The bible is a wonderful book. It is the speaking of God to man. Let us consider the following three items:
– God’s command to man
– Man’s failure
– God’s way of saving man
God’s command to man
Genesis 2:8‚ 9‚ 16 & 17
8) And Jehovah God planted a garden in Eden‚ in the east; and there He put the man whom He had formed.
9) And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food‚ as well as the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
16) And Jehovah God commanded the man‚ saying‚ Of every tree of the garden you may eat freely‚
17) But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil‚ of it you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die.
God gave man the free will to choose. Although man had the human life he did not have‚ within him‚ the divine uncreated life of God, which was available to him by eating of the tree of life. Man was faced with two choices; one was eternal life signified by the tree of life and the other was death signified by the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Man choosing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Genesis 3:6‚ 8 & 9
6) And the woman saw that the tree was good for food… she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.
8) And they heard the sound of Jehovah God walking about in the garden… and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God among the trees of the garden.
9) And Jehovah God called to the man and said to him; “Where are you?”
Man had enjoyed the presence of the Lord in the garden and yet after eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil man hid himself from God. Something of Satan (God’s enemy) had been injected into man’s being causing him to hide from Him. God did not say to Adam “what have you done?” but rather “where are you?” Today God is asking you the same question, “Where are you?”
God closing the way to the tree of life
Genesis 3:24 – So He (God) drove man out, and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned in every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
Man had not only lost access to the tree of life and the joy of the presence of Jehovah God but was now constituted a sinner. His destiny would be death.
Constituted sinners
Romans 5:12, 19
12) Therefore just as through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin, death; and thus death passed on to all men because all have sinned.
19a) For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were constituted sinners …
Romans 7:20 – But if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells in me.
We are not sinners because we sin but we sin because we are constituted sinners. Satan, who is the embodiment of sin, was injected into mankind constituting men sinners. In verse 20 of chapter 7 in the book of Romans, the word sin is in the singular form and personified. This indicates that sin here is a person or the person of Satan. This one dwells in mankind.
Dead in offenses and sins
Ephesians 2:1, 2
1) And you, though dead in your offenses and sins
2) In which you once walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air (Satan), of the spirit which is now operating in the sons of disobedience;
The issue of sin entering into the world is death, not merely bringing physical death to our mortal body but much more bringing in spiritual death to our human spirit. One function of the human spirit is to fellowship with God. Therefore, when sin entered into man’s spirit, man could no longer have fellowship with God.
No hope and without God in the world
Ephesians 2:12 – That you were at that time apart from Christ… having no hope and without God in the world.
Ephesians 4:18 – Being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance which is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
Man could no longer have fellowship with God due to his fallen condition. As a result man has no hope and is without God in this world not only in this age but also in eternity to come.
God’ s love toward man
Romans 5:8 – But God commands His own love to us in that while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us.
Ephesians 2:4, 5
4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.
5) Even when we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).
1John 4:9 – In this the love of God was manifested among us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him.
God is love and His love has been manifested to us in giving us His Son Jesus Christ who came and died for us. When this love reaches man, when it is turned into action it becomes grace. By grace man is saved or made alive in his spirit.
God’s way of saving man
John 14:6 – Jesus said to Him, I am the way and the reality and the life.
John 1:4a – In Him (Christ) was life…
John 10:10b – I have come that they (mankind) may have life and may have it more abundantly.
John 1:12 , 13
12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become the children of God, to those who believe into His name.
13) Who were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1John 5:12a, 13
12a) He who has the Son has the life…
13) I have written these things to you that you may know that you have eternal life, to you who believe into the name of the Son of God.
The above Bible verses clearly demonstrate that salvation comes to man by his believing into the Lord Jesus Christ who is life. To believe into Him is to receive Him into your heart as your Redeemer and Savior.
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