Hello Friends!
Welcome back to part two of “Man,
Woman, the Fall & the Church”
This week we’ll continue with our series pertaining to “The
Fall from Grace” – beginning
“from the beginning” in Genesis!
The
Fall from Grace: Sin & Consequences
Ever
since the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden – Original Sin – the
serpent, Satan, deceived Eve with his deceitful cunning:
Now the
serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said,
‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” – Genesis
3:1
Here’s
another question for all of us to consider today: “Am I really that bad?”
If
you are like me, you’ve probably at least thought about this question –
and with good reason! After all, we can always find a much worse offender in
someone who has violated God’s standards to a degree we’ve never
approached! The fact is, there is probably a long list of sins you and I have
never committed… Never will and would never think to commit. Right?
If we
say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make
Him a liar, and His word is not in us – 1 John
1:8-10
But
does God measure sin on a sliding scale? No! What are His expectations? Perfect
Holiness! What are His requirements not just for our behavior but
also our thoughts – whether or not we have ever acted on them? Jesus
Christ and His Righteousness!
Those
too are great questions and answers to ponder as we consider “The Fall from Grace: Sin & Consequences”
Of course Jesus Christ is the One who conquers Satan in the end
and He has already delivered a death blow to Satan on the cross. This spiritual
war’s end is already determined – we just have a few more battles to fight.
Jesus’ resurrection sealed the devil’s fate. This was all prophesied in the
third chapter of our Bible!
In fact, it is here we find the very FIRST Prophecy
found in the Scriptures! God
promises Satan that a Child – a “Seed” – would come to “bruise” the head of Satan:
And I
will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall
bruise His heel – Genesis
3:15
The entire Old Testament is filled with stories of a people
eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Redeemer to save them from their greatest enemy – the devil.
The Bible describes in detail for us in the book of Romans an
internal struggle that all
Christians must face. While we want to do good, we fight a “sin” war
with our “flesh” because of our fallen desires in our “members” – our “body of
death” – yet to be glorified.
This is an extremely important distinction in understanding the “sin” nature
of the believer!
Even the Apostle Paul – who wrote half of the New Testament –
struggled with his own sinful “flesh” and provides for us a
masterful explanation of our “sin” battle:
For we know that the law is
spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not
understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate,
that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is
good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I
know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is
present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good
that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that
dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who
wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched
man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God-through
Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God,
but with the flesh the law of sin – Romans 7:14-25
The Lord’s Word is perfect and will not return void! Jesus
Christ will one day return to crush all rebellion of this cursed world,
the flesh and the devil – to restore God’s perfect
design. Until then, we too must continue to fight our fallen “flesh” and
seek to honor the Lord Jesus with our lives by “faith” and “obedience” to His
Word through a repentant heart and the sharing of the Gospel to a lost and
dying world. This is the Christian
mandate!
In
closing:
To continue your own personal journey through God’s Word
pertaining to “The Fall from Grace: Sin & Consequences,” please consider these few foundational Scriptures as well
as Genesis chapter 3 and the resulting “Curses” that are the foundation
for all “sin,”
“disobedience” & “rebellion” against the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word…
casting
down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of
God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ – 2 Corinthians 10:5
Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate The Great
Women of the Bible from various Old and New Testament
Scriptures to better understand the Lord’s perspective concerning
His original intent for humanity… Man and Woman.
May the
Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!
Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while
there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
Blessings!
Shane <><
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