Created to Rule, but Fallen into Spiritual Death and Bondage!
The first six chapters of the Book of Genesis tell a tragic story of a missed opportunity that resulted in truly disastrous results for the entire human race!
Mankind was created to rule over God’s creation, to be God’s image bearer to his creation and care for it. In Genesis 1:26-28 it is written:
“26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
27 So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
A Prohibition and a Warning of Death!
Adam was given one command before Eve was even created; in Genesis 2:15-17 it is written:
15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
I have written of this event in greater detail in the essay, “The Garden of Eden.” By way of summary, I doubt there was anything dangerous about the fruit of that tree; the danger was in disobedience to God’s command. Disobedience would be followed by the spiritual death of not only Adam, but all who would come from him, including Eve!
Adam’s decision to be disobedient is recorded in Genesis 3:6-7 where it is written:
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Adam’s deliberate act of disobedience caused them both to instantly die, spiritually, on the spot, and simultaneously caused the death of all of Adam’s descendants who would have a human father. This means everyone including you and me!
This is all explained in Romans 5:12-21 where it is written:
“12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
A New Command and a New Hope!
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he paid in full the penalty mankind had incurred by Adam’s disobedience to God; now we have been given a new command and a new hope: receive Jesus Christ as Savior and you will be born-again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, into the family of God and join him as his child eternally!
Adam’s disobedience, which caused your spiritual death as well as all the symptoms of your spiritual death, which are referred to as personal sins of every sort, have all been paid for by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
That is the precise reason Jesus could tell his disciples in John 16:9 where it is written:
9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.
Rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior is the only sin that was not covered by the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; all of the other hideous sins we hear about, all over the world, have been paid for in full by the death of Jesus Christ!
One sin alone will keep you out of heaven and that is rejection of Jesus Christ as your very own personal Savior!
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and you will be delivered from the judgments to come!
Next time, “The Enemy in the Camp!”
davidbowerkingwood 
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