This message is taken from one of my Bible studies many years ago on Genesis chapters 2 and 3. (Includes the importance of a Spiritual Rebirth)
"And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." (Genesis 2:8)
'The garden of Eden' (Eden meaning delight).
"And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:9).
"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:15-17).
God tried Adam's obedience. Disobedience to God's word would result in death. Also in the garden of Eden was The Tree Of Life, symbolizing God's divine pledge of eternal life, providing man kept the covenant God had made with him.
The Fall - read and study Genesis 3:1-9. "Now the serpent was more subtil..." (Verse 1) (subtil: meaning clever, crafty, wily or cunning). In 2 Corinthians 11:3 it tells us: "...the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty..."
Revelation 20:2 says: "...the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan..."
The Devil tempted Eve with a lie. For he is a liar and the father of it, read John 8:44. Eve yielded to the Temptation, and so did Adam, thus sin entered into the world. (Genesis 3:6.)
"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God..." (Genesis 3:8).
Because of their sin Adam and Eve tried to hide themselves from God. They were ashamed to stand in his presence.
"And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9). God said "Where art thou?" God sees and knows everything! What God was saying was Adam where art thou spiritually?
Adam through disobedience had lost his communion with God. Adam had become spiritually dead separated from God through sin. Therefore God called unto Adam, "Where art thou?"
"Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12).
Therefore through sin came spiritual death, natural death and eternal death. Separation from God.
"For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
Read and study Genesis 3:10-19. The serpent is cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field. "...upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:" (Genesis 3:14).
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15).
The Devil's curse goes even further. Victory is promised in the seed of a woman.
"...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8).
Although the Devil will still tempt man on earth, man can now claim the victory in Jesus name, and enjoy eternal victory in Heaven. "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." (Genesis 3:16).
"Unto Adam" (Read Genesis 3:17-19) because of disobedience: "cursed is the ground for thy sake", "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Therefore man had lost his first state. He had become separated from God through sin.
"And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living." (Genesis 3:20) (Eve meaning living).
"And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:" (Genesis 3: 22).
Therefore man was sent forth from the Garden of Eden (read Genesis 3:23-24).
God's Plan Of Salvation. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
Jesus Christ came to make fallen man spiritually and physically whole. Jesus said, "The thief (the Devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10).
Jesus Christ God's Son paid the price at the WHIPPING POST and on THE CROSS. The complete atonement for sin and sickness. Jesus was made sin for us, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus "...took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:17).
"...by whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2:24).
Read and study Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:16-17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24.
Jesus said "It is finished". Jesus was "...DELIVERED FOR OUR OFFENCES, and was RAISED AGAIN for our justification." (Romans 4:25).
Fallen man, for "...death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12), must be Born Again before he can enter the Kingdom Of God. Jesus said to Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews, "...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (born from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3).
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:6-7).
Jesus was talking about a spiritual re-birth. Jesus was talking of the life he had come to give to fallen man, "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10).
But man must first repent and open his heart to Jesus before he can receive this new life. Man must accept Jesus into his heart as his own personal Saviour. Then he will pass from death unto life. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24).
When a man receives Christ he becomes a new creature (or creation). "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God..." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).
The word of God says, "...And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:11-12).
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 8:1)
Saved man (Acts 16:31) can again have communion with God, and enjoy eternal life. This is God's plan of salvation. "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4).
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Romans 5:19). Read and study Romans 5 (the complete chapter).
Note: Overcomers (all that have continued in the faith) will eat of the Tree Of Life (Revelations 2:7).
If you haven't done so already, read my message on, THE NEW BIRTH. Bless You!
Written By Rev. Arthur J. Milton
All scripture in this message is quoted from the King James Version of The Bible.
