The Fall Of Mankind

Q: What does the Bible say about the fall of mankind?

The Bible teaches that the fall of mankind began in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, resulting in sin and spiritual death. The fall of mankind is a foundational event that is crucial to understanding sin and salvation. It is recorded in Genesis chapter 3, where we see Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Their choice to eat from the forbidden tree led to immediate spiritual death, as they lost the presence and favor of God. This event set the stage for the depravity of humanity, showcasing that all men come into the world as sinners, as evidenced by Romans 5:12, which states that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and death through sin, thus spreading to all because all sinned. This act also emphasized God's sovereignty, as the fall was allowed for the greater purpose of revealing His grace and mercy through Jesus Christ, the second Adam.

Q: How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

God's sovereignty is affirmed throughout Scripture, indicating that He controls all things, including both good and evil. The doctrine of God's sovereignty is central to Reformed theology, asserting that God is in complete control over all creation. This is illustrated in Scripture, particularly in verses like Proverbs 16:4 which states that the Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Furthermore, the narrative of Job confirms that Satan only operates within the confines of God's permission. This leads to a comforting understanding that nothing occurs outside of God's will, and He governs every aspect of our lives for His glory. This immense sovereign control means that even evil serves a greater purpose in God's redemptive plan, revealing His attributes of justice and mercy in ways that would remain unknown if sin had never occurred.

Q: Why is understanding the fall of man important for Christians?

Understanding the fall is crucial as it provides insight into the nature of sin and the need for redemption through Christ. For Christians, understanding the fall of man is fundamental because it lays the groundwork for the doctrine of sin and redemption. The consequences of Adam's sin directly impact all humanity; we inherit a sinful nature and are separated from God. This necessitates the need for a Savior, highlighting the grace of God displayed through Jesus Christ. The narrative of the fall illustrates humanity's need for a redeemer who would undo the curse of sin. Without grasping the significance of the fall, one cannot fully appreciate the depth of Christ's sacrifice and the grace extended through the gospel. It reminds believers of the seriousness of sin and the great cost of redemption.

Q: What did Adam lose at the fall?

At the fall, Adam lost his spiritual life, the presence of God, and the ultimate fellowship with Him. At the moment of disobedience in Genesis 3, Adam lost the spiritual life granted by God. He was expelled from the Garden of Eden, representing the loss of communion with God. This act ushered in a state of spiritual death that permeated all of humanity—'dying you shall die'—indicating both immediate spiritual separation from God and the eventual physical death that followed. Moreover, Adam lost righteousness and was filled with shame, fear, and a guilty conscience. This loss of holy standing brought about a fundamental change in human nature, making all of Adam's descendants subject to sin and death. In understanding what Adam lost, we see the gravity of sin and the necessity for the redemptive work of Christ.

Q: How does the fall relate to God's plan of redemption?

The fall sets the stage for God's plan of redemption, showcasing His mercy through Jesus Christ. The fall of mankind is integral to God's overarching plan of redemption. Following the sin of Adam and Eve, God initiated a plan to restore humanity through the promise of a Savior, prophesied in Genesis 3:15 when God stated that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. This passage foreshadows the coming of Christ who would ultimately defeat sin and death through His death and resurrection. God's grace shines through the fall, illustrating that even in our deepest rebellion, He provides a means of reconciliation. Thus, the fallen state of humanity amplifies the beauty of divine mercy and the glorious hope we have in Jesus, as He restores what was lost and brings believers into a new life.

