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Key verse: Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
Biblical truth: God created man with a perfect body and a divine nature. It was from the dust of a perfect earth that God formed his body and with His own breath God gave life to mankind. (Genesis 2:7) Mankind was given everything for the glory of God and for his enjoyment, but was restricted from one thing. (Genesis 2:15-17) Because of his disobedience he brought sin upon himself and his race and a curse upon the once perfect earth. (Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12)
The implications of the entire human race being in sin are that there is no person that is not sinful, neither is there any person who is not subject to the wrath of God because of their sin. The object of this section is to show the perfect creation of the earth, the disobedience of man that caused the fall and the state of mankind without salvation.
God created the heavens and the earth.
In the beginning God the Father created the heaven and the earth in six days and on the seventh he rested from His work. The days were normal days and the rest was from creating not from exhaustion. In other words, He finished, He didn't get tired. (Genesis 2:1-3)
a. The story of the creation begins in Genesis 1:1, and by Genesis 1:31 an account of six days of creating has been recorded.
b. God's comment about His creation is in Genesis 1:31 where God calls it "very good." This would indicate that neither sin nor Satan were there at that time.
God created the earth out of nothing. (Hebrews 11:3) The seen things were made with unseen things. Jeremiah 32:17 He placed the earth in space on nothing. Job 26:7
a. God created the sun, moon and stars. (Genesis 1:3-5, 14-18)
b. God created the animals, the plants, the lands and the seas. (Genesis 1:20-23)
c. God created man. (Genesis 1:26-30, 2:7-9)
God made man to have a Lord and He gave man a job to do. (Genesis 2:15-17)
a. God made us in His own image. Mainly in three parts, the dust for our body, the breath for our spirit and an eternally existing soul. (Genesis 1:26-28)
b. God made a woman for the man and told him to be fruitful and multiply.
c. God gave them dominion over all the creation of the earth.
d. The creation was perfect and without sin in the beginning.
Why would you say this qualifies as a perfect race and a perfect environment? What would your expectation be about man's behavior in this environment?
The disobedience of man caused his fall into sin
The first temptation in the garden came to Adam from Eve who had been told a lie and deceived by the devil. Genesis 3:1-6
a. Sometime after God finished the creation and said that it was very good, Satan (at one time a cherubim in the presence of God) was cast out for his pride and desire to be God. (Isaiah 14:12-14)
b. He approached Eve and tempted her will with the three avenues of lust (eyes, flesh and pride) that the Bible warns us of. (Genesis 3:1-6, I John 2:16)
c. She was deceived by his lies and disobeyed God. She approached Adam and decided to disobey God and eat the fruit. (Genesis 3:6, I Timothy 2:13-14)
d. Their sinless nature changed and they became conscious of their nakedness and for the first time, felt shame. (Genesis 2:25, 3:7-11)
God came looking for them (Genesis 3:8-9) and pronounced a judgment on them and a curse on the earth and on Satan. (Genesis 3:14-19)
The disobedience of Adam and Eve caused the entire human race to become sinful because their children born would be born of sinful parents. (Romans 5:12) God was the Father that brought them to life as a sinless man and woman, but they had lost that state, and only God can birth sinless children. Sinful men and women give birth to sinful children.
a. Sin passed upon the entire human race. (Romans 3:23, 3:10-12)
b. Death came because of sin. (Romans 6:23, James 1:15)
c. The wrath of God is directed at sin and sinful men. (Colossians 3:6, John 3:36)
d. God is holy and will not let sin in his presence. (I Peter 1:16)
The death of the body is not the end of the wrath of God toward sin. We were given an eternal soul that lives on after the body dies and is fully conscious of all the things that are happening to it.
a. Each one is appointed unto death because of his sin. (Hebrews 9:27)
b. After death is the judgment.
How does this conflict with the basic idea that man is inherently good?
Where does man stand with God?
The official standing of mankind before God (apart from salvation in Jesus) is;
a. Sinful (Romans 3:23, 5:12)
b. Condemned already (John 3:18)
c. Unrighteous (Romans 3:10)
d. Cursed (Galatians 3:10)
e. Having the wrath of God abiding on him/her (John 3:36)
Each person is charged with the guilt of their sin because of their birth to sinful parents and because of their willingness to follow in the disobedience of their parents and regularly break the law of God.
a. The law of God is the law of righteousness. A person, to be righteous, must be born without sin, and then never break the law of God. (Galatians 3:10) This is not possible for a man in his own power to do.
There are many descriptive words in the Bible for the man that has not received salvation in Jesus. Like those words in number 1 above. None of these descriptive words gives a man or woman any hope that there is anything good or righteous in him when he is born. There are also no words that indicate that he can somehow make himself good or righteous in the sight of God.
A person must pay for his sin debt or have it paid for him. Since he cannot be righteous in his own power, he must be made righteous.
Discuss the implications of this truth with respect to mankind and especially the person who has no Savior?
Personal study time:
Reading: Additional verses: Romans chapter 3-10. These chapters discuss the sinfulness of mankind and the righteousness of God. Reading one to two chapters per day and making notes of the contrast between sinfulness and righteousness will assist in the study of the next section on salvation.