement can never bring peace.
This is there great error of much of the church activity of the present day. The churches are centered on performance Christianity. If we DO good things God will be pleased with us.
11.3
God’s answer to their problem was symbolic and prophetic. He brought an animal to Adam, (? a lamb) It was sacrificed to provide a covering for them. Blood was shed in this process.
Gen 3:21 (NIV) The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
John 1:29 (NIV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
All the sin and for all the world.
11.4
Rom 3:23-27 (NIV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished– 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.
This portion sums up much of the discussion. We are to come to the law of righteousness through the law of faith
Rom 9:32 (NIV) Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”
12.0 THE MAN AND THE WOMAN CAST OUT.
Similarity may be seen to the later Tabernacle in the Wilderness. (Moses) Adam and Eve were cast out into the Outer Court, (Earthly System) and blood sacrifice instituted (altar of bronze)The Cherubim with the flaming sword was placed in the east,(where the lamp stand stood) guarding the way to the tree of life. Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life.”
He is the living Word…….The only way to the tree of life.