OK, let's turn in our Bibles
back to Genesis 3. Genesis chapter 3. An old preacher years ago once
wisely made this statement. He said, if you go wrong in the
fall, you'll be wrong on it all. In other words, if you do not
understand, if you do not believe, nor understand what happened
to man in the beginning, you will have wrong views from there
on. about everything else. The book Genesis, the title,
the name, Genesis, means seeds or beginning. That's how it begins
in chapter 1, verse 1, in the beginning. Before the world,
before the universe, before anything that was, or anything that is,
was, in the beginning. Genesis means beginning. And
here in the first three chapters of Genesis, possibly are the most important
chapters in all of the Bible. Certainly God started with this,
didn't he? And in these three chapters,
God gives the account. This is a handwritten account
given by God himself, how else would we know? Before God created
man, he tells us how he was created. So God is the one that wrote
this. He gives us a handwritten account,
how man was created, and what is responsible for all that has
happened and will happen to man. And as I said, in chapter 1,
verse 1, it says, in the beginning, look at it, in the beginning,
God created the heaven and the earth. Now, only a fool would not acknowledge
the hand of an all-wise, all-powerful Creator. your children. If you know and believe that
God created all things, you know more than your teachers. As intelligent as they may think
they are, as wise and so forth, the Scripture says, a fool says
there's no God. A fool. Because an all-wise,
all-powerful Creator made everything that is. And he made everything
that is, he made it before years ago. He made it just like it
is. He made it that way back then.
It did not evolve. Some foolish people who call
themselves Christians But they believe in some ridiculous account
of biblical evolution. They believe that God created
the seeds of life, but then it just evolved. Well, that's Tommy
Roth. That's ridiculous. The Scripture
says, the heavens declare his glory, and the firmament showeth
his handiwork. Doesn't it? Only a fool would
not look at that sky with all the myriads of stars, as beautiful
as it is, and as deep and vast and as mysterious as it is, and
this earth and all that's on it. Only
a fool would not see the hand of an all-wise, all-powerful
Creator. That same psalm says, that language,
there's no speech or language where this voice is not heard.
That is the creative power of God. Everybody can see it. Only a fool, only a fool refuses
to believe it. Only a fool. Now, I know I've
given this illustration many times, and all of you know it,
but there are some in here may not have heard it, and it's the
best I've ever heard in reference to this thing of creation versus
evolution. And it's not like there's any
fight going on. The confusion is only in men's minds. God laughs
at man's theory. But there was a believer one
time speaking with a man who claimed to believe in evolution. And let me just go ahead and
tell you children now, and I know your parents will allow me this
liberty. Don't believe what your textbooks
say. Don't believe it. I know they say it's absolutely
an accepted fact now that evolution is the way this thing came in.
That's foolish. Before there ever was a textbook,
God wrote this book. Nobody's bothering to look into
it, though. And I'll tell you in a minute
why they do not want to believe in the Creator. But there was
an evolutionist, a believer—I'll call him a believer—and a fellow
that believed in evolution. They were talking about creation
and evolution, and the believer wisely gave this
illustration to the man. He said, that's a nice watch
you have on there, the man's watch. He said, let me see it. The man handed over his watch,
took it off and handed it to him, and the man, the believer
said, oh, it's a fine watch, beautiful watch. It's obvious
that whoever made this knew what they were doing. Look at the
craftsmanship. Well, it says 17 joules or whatever. He said to the evolutionist,
he said, do you believe that, that the man who made this knew
what he was doing? Oh, the man said, certainly.
I've had this imported from Switzerland, and they're the best watchmakers
of all, and they use the best of materials, and men study for
ages to learn their craft. And it's obvious from the workmanship
and the detail and all the materials and everything, it's obvious
that the Swiss know what they're doing when they make a watch.
And the believer said, I don't believe that. He said, handed
his watch back to him, he said, I don't believe that. He said,
I believe that one day, millions of years ago, floating out in
space were crystals and watch bands and springs and faces and
jewels and little gears and just floating around and gold substance,
dust, and a big explosion occurred. And now you have that watch.
And the man said, well, you're a fool, man. You're the fool,
he said. He said, you're the fool. If you can look at this vast
creation, if you can look in the mirror, if you can look at
your thumbprint, there's no two alike, and all the billions and
zillions of people that live there, there's no two alike,
and not see the hand of an all-wise, all-powerful Creator, you're
a fool. But no, man is willingly ignorant. You know why? Romans 1 says that
he does not like to retain God but in his knowledge. Why? Because if God is creator, two
things. If God is creator, number one,
that means he owns us, doesn't it? If I make something, I built
an old shed last week. It's mine. I created it. I can let it stand, or I can
