Let's look at verse 22 once again. Now, before I read this verse
of scripture, three critical questions. Let me give you these
questions and I want you to look for the answer to these questions
in the text of scripture I'm getting ready to read. The first
question is, what really happened in the garden? The second question is, what
really happened on the cross? And the third question is, what
really happens in a sinner's heart when God saves them? Those are good questions, aren't
they? Now let's read this verse of scripture together and you
see if you can see the answer to all three of these questions
in this one verse of scripture. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse
22. 4. As in Adam, all die. Even so, in the same manner,
in Christ shall all be made alive. Now the answer to all three of
those questions are found in this verse of Scripture. Three
critical questions. Now what do I mean? Why did I
select this word critical? Three critical questions. I looked the word up in Webster's
dictionary and here's how he defined this word critical. Nicely
exact. Skilled in criticism. Censorious. And that is not really
the word I was looking for. And then here's his fourth meaning
of this word. Pertaining to the turning point
of a disease. pertaining to the turning point
of a disease. Now, we learn what the Bible
actually teaches about these three questions, and really,
you can't separate them. You can't separate them. If you
understand the answer to one, you understand the answer to
them all. They can't be separated, but if we understand, if in our
hearts we understand the answer to these three critical questions,
this will be a turning point to our disease. That interests
me. Here are three major events. The fall of our first parents
in the Garden of Eden. What really took place? Jesus Christ the Lord nailed
to a cross, bleeding and dying. What really took place? A man becoming what we call saved
in his experience. What really takes place? Just about everybody has an opinion
on what takes place. What does the Bible actually
teach? Now, the first critical question
is, what really happened in the Garden of Eden? Well, that is
answered right off the bat in the first scripture. In Adam,
all die. Now, this is so important what
you believe here will really determine what you believe about
everything else. Somebody once said, wrong on the fall, wrong
on it all. And that's very true. Now you
know the story. It's not a myth. It's not a type. It's an actual
historical event. God created Adam upright, gave
him Eve as his wife, placed him in the Garden of Eden with everything
his heart could desire, a life of pleasure, a life of happiness. The scripture says they were
naked and they were not ashamed. It wasn't an issue with them.
He had an innocent nature. And God gave him one commandment,
don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In
the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die. Satan deceived
Eve, she ate of the fruit, told Adam about it, he ate the fruit,
and the scripture says the eyes of them both were opened, and
they knew they were naked. Now, what happened? What took place? You know the
story, you know the mechanics of it, but what took place? Let me give you four things that
took place. First, What happened in the Garden of Eden? Here's
my first answer. God's will was done. The purpose of God was fulfilled. You remember that verse in Scripture?
As a matter of fact, turn there. Genesis chapter 2. Verse 16. And the Lord God commanded the
man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely
eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not
eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt
surely die." Now I want us to notice this. Notice what he did
not say. He did not say, if you eat of
it, you'll die. He said, in the day you do, you'll
die. When you do, you'll die. The will of Almighty God was
done. Did God know they would eat of
the fruit? Of course He did. Could He have
prevented it? Of course He could. Did He? No. Why? Because it was His purpose. When we speak of anything, you
know where we've got to begin? God's will was done. You can't
take that too far. He doeth according to His will. In the armies of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth, none can stay His hand. We're
saying to him, what doest thou? Regarding everything, it's God's
will being done. He said, I am the Lord and there's
none else. I am the Lord and there's none
like me. I form the light. I create darkness. I make peace. I create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things. God's will was done. Him being
delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. He was taken in wicked hands
and crucified and slain. You see, everything is God's
will, isn't it? His will was done. You know, people talk about
the directive and the permissive will of God. No such thing. He does His will. Amen. What
happened? As in Adam all die on that day,
Adam died spiritually. First, God's will was done. Secondly,
Adam died spiritually. Well, what is death? It's the
departure of life. It's the departure of life. When you die, you can't do what
you can do when you're alive. You can't hear. You can't see.
You can't smell. You can't taste. You can't feel. You've lost the ability to perform
the functions of life. Adam died spiritually. He was
brought to the place where he could see no beauty in Christ.
He could not hear the gospel. He could not understand the gospel. He could not come to the Lord
Jesus Christ. He was spiritually dead. He lost
all spiritual ability. All God's got to do is leave
him alone and he'll never come back to Christ. He's dead. What happened in the garden?
Adam died. You know, the very idea of free
will is ludicrous to somebody who's learned something about
who they are. I mean, that's not a debate with
a believer. You know something about your
nature if God's given you some light. Adam died. Now, here's the third thing that
took place. Adam died. Look what it says in our text
in 1 Corinthians 15, 22. For, as in Adam, all die. You see, Adam did what he did
as a representative man, and here's what else took place in
the garden. First, God's will was done. Second, Adam died. You know that when he sinned,
he died. But here's my third point. What happened in the garden? Adam sinned, yes. In the garden,
I sinned. Now, in my notes, I preached
this message before, and in my notes, I said, here's what happened. All men were held responsible
for Adam's sin. And that's true. That's true,
but it's not really telling the whole story. I'm not simply held
responsible for Adam's sin. You know, if I was just held
responsible for it, really, I didn't know that I was held responsible
for it. It's more than that. It's not
just that I'm held responsible for Adam's sin. I sinned. Romans
5.12. Turn with me there. Romans 5.12.
I was talking to this brother Fortner right before the service,
and he brought this verse of Scripture out. Romans 5.12. For as by one man sin entered
into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all
men, for that all, what? It's just as if they all sinned?
