GOD’S GRACE IN THE FALL
Genesis 3:1-24 (NKJV)
The Temptation and Fall of Man
3 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’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave 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 coverings.
8 And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
15 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.”
16 To the woman He said:
“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Intro:
Ill. The Creation and the fall of man. In that fall, the entire human race was plunged into darkness, sin and death. In that terrible instant when man sinned against God, man died and became spiritually separated from Almighty God. Man also became helpless in his ability to get back in a right relationship with a God.
From the moment mankind fell into sin and ruin, God has made it His business to seek fallen man and attempt to establish a relationship with him. This truth is clearly presented in the story of the fall of Adam and the immediate aftermath.
As God gives liberty this afternoon, I would like to preach on the thought, God’s Grace In The Fall.
I. v. 8 HE CAME TO THEM
A. Ill. Man had transgressed the commandment of God and had sinned. Now, there was great gulf between God and man ( Isa. 59:2 ). (Ill. Apparently it was God’s custom to join Adam in the cool of the day for fellowship and communion. Now, man had sinned and God had every right to stay away, but He came anyway! That is grace!
B. Ill. He is still doing that today! When the sinner’s heart is stirred and he is made aware of the great love of God. That is just the Lord walking in the cool of the day seeking fellowship! (Ill. Jesus in Luke 19:10) (Ill. God – Eph. 2:1- 9) C. It is grace and grace alone that allows Holy God to come to us! Thank God for Grace!
II. v.9-10 HE CALLED THEM
A. He didn’t just come to look upon their misery., He called out to Adam in an effort to reach him.
B. Ill. Man is dead in sin, Eph. 2:1, until God awakens him to that fact. It is only at the call of God that the sinner can be saved – John 6:44; John 6:65.
C. Again, it is pure grace that Holy God would call any one into love relationship with Himself. (Ill. The disciples Ill. You and me!)
III. v. 11 HE CONFRONTED THEM
A. God challenged man on the basis of His sin. Ill. God wasn’t fishing for information, He knew what Adam and Eve had done. He was looking for a confession. What He got was accusation, Ill. V.12. (Ill. Adam’s double accusation.)
B. Ill. This is what God does for the sinner. He reveals to us the sinfulness of our lives and calls upon us to repent. (Ill. John the Baptist – Repent Ill. Jesus – Repent Ill. John and Herod.)
C. Ill. It is pure grace that shows the sinner the error of his lifestyle. Without His revelation, we would continue into Hell Ill. Pro. 16:25. It may be painful to see yourself as you really are, but until you do, you will never see as need to be different! (It is grace that challenges us in our lifestyle! Thank God He doesn’t just let us go!) (Ill. The ministry of the Holy Ghost – John 16:7-11)
IV. v. 12-20 HE CHASTISED THEM
A. Ill. The various punishments meted out on the sinners. This too was the grace of God. Ill. He would have been within His rights to have killed them outright – Gen. 2:17.
B. God’s chastening and restraining hand stands as a reminder that there is a price on sin. Imagine for a moment that God just allowed us to go on as we pleased without any checks. We would all sin our way into Hell, or into deep trouble. He chastens us to call our attention away from the pleasure of sin so that we might see the reality of sin. That it is brutal, ugly and defiling!
C. Nobody likes chastisement, but it too is a product of God’s grace Rev. 3:19; Pro. 3:11-12.
V. v. 21 HE COVERED THEM
A. Their sin became real when that animal died to cover their nakedness. They instantly realized that they were responsible. It was the grace of God that accepted the sacrifice of an innocent party to atone for the sins of the guilty.
B. Our salvation is the same way. It is pure grace that saves the sinner, cleanses him and clothes him the righteousness of Jesus Christ – Eph. 2:8. (Ill. Our salvation is free, but it is anything but cheap! Ill. The cross and the awful death Jesus faced there for sinners. It was pure grace in action!)
C. Grace is the sinner’s only hope. Pure grace and nothing they can ever do can atone for sin. It is through grace that we enter salvation.
VI. v. 22-24 HE COMMANDED THEM
A. Ill. The context! Ill. The implications of man being allowed access to the tree of life in a fallen state! What a horrible hell that would have been. Eternally separated from the presence and love of God. His command to cast them out was a command of compassion and grace!
B. His grace is evident in our lives in the things He keeps us from. He isn’t a cosmic killjoy, He knows what is best for you and me. Therefore, some things are off limits to us as children of God. It is grace that protects us, our testimonies, and our fellowship with the Father. (Ill. Adam thought it was the worst that could happen, when all along it was the best possible solution to a terrible problem.)
C. Grace is why you and I can rest assured of a home in Heaven – 2 Cor. 12:9.
Conc:
Thank God for grace today. It is evident all the way back to the Garden of Eden. It is still evident this moment! We ought to praise Him for His grace and rest in it with full assurance of faith. His grace truly is amazing!
Thank you LORD for AMAZING GRACE!
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Flaming the Revival Fire In Christ 