tear it down. Can it? Cannot I do with my own
what I will? If God created this thing, He
can do what He wants to with His own. Right? So men don't
like to believe that. See? Number two, that means He's
controlling everything. I'm the one who decided how that
building was built, with what materials and so forth. I'm the
one who decides if it stands or falls. I'm the one who decides
on its upkeep. I'm in control of that, right? If God's the creator, he's in
control of all things, right? He said, hath not the potter
power over the clay? He's in control. Therefore, if
he's in control, we're in his hands, right? Men don't like
that. They want to be in control of their own destiny. So, therefore, there's a concerted
effort. Kids, there's a concerted universal effort to try to disprove
God as Creator. It's in the textbooks. It's taken
as fact now. It may be taken as fact, but
it's absolute foolishness. Don't you dare believe it. In
the beginning, God. God created the heavens and the
earth. And he said in verse 26, look
at it, verse 26, God said, let us make man in our image. And
God doesn't look like a worm. God doesn't look like a monkey. God's glorious. God came down,
took upon himself a form of flesh. God made himself an image to
dwell in. What'd he look like? A baboon?
He looked like a man. God created man in his own image. Why do you suppose it is that
man is so far superior in every way to every life form on the
earth? Huh? Why did he evolve? How did he just evolve that way? Why didn't frogs evolve into
scientists? That's the only way I believe
evolution. I believe the only ones that evolved were the scientists
that came from monkeys. And the professors, I believe
that all professors did evolve from monkeys. And they just backed
up the tree and rubbed their little tails off, and now they're
teaching in our university. Those are the only ones. They're
the missing links. Now, man is far superior in every
way, to every life form. Nobody could deny that. Nobody
could deny that. Why? Because God said, let us
make man in our image. Not like a cow, not like a monkey,
but an image of God created them, male and female. The most glorious
creature on earth is man. He's far superior in his mental
Powers is physical power, powers of thought, powers of reason,
creative powers. Why is that? Why is that? Because
God said, let us make man in our own image. Man's in the image
of God. Old Brother Chapman—young Brother
Chapman, I dare say. He doesn't turn 40 until next
year. But he said this. He said this one time. The reason
men don't like to—the reason men do like to believe in evolution
is because they like to say this. They look at a monkey and say,
well, look how far we've come, instead of like the Bible says
it. Look at man now and say, look how far we've fell. I believe
in reverse evolution, Stan. I believe man started out upright,
and now he's gone to all fours. It's right in it. Man fell. What a terrible fall
it was. Look at chapter 3. This is the
account of it. It recounts the story of what
plunged our race into untold misery and corruption and evil
and all the afflictions and trouble that plagues this human race.
It started right here. This is the account of it. Why did man evolve into a—if
evolution is true—why did he evolve evil? Huh? I don't see anything evil about
lizards. It's what we came from, they
say. But here's the story. Here's the story. Kids, you can
believe this. This is God talking to you. Not
me. This was around long before the educators were, and it'll
be around a long time after they're gone, and God will be laughing
in their faces. Don't believe in me, huh? Here
I am. And here you go. Look at verse 1. The serpent
was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God
had made. Serpent. I'm not going to attempt
to explain this. And as I said before, this is
part of the problem with our generation. They want you to
explain everything. If we could understand the mysteries of the
universe, we'd be gods, wouldn't we? We'd be gods. But we're not. What are we? Creatures. My daughter is only nine years
old. She can't possibly understand
what's going through my mind and so forth. She can't understand
mysteries and theories and philosophies and this and that. She's just
too young. Her capacity is not great enough. She's not capable. She's too young. Who can, by
search, confront that God under perfection? Huh? God said, as
the heavens are higher above the earth, so are my ways and
my thoughts higher than your thoughts and ways. I can't do
it. No chance of trying. Only a fool will try. But a believer
just believes. And then, as I said, God shows
some things to you. Doesn't He, John? That's how
it works. That's how God works. It does
say that God made him, doesn't it? Huh? It does say that. Preachers today—and
it said that in Colossians 1. We read that before. Let me read
it to you again. And so-called preachers today,
I just think they would have us to believe that Satan was
around all the time, and just somehow or another he's another
guy. Just as powerful, isn't it? That's
what they say, isn't it? Just as powerful. If he's just
as powerful in his acts and his will and so forth, that means
he's got to be eternal, doesn't it? If he's just as powerful as God,
why didn't God snuff him out, keep him from messing his plans
up? Huh? There's just so many inconsistencies in there. It's
this folly in it's thing. It's this folly. God made the
devil. That's shocking, isn't it? But
so, Colossians 1 says, "...by Him were all things created that
