THE FALL OF MAN

BY ALDWYN LAKE

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Session 4 THE FALL OF MAN During our previous studies we read how humanity was created and the reason for that creation by God. (See Genesis chapters 1 and 2) God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which was unto life if he kept it, and death if he did not. Satan used the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, and Eve to seduce Adam, who, without any compulsion joined with his wife and willfully broke the law, by eating the forbidden fruit. (See Genesis chapter 3) We can summarize that information by saying that human beings were created as reasonable, intellectual, moral, spiritual and immortal beings, for the purpose of loving and serving God alone by ruling Gods creation under Him. They were to do this in total dependence on God and for the sole purpose of accomplishing Gods will. In that sense they were created in Gods image. We have read that mankind did not keep to the purpose for which they were created and as such a penalty, which God had previously stipulated and revealed, fell upon them. This is usually referred to as the fall of man. ( Genesis 2:16, 17; Genesis 3:12,13; 2 Corinthians 11:3 ) The scriptural account of mans fall is recorded in Genesis 3: 1-7 where it reads: Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" 4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. We will look at this act of man in two connections. First we will consider how mans action impacted God and then we will consider how it impacted mankind.

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Session 4 THE IMPACT OF MANS ACTION TOWARDS GOD God created man and determined what was best for him and that which was not good for him. As creator that was his right and responsibility. When man consciously and deliberately stepped outside of the limits set for him by God in deliberately disobeying a specific command, he was saying at least three things to God by that action. 1. The first is that he said God! You do not know what is best for me. He said that God is incompetent and incapable of making determinations to govern his life and that he, man, knew better. He said that God is not wise but ignorant. 2. The second is that he said God! I do not want you to rule me. He rejected Gods rule. He did not want God telling him what to do , effectively saying to God, I have the right to rule my life. Genesis 3:1-7 3. The third is that he said God! you do not have any authority over me. He usurped Gods authority. That is to say that he took away Gods position, putting himself in Gods place to do for himself that which God should be doing for him. THE IMPACT OF MANS ACTION UPON HIMSELF 1. The first is that he became insensitive to the life, presence, will, love and rule of God. His spirit, emotions and affections were no longer directed towards God but towards himself. As such, he became incapable of doing anything to please God. Genesis 6:5, Ps. 14:2-3, Ro. 1:21-25 2. The second is that he became separated from and incapable of living in Gods immediate presence. Genesis 3:23-24 3. The third is that his body, which was made from dust, began to decay and continues to decay to the point of returning to dust. Genesis 3:19 Those three things put together are what is called mans total depravity, and in summary those six things mentioned above are what is referred to as the fall of man. Mankind fell from Gods favour and made himself subject to His wrath, whereas before the fall he was the recipient of His unconditional love. In addition to this the fall from Gods favour also meant that man would no longer be ruled by Gods immediate presence but by His conditional providence, instead. In His immediate presence man would have received only good from God. Under His providential care God may decide to so work that man may receive good from Him in

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Session 4 the midst of or in spite of their wicked practices. What sinful man is truly entitled to from God is His unmitigated wrath only. The doctrine of total depravity is a very humbling one. It is not that man leans to one side and needs propping up, nor that he is merely ignorant and requires instructing, nor that he is run down and calls for a tonic; but rather that he is undone, lost, spiritually dead. Consequently, he is "without strength," thoroughly incapable of bettering himself; he is exposed to the wrath of God, and unable to perform a single work which can find acceptance with Him. Almost every page of the Bible bears witness to this truth. If mankind is to get back into a good relationship with God, God must do something. The good news for us is that He has done. The Bible records that God, whilst dealing with the fall in Genesis 3, also made a commitment to do that which was required in order to restore man to Him. By that act God would destroy the alliance made between man and Satan. Gen 3:15.