5/7/14- The Fall

From this dignity and perfection man and woman both fell; the woman being deceived by the serpent and the man obeying th voice of the woman, both conspiring against the sovereign majesty of God, who in clear words had previously threatened death if they presumed to eat of the forbidden tree.

Scripture: Genesis 3: 4“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Thoughts: Many dismiss this passage as if it were simply mythology and fiction therefore there is no truth in it.  But this passage tells us much about ourselves.  It tells us that though God made us good, we polluted the good with our sin- and this sin originated from the very beginning.  The virus and pollution of sin spread like an incurable disease until Christ came.  Paul would say in Romans 5:12- as in Adam all die, so in Christ are all made alive.  When the head of a people messes up- it affects all the people (just ask the Syrians).  So humans messed up from the first Homo Sapiens who walked.  We gave up our innocence for pride and lust.  The pride is found in thinking we know better than God- listening in obedience to other voices besides God's.  The lust is found in thinking our taste is more important than our Maker's instructions.  This is described as "the fall."  It is a free fall away from love, from grace, from God.  The once pure relationship is broken.  

Prayer: Lord, my own heart deceives me.  Take away my love for sin and replace it with love for you. 

2/26/12- In Adam's Fall We Sinned All

5- 2/26- 1^st Sunday in Lent- WSC- 16

Q. 16- Did all human beings fall in our first parents’ sin?
A. Since the covenant was made not only with our first parents but also for those who naturally descended from them; all human beings, fell with them in their first sin.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!  ¹⁸ Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12, 17-19)

Thoughts: In many ways we are all in this together.  We are all in the same boat, and we are all effected by what is done before us.  The sins of our parents are visited upon us.  If our parents decide to waste their lives in alcohol, that effects their children.  We know that the diet of a mother clearly effects the development of the child in utero.   While we may say it is unfair that we have to pay for what our parents did before us, it is often a fact in life.  What the first man of our country (the president) does affects all of us as well.  The first human beings (protoplasts is the technical term) were made innocent, but chose to defile their innocence because something forbidden seemed okay to them.  They listened to their heart’s cry instead of the voice of God.  If their heart was attuned to God and yearned for Him, they would have escaped the consequences of their sin, and life would be vastly different.  Romans 5 speaks of the “federal” idea that while one person can bring us down (our first parent), it is also possible that one person can bring us up (Christ).  We have the opportunity for life again through the one man, Jesus Christ, if we put our hope in Him.  We should care about the sin and misery of others in part because it eventually affects us as well.

Prayer: Though my heart is corrupt, help me to desire what is right, O Lord.  Give me grace and strength to love and serve you with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. 

(Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil- Lucas Cranach 1475-1553)

1986 Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first disobedience?

A. Since the covenant was made not only for Adam but also for his natural descendants, all mankind

sinned in him and fell with him in his first disobedience.

1647 Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.

2/25/12- The first sin

4- 2/25- WSC- 15- Q. 15 What sin caused our first parents to fall from how they were created?
A. Eating the forbidden fruit.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:6)

Thoughts: The first sin was the drop of poison in the well that diffused throughout the world and time.  God, as the Creator, has the right to define what is right or wrong.  The Maker and designer not only has the right to give directions for best use, but knows best about what will work for what is made.  It is not a matter of bullying with His power, but He commands us out of love.  We are designed to live a certain way, and we choose to not live in that way.  When we choose to go the way we are not designed, it is no wonder we make our lives miserable.  The basic sin here is not the sin of pride but the sin of unbelief.  They took part in what was forbidden because they thought they knew better than God.  They lacked trust and belief in what God had said.   The joy of the Lord and the abundant life and blessing of God are found in obedience to our Maker who loves us.  There is a part of us that is attracted to what is forbidden, and we should be careful to believe God over our experience or own wisdom. 

Prayer: Help me, O God, to resist what you have forbidden.  Help me to listen to what you tell me about what is right and wrong for me. 

(The Fall- Sistine Chapel- Michelangelo 1508-1512)

1986 Q. 15. By what sin did our first parents fall from their original condition?

A. Our first parents’ sin was eating the forbidden fruit.

1647- Q. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit

2/23/12- The Fall of Human Beings

2- 2/23- WSC 13- Did our first parents stay as they were created?
A. Left to the freedom of their own wills, our first parents sinned against God and fell from their original condition.

⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.  ⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”  (Genesis 3:6-8)

Thoughts: Sin and temptation appear pleasing, but the consequences of it bite us in the end.  Once they had joy and real fellowship with God, but their sin broke their fellowship and ours as well.  They went from provision and joy to having to work by the sweat of their brow and fearing the presence of God.  This sin was the drop of poison in the bucket that made all the water bad.  God still asks us, “Where are you?”  He longs for fellowship with us, but now our natural inclination is to avoid Him or hide from Him.

Prayer: Give us grace, Lord, to resist the temptation we face.  Give us a deeper desire for you than a desire for sin.

(Adam and Eve Bible book painting- anonymous)

1986 MOD TRANSL Q. 13. Did our first parents remain as they were created?

A. Left to the freedom of their own wills, our first parents sinned against God and fell from their

original condition.

WSC 1647 Q. 13. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?
A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.