are in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created
by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and
by Him all things can see it." All things—heaven and earth,
visible and invisible. Angels, cherubs, seraphs—never. You see, if God is God, listen
to me now, just by you, if we just buy a Webster's Dictionary,
the term God means, the name God means absolute controller,
ruler over all things. And if you want to look it up
in Proverbs 16, He says, I believe, verse 4, he says, God has created
all things for himself, even the wicked, for the day of evil. Doesn't it? Doesn't it? Proverbs
16, verse 4, I believe it is. Isn't that it? Verse 4. Well,
because he's God. Because he's God. If God is God,
then he must be absolutely in control over everything, even
evil. Huh? Especially evil. Only evil would have the upper
hand, wouldn't it? Huh? They say that Satan is pulling
against you and got, you know, Satan kills, Satan makes sick,
Satan does this, Satan all that. Why does it? Why doesn't Satan
just wipe this mess out? Why doesn't he just kill everybody?
Keep them from being saved. Huh? He can't. Look over at Job, the
book of Job. The book right before Psalms,
okay? The book of Job. Bible scholars
say it is the oldest, actually the oldest recorded book, even
before Moses. Book of Job. Look at it over
there. Let's turn over there now. Book
of Job, chapter 1. You see, Satan can only do what
God allows him to do. If that were not so, Rick, then
Satan's God, isn't it? If there's something not under
control of God Almighty, God's not God. Do you understand that? Do you believe that? Don't try to reconcile it, just
believe it. Joe Warren, look at this. I like this. I like this story. Romans 1 verse
6 says, Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present
themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan,
Whence comest thou? He didn't. He wasn't asking where
he'd be, and he knew exactly. God's omniscient. God's omnipresent. Where can we flee from the presence
of the Lord? Psalm 139 says nowhere. He's everywhere. But he's playing
with Satan here. He's playing with him. "'Where
you been?' Satan answered. The Lord said, "'Going to and
fro and there, walking up and down, running around like a chicken
with my head cut off.'" The Lord said, "'Well, have you
considered My servant?' He wants something to do. "'Have you considered
My servant Job, that there's none like him in the earth, a
perfect, upright man, one that feareth God and is true of evil?'
Satan answered and said, I can't get to him. That's what
he's saying. I can't get to him. Am I considered
Job? Yeah, I desire to sift him like
wheat. But I can't touch him. Just let me at him. Move your
hand. You see that? You've got to hinge
about it. He's in your hands. That's everything
is. The God in whose hands thy breath
is and all thy way, the Scripture says. And Satan's had good news. He said, he's in your hands.
Thus, verse 11, look at it now, look at it. Wish the world would
look at that. You put forth your hand and you
touch all he has and he'll curse you. Verse 12, And the Lord said unto
Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, thy hand. He delegated it to Satan. Is
that right? Only don't touch his person. So Satan went forth. You think
he tried to touch his person? Sure he did. But he couldn't. He came back in chapter 2. He
came back. Chapter 2, verse 1. There was
a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before
the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself
before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan,
Where ye been, Satan? I am just going through and through
up there, remember that. Have you considered my servant
Job? You see him praying with this...
He's not... So they're not co-equal in power. He's toying with him, Henry.
He has to come and present himself to God. This is Christ here. You know, this is Jesus Christ
is in this here. The Lord. Satan had to come present
it. I can't do anything unless you
allow it. You're Lord. And then, Lord, turned him loose on his family
and so forth and so on. The point I'm making, the point
the Scripture says, what the Scripture says is that God is
God. We're fundamentalists. The only
people that are fundamentalists are those that believe this fundamental
truth, that God is God and everything, including Satan himself, is in
his hand. Now, that's my only comfort.
Huh? The Lord of Glory came down, John, and walked with us, or
God in human flesh, Emmanuel, walked with us. And he said to
old Peter one day, he said, Peter, Satan hath desired you. He wants
you like he did Job. What's Peter's hope, John? Christ
said, but I pray for you. He's not going to have you, Peter.
Oh, I'm going to let him loose for a little bit. He's on a leash,
though. He's on a leash. Bunyan, in his book Pilgrim's
Progress, says that Believer and his companion are on their
way to Celestial City. They came up the path. They could
see that Celestial City in the distance. They wanted so badly
to get to it, that beautiful, shining, golden city. They wanted
to get to it. That was their destination. And
that path, that straight, narrow path, on both sides of that path,
up ahead of them, were two roaring lions, roaring, showing their
teeth and their claws, foaming at the mouth. It seemed like
from a distance they were riding their way. And they looked at each other,
what are we going to do? They said, we're just going to have to go
on. This is the only way to the Celestial City. So they both
went on. And the closer they got, finally, Christian said