Or sin was imputed to them? That's not what it says, is it?
It says they all sinned. What happened in the Garden of
Eden? I sinned. I sinned. But you weren't even
born. I sinned. Now this is, believe
it, it's what the Word of God teaches. I sinned. I was condemned. That's what
happened in the Garden of Eden. Fourth, what happened in the
Garden of Eden? With this spiritual death, Adam
died, I died, you died, and this death manifests itself in this
way. All men are now, by nature, God's enemies. That's what this
spiritual death is. It's being an enemy of the Lord.
It's actually hating the Lord. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. It's not subject to the law of
God. Neither indeed can be. Now here's
the problem. Our problem goes much deeper
than simple habits or even addictions. Here's the problem. We would
kill God if we could. Now that's the problem. That's what God holds men responsible
for. That's what they do. And the
cross is proof of that. The one time the Lord took away
the restraints and let men do what they wanted to do, they
nailed his darling son to a tree. Now that's what happened in the
garden. That's what really happened. God's will was done. Adam died. You and I sinned in him. And
because of that, we're born into this world with evil, evil natures
that hate God and would kill Him if it were in our power. You believe that about yourself?
Well, believe it because the Bible says it. I'm afraid I don't feel it enough.
It doesn't matter whether you feel it or not, it's the truth. Believe
it because the Bible says it. Now, here's the next critical
question. What really happened on the cross? We'll look at our text once again
in 1 Corinthians 15-22. For as in Adam all die, even
so, in the same manner, just as everybody Adam represented
died, even so, everybody Christ represented in Christ shall all
be made. And here's what happened on the
cross in Christ. shall all be made." Everybody
he died for is actually made to be something they were not. That's what happened on the cross.
Now, it's a historical fact that Jesus
of Nazareth was betrayed unjustly, tried, and nailed to a cross.
He hung there until he died in indescribable agony and pain. What happened? They took him
down. Dead. What happened? Here's the
first thing that happened. God's will was done. Now, when Adam fell, what's the
first thing we said? God's will was done. When we talk about
the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, what's the first thing we say
when we try to see what the scripture says actually happened? Well,
the first thing is the will of the Lord was done. God's purpose
was done. He's called in Revelation 13.8,
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Acts 2.23 says,
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken and with wicked hands have crucified and
slain. Acts 13.29 says, And when they
had fulfilled all that was written of Him, They took him down from
the tree. Turn to Acts chapter 4. I want
you to look at this. I love this verse of scripture.
Acts chapter 4. This is the early church. And listen to their praise beginning
in verse 27. For the truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod And Pontius Pilate
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together
for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done." Now that's what happened on the cross. Everything
that God's counsel determined before to be done. The will of the sovereign God.
was done, but why was he there? Why was he there? What was the reason? What happened?
Well, let me quote that passage of scripture again. In Christ
shall all be made. Now, in Christ speaks of those
who are united to Christ, everybody he represented. That's what in
Christ is. It's everybody he represents.
Everybody that's in him. In Christ shall all be made. Now here's what happened when
we're talking about Christ making us. In Christ I was made to be
what I'm not by nature. That's what happened on the cross.
What happened? First of all, a real substitution took place. A real. substitution. He took my place, he took what
I deserved, the sins of the elect literally became his. Yes, they were imputed to him,
but would God impute something that wasn't there? They literally became his. He wasn't simply charged with
them, although he was. But the reason he was charged
with them is because they became his. My sin became his, who his
own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree. Why did he cry, my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? Because God forsook him. That's
why. Why did he die? The soul that
sinneth shall surely die. My sin became his to this extent. He said my iniquities have gone
over my head as a heavy burden. They're too heavy for me. Now I want to ask you a question.
Would God put a man to death for something he did not do? And would he? No way. God killed his son because his
son was guilty before him. That's why. I can't understand how that took
place. I know that Jesus Christ and
His person never sinned. The only holy man to ever live. He knew no sin, the scripture
says. He did no sin. The only holy
man to ever live. Yet, when He was on the cross,
what was He? Nothing but guilt. Nothing but
sin. The sins of God. God can do this.
He took my sin and laid it upon Him and He became guilt before
God. A real substitution took place. How real? How real is His death? That answers that question. How real is His death? That's how really and truly the
sins of his people became his. And you know, this is our confidence,
isn't it? You see, if my sin actually became his, you know
what else happens? His righteousness is mine. I find such confidence
in this. I find such assurance in this.
