Foundations of the Christian Life session 3 notes

Foundations of the Christian Life session 3

God’s Sovereign Work of Grace

 

1. Creation: a work of Grace

    All things were created with man in mind

    God made for him everything that pertains to life and godliness

    It was declared good by God – He set the value of creation and it was very good

    God simply spoke the word of His grace and it came into being

    When God decrees Grace it is

2.  Why a work of Grace?

    Because it was done independent of man’s worthiness

    IT was a work of God’s pleasure; not because man deserved nor earned it

   God took His own counsel – “Let us make man”

    It was God’s work solely – man was not involved in the process at all

    Man was dust that God breathed into

    It was not based upon how he would treat it either

    It was a GIFT

3.  Woman: a work of Grace

    God said that it was not good for man to be alone

    Gave him a “helper suitable” – physical companion equal to his own life – taken from his side

    Become one flesh

   And there was no shame in their nakedness

   Why did God do this? GRACE

4.  It was a Finished Work

   Genesis 2:2

   God finished the work He had been doing and he rested

   The Garden is a place of finished work – a place of rest

   Genesis 2:7&8 – the Garden was a place of Grace and Life

   God caused the ground to produce and man simply cultivated it

   Adam’s work was a “sweattless” labor

   The trees gave fruit that was “pleasing to the eyes and good for food.”

   Man reaped from a world that he did not sow (that is my kind of gardening)

5.  The Blessed Life: Genesis 1:26-28

    God blessed man and woman – why were they blessed? What had    they done to get God’s blessing?              Blessing not contingent on OBEDIENCE

    They had done nothing – God’s blessing is a demonstration of His grace and truth -

    They were to be fruitful – God decreed them to be fruitful–fruitfulness was not a work to be    accomplished but a result of his favor –

    It was not based upon Adam or Eve – (barrenness in the Old Testament was a sign that God’s favor was not upon the woman) – fruitfulness is a sign of favor

   God’s unmerited favor was over Adam and Eve – even though He knew they would betray His grace and sin