this, what? What, brother? Look yonder. There are no chains. And both those lions were chained,
and they could only hear the two could they come, but no thunder.
And they walked through, and they got roared on and spit on,
but they weren't touched. That's Satan. And that's the
believer. As a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, but
I pray for him. That's it. A stronger than he. Well, that takes care of that
old boy, doesn't it? Puts him in his place. And the
only reason you can give for what happened here is God willed
it. All right, look back at the text,
Genesis 3. God willed it, even man's fall.
And I wish I could go into that for a minute. You see, God's
going to get greater glory from redeeming and saving man from
the fall than he would have had man not fall. Oh yeah. God's complete character is going
to be the same. Before man fell, he was only
known as just, holy, righteous, and other attributes, omnipotent,
omnipresent, omniscient. Nobody knew anything about his
mercy, his love, his grace, his long-suffering, his kindness,
his gentleness, his goodness. We see all of that because man
fell. Right? Now, at Genesis 3, Genesis
3, look at the verse 1, the serpent said unto the woman, he went
to the woman, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree
in the garden? This is Satan's constant ploy.
This is what he still does. This is what he's doing on somebody
in here right now, questioning what God said. That's the reason
nobody believes in the Bible. Huh? They don't believe in the
Bible. Believers do. People call themselves Bible-believers,
isn't there? Very few people believe what they say literally. That's it. Why? That's His grand design. It gets
you to cast questions upon God's Word. Question any part of it. Call any part of this in question.
Throw the rest of it away. Huh? If one word of it is apt for
debate, throw the rest of it away. What's this to decide what's
true and what's not? Huh? Oh, no. Oh, no. We believe it. We believe
what it said. Believing is seeing. You're going
to see. You're going to see with me,
all right? Read on. Hath God said, hath God said you shall
not eat of every tree of the garden, verse 2, the woman said
unto the serpent. We may eat of the fruit of the
trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in
the midst of the garden, God hath said you shall not eat of
it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. God didn't say
that. Do you see what she did? And
this is where error starts, too. She added to what God said. Huh? Well, it seemed like a good commentary.
Wouldn't it have been true had they touched it? But God didn't
say that. She took it into her own. Not
only is she about to just disregard what God said, but she's going
to add her little two bits to it. And in that man, isn't this
a commentary on mankind? Not only does he question everything
God says, but he's got to add his two bits to it. This is where
all error starts. Adding to it, refusing to believe
it, calling it into question, and then adding to it. And every
major denomination has got their own personal perversion of the
Bible. Translation. They've translated
it to the way they want it. And this was the beginning of
all sin. You see that? The beginning of
it all. Unbelief's the root, isn't it? Unbelief's the root.
Read on, verse 4. And the serpent said unto the
woman, now she added to it, but she did say that God said, what
God has said, you shall not eat of it. Verse 4, the serpent said,
you shall not surely die. And this is what he's still saying
today. This is what he's still saying to
men and women, putting a question on God's Word and twisting it.
The Scripture says in Ephesians 2, verse 1, and Colossians 2,
it says that, "...you hath he quickened who were..." Say it out loud. "...dead in
trespasses, and sinned." What's dead? Henry, how far did you
go? You didn't get to high school,
did you? You know what day it is, don't you, buddy? Dead? I'm not making fun of you. I'm
just saying you know more than the college graduates do. Dead? As a matter of fact, it just
means graveyard death. Dead, dead. Now, go up to something
that's dead, it's just dead. It can't do anything, can it?
You have He, quicken, made alive, which one? What? Dead, in first person scene. When did that happen? Right here. Man died. Dead. But Satan said, no, you're not
dead, you have a free will. You can choose good or weak.
That's not there yet. A man that can do anything, Stan.
If a man can choose everything, he's not doing anything. Huh?
I go out to the graveyard and look down over one of those freshly
dug graves, there's a coffin, and I say, would you like to
stay there or raise up? If that lid opens up, and he
says, I don't think I'll live. He raised it then. Does it? If he had the will to live, he
weren't tort dead. Can I kill his base if we can? He weren't dead. A dead man can't
live or anything. The only thing a dead man can
do, somebody said, is speak. You know what the scripture says
about us? We're dead, filthy, stinking. Well, Satan said, no,
you have a free will, and you have your rights. and they had a free will. They could choose God or choose
evil. Now, they were perfect. They
were holy. They were righteous. They were
more brilliant and intelligent than any man or woman ever to
live. What would they do with their free will? What would they
choose? They know more than we know.
They know more than we love or not. They were smarter. They
were more holy than we were. ever be holy except in Christ.
What did they choose? They exercised their free will,