This is what gives me boldness to come into the presence of
God. Just as truly as my sin became his, his righteousness
really is mine. It's not just charged to my account,
it's mine. Their righteousness is of me,
saith the Lord. But notice he said their righteousness.
He didn't say my righteousness imputed to them. He said their
righteousness. It's me. That is my righteousness
before God. A real substitution took place.
And a real Satisfaction took place on the cross, a real satisfaction. He shall see of the travail of
his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. God proved he was satisfied by
raising him from the dead. Payment was made. God's law said
I can ask for nothing more. God's justice said I can ask
for nothing more. God was completely satisfied
by what he did. What happened on the cross? A
real satisfaction took place. And listen to this. What I find
satisfaction in is the same thing that God finds satisfaction in.
Same thing. A real satisfaction took place. And on the cross, a real reconciliation
took place. Turn with me to Romans 5. Verse
10, For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the
death of His Son. As what happened on the cross,
a real reconciliation took place. Look over in Colossians chapter
1. Colossians chapter 1, verse 20. And having made peace through
the blood of His cross, by Him, to reconcile all things to Himself. By Him, I say, whether they be
things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were sometimes
alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now
hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh, through death,
to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable. in his sight. Now that's a reconciliation. You see, all God's reason to
be mad at me has been removed. What you got to be mad about?
I'm holy. I'm unblameable. I am unreprovable
in the very sight of God. A real reconciliation took place. What really happened on the cross,
what God's will was done, a real substitution took place, a real
satisfaction took place, and a real reconciliation took place.
That's what happened on the cross of Calvary. Here's the third critical question.
Back to our text in 1 Corinthians 15. For as in Adam, all die even
so in Christ shall all be made what's that last word? alive
in Christ shall all be made alive what really takes place in a
sinner's heart when God saves him. Well, here's the first thing that takes
place. God's will is done. Same thing as the other two.
Of his own will begat he us through the word of truth. will is done. I can't help but think of when
the Lord told Ananias to go after Paul, and Ananias replied, Lord,
I've heard by many how much evil he had done to the saints of
Jerusalem, He has authority from the chief priest to bind all
that call upon thy name. But the Lord said, Go thy way.
He is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles
and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how
great things he must suffer for my name's sake. What happens? Well, the will of God is done.
What happens? What really happens in Christ
shall all be made alive. Life from the dead. This is not merely light, although
we are enlightened, that's a scriptural word, I wouldn't take away from
the importance of that, but this is not merely light, getting
your wrong thinking or mistaken notions straightened out, This
is life from the dead, and you have, he quickened, who were
dead in trespasses and sins. It's called in the scriptures
a resurrection from the dead, a passing from death to life,
a new creation, one that was not there before. He said a new
heart will I give you, one that was not there before. You can
now do that which you could not do when you're dead. You now
see the beauty of Jesus Christ. You now see the sufficiency of
Him. You know what it is to simply
rest in Him. You see His glory. You now love
Him. You wouldn't change Him before
you're in your power to do so. You love Him just as He is. You have life. spiritual life,
a new creature in Christ Jesus, you are no longer God's enemy.
You have been reconciled to God. Reconciliation takes place. Not
only is He reconciled to me, I'm reconciled to Him. I love
His way of saving. I really do. I love His way of
saving. I am now truly a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I'm a follower of Him. Now what is a disciple? What
is a disciple of Christ? I read a story that meant so
much to me and every time I think about this I think this is as
good an example as I've ever seen as to what a disciple of
Christ really is. There was a a young man who wanted
to be a missionary. And he decided to give up whatever
it was that he had been doing, and he wanted to give himself
to being a foreign missionary. His parents were against it.
He had an education. They thought he had a big future
ahead of him, and they thought he was just messing up everything
doing this. But he was determined, I'm going to do this. This is
what the Lord would have me do. So he did whatever it is you've
got to do to get ready to be a missionary. I don't know if
he went to school or what. I don't know what he did. But at any
rate, he finally got to the place where he was going to be a missionary,
a foreign country. And as soon as he got there,
he got a disease that came from that land and died two weeks
later. And you can imagine how devastated
his parents were. They were against it in the first
place. And his dad went to this country
to get his retrieve his body and bring it back to bury him.
And he was looking through his stuff. And he opened up his Bible. And
he saw on the back page these words written. No reserve. No retreat and no regret. Was this a wasted life? No reserve. No reserve. No holding back. No plan B. No ace in the hole. No reserve. No retreat. Burn my bridges. And no regrets. By His grace, this is what happens
to the sinner's heart when God saves them. They become in love with Jesus
Christ. And they follow the Lamb whithersoever
he goeth. That's what happens in a sinner's
heart when God saves them. Life from the dead. Now, these three critical questions,
what happened in the garden, what happened on the cross, and
what happens in a sinner's heart when God saves them, if you know
the answer to one, you know the answer to them all, don't you? I trust it's been a blessing.
Thank you.