Foundations of the Christian Life Lesson 5

Foundations of the Christian Life –Lesson 5

1.  Two Trees

In the middle of the Garden where two trees

Tree of life

Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil – this tree had a prohibition to eat of its fruits

Eat one (tree of life) and live forever – no command eat or not this tree represents the grace and truth of God’s good provision

Eat the other (tree of knowledge of good and evil) die – this tree represents the law – man’s efforts to live apart from God

2.  The temptation: Genesis 3:1-6

The Serpent tempted Eve with the commandment – not the tree first

He was crafty – the emphasis of his attack were not on the Grace of the garden but on the law

“Has God really said don’t eat.” 

Through the law comes the consciousness of sin – when we focus our consciousness on sin we open ourselves up to its seduction

The Second temptation again emphasizes the fruit of the tree – “You will not really die.”

He grappled with the couple on the point of the commandment

3.   The Serpents Challenge

He challenged who God was -  His truthfulness, His faithfulness,

He challenged what God does and gives - He deceived Eve into thinking God was withholding something; not sharing with Adam and Eve all He said He was

He challenged who Adam and Eve were – He said to Eve that when she ate of the fruit she would be like gods knowing good and evil.

Remember: Adam and Eve already had an exalted position

 

4. Adam’s Sin?

The original sin of Adam was UNBELIEF

The serpent got Adam to lose confidence in who God was, what He works, and what He made man to be

Root of his failure was unbelief and a lack of trust in God

He took life into his own hands – in his control

5.  Death Entered

Adam who once only knew life; died

His spirit ceased to live by the law of the Spirit of life – it was replaced by the law of sin and death

His soul fell into corruption

Body became mortal

Paul says that death entered with sin and spread to all men

Death entered into the door left open by Adam’s unbelief and subsequent sin

6.  A Cursed Life

A life of labor and cursing rather than a life of blessing – remember: A & E were blessed because of Grace

Now they were cursed because of unbelief and the law (tree of knowledge of good and evil)

Fruitfulness was by labor and not favor – till the earth to produce – what did they produce? Thorns and Thistles – Be Fruitful?

Pain in multiplication – childbirth cursed

Curse affected relationship between man and woman – not working together – no dominion

Man would now seek to get meaning from creation, rather than giving it meaning

7.  Grace Redemption

God gives Grace in the Garden – clothes their nakedness

He covered them with skins of animals – the innocent covers the guilty

Adam’s sin is condemned in the flesh of the animal

He is atoned for in blood – covered in the innocent “skin” of the clean animal

Note: God did the action – acted as High Priest

NO penance required – man didn’t even “ask” for forgiveness

This act of redemption was  a work of GRACE

8.  Redemption

Means to purchase back – buy back what was lost

Price of redemption is the price on the thing redeem – whatever it is valued at that was the price paid

Adam’s price of redemption was what the law demanded – Law of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Death

So the price paid was the animal God killed to clothe Adam – the animal became the redemption for Adam

This becomes a principle which God uses to redeem all of mankind in the death of His Son