this enlightened, illuminated man. What did they choose? What makes people think man won't
choose God now? When he's so depraved? Tommy
Rock. No free will. Man is bound by
his nature. bound by his nature. They come
forth, the Scripture says, from the womb, speaking lies. Why? It's in our bloodstream. You don't need any more proof
than that little kid sitting beside you, do you, Deborah?
Huh? Did you teach him to lie? Did you teach him to steal? Did
you teach him to be mean? You've done—for how long now
you've been trying to teach him not to do these things? Why did
he get, where did he get these things? Why is a baby in your
arms, even? Did he cry when there was nothing
to cry about? Did he complain? 98% of cries,
complaining! No, my way! They come, they come, get it
early, don't they? Who taught them? It's in the
blood. It's in the nature. They come out that way. That's
the way you are. That's the way you are in endeavor.
Your boy and your daughter are going to be just like you, aren't
they? I'm just like my father am. Just like him. Look at chapter 2, verse 17. It says there that of the tree
of the knowledge of the good and evil, thou shalt not eat
of it. In the day, in the day you eat of it, God said, dying
thou shalt die. You have a marginal reference?
Thou shalt surely die. That's right. The original Hebrew
says, Dying thou shalt die. Dying thou shalt die. Did Adam die on that day when
they ate of it? Adam lived 970 years. 930 years. 930 years. He didn't die
that day. Physically. But the decay process
started, didn't it? Oh yeah, it started. He started
dying. That day, before then, he had an incorrupt body. Totally
incorrupt. This day, when God kicked him
out, you know what happened? He lost a few hairs out of his
head, Stan. That's what happened. His skin started flaking. Dead
skin. He started dying. He died. He started
dying. Boy, he saw very quickly, didn't
he, what had happened when he saw his son laying with his brains
bashed out dead. What's this? Death, Adam. What's death? Dying. Everything's dying. Walking
in the forest and a little animal laying on its bed. Trees start
turning covered in leaves from death. Dying. Dying. That stuff died. Did he die that
night? Yes. That minute. He died spiritually.
He died spiritually. What? How? Read on. Read on.
Wait on. He lost the life of God. You
see, he lost the... What is God? Who is God? What
is God? What is life? Holiness. Holiness. Righteousness. Purity. That's God. Holiness. Righteousness. The life of God is holiness.
Here it is. So, the Lord our God is holy.
Holy. Holy. Holy. That's the life of
God. Holy. Adam lost that, Henry, didn't
he? He lost that that day, the life of God, and God kicked him
out. The life of God is the presence
of God, the favor of God, the approval of God, the fellowship
of God. He lost it that day, John, that
day, that very day. Look at verse 6. It says, When
the woman saw, and here's these three aspects of all sin, lust
of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life that Paul
talked about in John talked about it, 1 John.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and these
things were behind all sin, good for food, lust of the flesh,
pleasure to the eyes, lust of the eyes, a tree to be desired
to make one wise, pride of life, she took the fruit thereof and
did eat, and gave it also to her husband with her, and he
did eat. Did they sin right then and there
when they did that, when she did that? She sinned when she
thought about it. She sinned when she thought about
it. Now here's what God said, and here's what he said. And it says in verse 7, the eyes
of them both were open, and they knew that they were naked. And
they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apron. Now
I've got to hurry. The first thing they felt was
shame. They were naked. You know what
it feels to be naked? To be naked is to be exposed. Scripture says all things are
naked and open before the eyes of Him whom we have to do. Naked. See, they felt exposed. Why did
they feel naked? Just the two of them, they'd been naked, no
telling how many years they'd been naked together, a man and
his wife. Why did they feel, no, that what they felt was exposed? Vulnerable. Shame. Why? Who? Before one another? Did they feel naked before one
another? No. Before God. Before God. And I'm not trying to be cute
here, but even when we're alone, do you ever feel exposed? If you're naked without clothing,
even when you're alone. Now you may be an absolute heathen
and love to run around without your clothes on, but I like to
have clothes on. That's the sin of nature. Even
when we're alone. Who told you you'd make it? It's
just you exposed, you see. I've been exposed before God. And what the first thing they
did was sew themselves together some fig leaves. And this was
a pitiful attempt to cover their nakedness. And what this is,
this is a picture of man's pitiful attempt. To cover his guilt and
his shame, this is a picture of man's self-righteousness.
That's what this is a picture of. Trying to cover his sin and
his guilt with his painful fig leaf words, thinking God's going
to overlook his hearts because he quits this and quits that
and does this, because he goes to church and sits there in the
pew. She served a few, and he sews himself together a little
life, a little morality that he has, and he thinks the all-seeing,
all-knowing eye of God Almighty that looks at the heart, not
the outward appearing, looks at the motive, looks at the thought,
looks at what they're thinking right then when their thoughts
are a thousand miles away from the Word of God. God sees it.
