Origin_of

God did not create man in the sinful state in which we now find mankind. Man's sinful state is a result of his choosing to disobey God. Although the inherent sinful nature of mankind is inherited from our original ancestor, Adam, man's continued life of sin is a result of his own decision to continue in disobedience. In Adam we were all made sinners, but through the obedience of Jesus Christ we can be made righteous (Romans 5:19). To remain in sin or be free from it is man's choice. Romans 5:16 says that God offers us a free gift of justification. In order to better understand the free gift offered to us as a result of the obedience of Christ, we must first understand better the judgment that came upon man as a result of Adam's sin. This requires that we look back at the creation and fall of man.

I. The Creation of Man

A. Created in the Image of God

1. Gen. 1:26-27, Gen. 5:1-2

Both of these passages say that God created man in His own image or likeness. What does it mean to be created in the image and likeness of God?

a. God is a triune being (Matt. 28:19) - Here we see God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. In Gen. 1:26 God said let us make man in our image. Not let me make man in my image. The triune God was active in the creation recorded in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.

b. Man is a three part being (I Thess. 5:23) - In Gen 2:7 God shaped man's body from the dust of the ground but man did not become a living soul until God breathed the breath of life into him.

c. God is described as having body parts. Though God is a spirit (John 4:24) He is described as having eyes and a face (Ps. 34:15-16), hands (Ezk. 14:12-14), ears (Is. 5:9) and feet, nostrils and a mouth (2 Sam. 22:7-10). Though we can not see them in the natural, spirit beings have form also.

d. Man is a free moral agent like God. He has been given the ability to choose and make decisions for himself.

2. Man was created upright (Eccl. 7:29)

a. Man was created upright but sought out ways to sin.

b. Man was the crowning glory of creation (Ps. 8:5)

God desiring to express His love created all things for Himself (Prov. 16:4) and for His pleasure (Rev. 4:11). When He had finished with His creation work, He declared it to be very good (Gen. 1:31).

B. The Empowerment of Man

1. Given dominion over all things (Gen. 1:26-28, Ps. 8:6-8).

2. Adam at his creation was given authority over any and everything that was on the earth. This included the serpent that was later used to deceive Eve and draw Adam into sin.

II. Fall of Man

A. The Command Given (Gen. 2:15-17) - God gave Adam the command that he should not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As a free moral agent God gave Adam a choice. A choice of whether or not to obey God, and the penalty for disobedience was stated to be death. God still gives every person the same choice. Adam had the choice of obeying God and maintaining life and fellowship with God. Mankind still has the choice of obeying God which results in continued life and fellowship with God.

B. The Command Disobeyed (Gen. 3:1-6)

1. Remember that the command was given to Adam. But obviously Eve had been told of God's command.

2. They had been given dominion over every living thing on the earth (Gen. 1:28). They could have taken authority over the serpent. So there was a way out.

3. The devil, God's enemy, uses a serpent to draw Adam and Eve into disobedience.

a. He called God a liar.

b. Said God's reason for lying was to keep man from being like God.

c. The devil continued to talk to her, tempting her with the lust of the flesh (good for food), the lust of the yes (pleasing to the physical eye) and the pride of life (making man wise). (I John 2:15-17)

d. Adam was there with Eve and therefore was without excuse. He should have spoken up and protected his mate and his dominion. I Tim. 2:14 says that Eve was deceived but not Adam. Adam therefore made a choice to disobey God. He had to choose between pleasing God and pleasing the woman. He chose to disobey God and maintain his relationship with the woman.

III. Result of Man's Fall (Gen. 3:7-13; Rom. 5:12)

A. They became self-conscious, rather than God conscious. They were naked all along, but now they experienced being naked. Adam lost the glorious, sinless and innocent countenance he had shared with God.

B. Fellowship with God was broken. The guilt of sin overshadowed the past experiences of love shared with God. Fear entered into the relationship.

C. Fear prompted the need for a scapegoat, someone to blame. Adam placed the blame on Eve, when he could have chosen to protect his wife and his dominion, and could have chosen to obey God. Eve put the blame on the serpent, when she knew full well what God had said. It is easier to put the blame elsewhere than to accept full responsibility for our actions.

D. Through this sin, death entered the earth and now passes to all mankind. We will talk about the nature of death in another lesson.

IV. God's Provision (Romans 5:19; John 1:29, Rev. 13:8)

Sin and death entered the world because of the disobedience of Adam, but righteousness and the free gift of life eternal entered by the obedience of Jesus. God sent Jesus, the Lamb of God, to take away man's sin. He suffered the penalty of death for all mankind. The plan to have Jesus pay the price for man's sin was formulated before the worlds were formed. God saw man's fall and made provision to die for man before He every created man. The provision has been made, but man must still make the choice to accept the provision and walk in obedience to God.