God knows it. Afar off. But I guess they think,
because they're sitting there in church, and they're a good
little boy. Everything's alright. They're
covered. They're not covered. Exposed. The only thing it'll
cover is a bloody covering. The only way these two got close
was when God cloaked them, killed something that covered them in
a bloody covering. All right, read on, verse 8.
And it says, they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the
garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves,
and man has been running and hiding ever since. Still does,
hiding from God, doing all they can to disprove God. That's another
reason, kids, that they're trying to disprove God, is just running
from it, hiding from it. I'll tell you a time when everybody
has to face it. When they're laying there, You
can take a man who claims to be an atheist, and a bad atheist, and I guarantee you, the day
he's lying on his deathbed, if he has time, and still has his
mind about him, and he's lying there on his deathbed, and the
doctor says, you have so long to live, he'll start looking
for God. Guarantee it. Well, man, they
just mash their finger and they start calling on him. Well, they run in verse 9, the
Lord God called. Oh, here's a picture. This is
where it starts in. This is where the gospel starts.
The Lord God called Adam. Adam wasn't looking for heal.
Adam was running. Adam was running. The Lord God
called Adam. Adam was running, he was hiding,
wasn't looking for God, calling on God, Lord, I didn't see it,
I didn't see it, I didn't see it at all. He was running, hiding,
Lord God called him. And the first thing he did was
have him confess. Adam, verse 9, where art thou? And they all sing it out. Now,
he wasn't hidden behind a tree. God was in front of the tree
and behind it. You ever seen these kids that play hide-and-seek
and they're so obviously exposed, you know? They hide behind a
little crib. There you are! How'd you know? God! How'd you know I was behind
a tree? How foolish he became. He became
a fool, don't you understand? That's part of his death. He
lost his wisdom, and he became a fool. Look at the effects of
the fall here, starting up. Look at it. He ran from God. He heard the Lord, and he ran
from Him, trying to hide from Him. Verse 9, what God was saying
here is, look, where are you? I can't find you. God was saying,
where are you now? Look at you. Just look at you. What have you done now? Verse
9. Now verse 10. Adam said, I heard
your voice in the garden. I was afraid. Fear. I was afraid because I was naked. I hid myself. Fear. Shame. Hiding from God. This is where it started. This
is where we experienced This is why we experience fear, shame,
running, trying to hide from God, verse 11. And he said, Who
told you you were naked? Look at this. Has thou eaten
of the tree whereof? See, God's demanding of him a
confession. I commanded, have you eaten of
the tree I commanded you not to eat? Verse 12, the man said,
The woman. The woman. Blame. Who in here is ready to take
the blame for everything? Anybody? Men and women, even the most
guilty, caught red-handed. There's not a guilty convict
in all our prisons. There's not a man or woman in
all the prisons in the United States that's guilty. Everybody
got a bone to wrap. Ask them. Where did that start from? Why
do people self-justify themselves, assert their innocence, even
though they've been caught red-handed, for a July, and actually begin
to believe it? Why? It started right here. Right
here. They're women. And men, we've
been doing it ever since anyway. If you hadn't, if she hadn't,
and look at who he ultimately brings, verse 12. It says, Adam
said, the woman that you gave me. Ultimately, man turns his
finger, it's your fault. If you hadn't made her, so you're
sovereign, I'm Calvinist, and you, it's all your fault. Well,
he turned to the woman and said to her, you notice that God turned
to the man first because he's our head, even though the woman
started it. Verse 13, The Lord God said unto
the woman, What is this that you have done? And the woman
said, The serpent. The devil made me do it. No,
he didn't. No, he didn't. The Lord God said
unto the serpent, Read on. He said, You will be cursed.
Thus you will eat all the days of your life. And people, all
these traits Blame, fear, shame, hiding from God, guilt, death,
losing the holiness of God, intellect, blaming others. Just on and on
the list goes of the perversions and depravity of mankind. It
all started right here. Do you see that? Do you see where
it all started? It all was passed down through Adam. See, we all had one great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great- In the workings of his mind,
Adam became a sinner that day. A sinner. A sinner. I can't describe it. A sinner. And that's the reason his oldest
boy, Cain, was a rotten murderer. Wouldn't kill his brother. Why? Because his daddy was a sinner.
Man died that day. You see that? He died that day. But, now, who is rich in mercy? Look at verse 15. God preached
the gospel to this dead sinner. And God, and look at it now,
here's the key, and I'll quit with this. He said in verse 15,
God said, Adam, or He said this to the serpent. He said to the
serpent, verse 15, and Adam was listening, God said, I will put
enmity between thee and the woman. Now listen carefully, okay? Follow
me for five more minutes. This is the key to it all. God
said to the serpent, I will put enmity between thee and the woman. Thee and the woman. Now he's
not just talking about a woman's going to be afraid of snakes
from there on, although they are. You ever wondered why? You know, that's not just all
he's talking about there. He says, I'll put in between thee
and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. Thy seed and her
seed. It, her seed, shall bruise thy
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. What's he talking about? It shall
bruise thy head. This is the woman's seed. A woman
doesn't have a seed. The word here is sperma. Women don't have sperma. Do they? No. Men do. Don't they? Women can't impregnate themselves.
The seed of man has to, right? What's this woman's seed? Behold,
a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a child. The seed of God. God came down, it says the Holy
Spirit overshadowed the woman with that Mary, that young maiden
named Mary years later, and the angels that said, that holy thing,
it, what is it? Don't rightly know what to call
it. God and man, Emmanuel, that's what we'll call it, but that
holy thing, it shall breathe thy head." So Satan's
head. Christ's came. Jesus Christ came,
born of a virgin, that holy thing, God's Son, to bruise Satan's
head. Jesus Christ destroyed Satan,
sin, and death, the Scripture says, in his body, his heel,
his body. See, Christ was God. Christ is
God. Before he assumed flesh, he was
God, Spirit. But he assumed a heel. What's
the lowest part of your body? What's the most vulnerable? What
is your Achilles? It's your heel, right? Your lowest
form. God took the lowest form He could.
He was made flesh. What happened to it? He was bruised,
Isaiah 53 says. He was bruised. Satan himself
thought he was bruising, but it was God. It pleased the Lord
to bruise him. Satan thought he was killing
him, and God said, You can't kill me. You can't kill me. He laid down his life willing
that while he's the woman seen to bruise the serpent's head.
And though his body was bruised and wounded, yet he arose. He didn't suffer corruption.
He arose from the grave, and it says that when he arose from
the grave that day, it says he had led captivity captive. Whose captivity reserved the
angels in everlasting change, it kept not Satan himself, was
vanquished all the foes of God, all our enemies and foes, Satan's
sin, hell and death itself, was conquered by the woman's seed.
And some day it says he's going to relieve the spoils. He's going
to show the spoils in heaven. He's going to—Christ, Terry's
going to come through the gates of heaven itself, and they're
going to say, Who is this? Lift up the doors. Lift up the
gates. Somebody's coming in. Who it is? Who is it? It's the
King of glory. What's that behind him? That's
all his vanquished foes on chains. He's going to cast them all into
hell. Well, what's that army with him? That's the saints that
he's saying. Behold I and the children. that
thou hast given me, the woman's seed of victory." But, you know, we wear this heel,
don't we? We have this heel. We have this body, and we're
bruised, constantly bruised, but not broken, because Christ
has made flesh for us. See, the first Adam was of the
earth, Okay? And Adam? All night. He was earth, dust
he was, and dust he should return, God said. He's of the earth,
earthly. God said, no, I come. I'm coming. The second Adam. You see, we're
in two men, aren't we, John? We're in two men. We were born,
we were raised, we had the seed of Adam in us, by nature. Every
man, woman, boy, girl, everything born came from Adam, okay? Here comes another Adam. We're
represented by the first. Well, here comes another one,
the second Adam, who's not of the flesh. He's the Lord from
glory. He doesn't have sin. He's without
sin. He's not a failure. He's the
Savior. And he come, he come, and as
an Adam all die, and we're all going to die, and we're all dead
and trespassed in sin, unless this second Adam comes and gives
us life. He comes, and as did Adam, all
die, even so, all in Christ, all represented by Christ, all
who would, that Christ died for, shall live. Adam, and Christ,
you know, Adam blamed Eve, didn't he? He's right. He blamed her.
You know what Christ's second Adam did? He took the blame. He said, don't blame her, blame
me. And he took it off, took shame
to blame, and says, he hung naked! Was he ashamed? Isn't that beautiful? Adam was
naked in front of him, in shame of his life. Our Lord hung naked
before heaven and earth, and he was not ashamed. He thought nothing of it, for
the joy of redeeming his pride. And he took that cup. Adam did
it willingly for his wife. He did it willingly. There's
nothing noble about what he did, but he did it willingly. And
took part in her sin. Well, the second Adam, the Lord
from Galrath. He said, my bride is in sin.
I'm going to be made sin for her. And he took that cup of
God's wrath and sin and drank it to the floor. And drank it
all. Drank it dry. There you go. There you go.

The Fall Of Mankind

What does the Bible say about the fall of mankind?

How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

Why is understanding the fall of man important for Christians?

What did Adam lose at the fall?

How does the fall relate to God's plan of redemption?

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The Fall Of Mankind

What does the Bible say about the fall of mankind?

How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

Why is understanding the fall of man important for Christians?

What did Adam lose at the fall?

How does the fall relate to God's plan of redemption?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

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