FOUNDATION 1: THE FALL OF MAN
What is the fall of man?
Genesis 1:26 (NKJV) - Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
Genesis 3:1 (NKJV) - 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 3:6 (NKJV) - 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.
Romans 5:12 (NKJV) - Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (NKJV) - For since by man [came] death, by Man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Genesis 1:26 (NKJV) - Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
- God made Adam. Man was good. The land was good. The animals were good. God made man in His image and likeness. He gave man intelligence, conscience, and will, and put man in charge of what He created (Psalm 8:4-9).
- Man was given free will, which is freedom to obey God or not. God told Adam he may freely eat of every tree of the garden of Eden, but not of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for he would die (Genesis 2:15-17).
Genesis 3:1 (NKJV) - 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'?"
- God made Adam a helper, Eve (Genesis 2:18, 3:20). The devil (Satan) in the form of the serpent raised a doubt in the mind of Eve as to the truth of what God said not to do. The serpent said, "You will not surely die..." (Genesis 3:4-7). Satan led Eve to believe that God was withholding something from them (Adam & Eve). He led Eve to believe she could improve her state of being. This was Satan's attempt to cause man to believe that he could be like God, without God. Satan deceived Eve to think there would be no problem if she ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3:6 (NKJV) - 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.
- Eve was deceived (Genesis 3:13, 1 Timothy 2:14). Adam disobeyed and sin entered into the world (Romans 5:12). Sin most times offers immediate personal satisfaction, but the consequences lead to death (Romans 6:23).
- Mankind, as a result of Adam & Eve's choice to sin, now knew the reality of evil, and through their sinful behavior, had become capable of being evil in thought, motive, word, and deed. Before sinning, their knowledge was only of that which was good, pure, and perfect. Of course, Satan did not reveal that this decision would have such far reaching consequences - all mankind and creation (Genesis ch. 3).
Romans 5:12 (NKJV) - Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (NKJV) - For since by man [came] death, by Man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
- There was indeed death when Adam sinned and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Romans 5:17-19). The floodgates of sin, sorrow, sickness and death upon the human family were opened. This is what is called "The Fall of Man."
- Man's heart was darkened, man was doomed to destruction (Romans 1:21-22, Romans 1:28-31, Philippians 3:19, Romans 3:9-18). Man became lovers of themselves and not God (Ephesians 2:1-3).
- Sin separated us from God. Man was guilty in God's court of law and man's death was justified. But God....
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- In the second foundation, we will learn about God's love for us and how He took on our punishment for sin, saving us from eternal death, making us new, giving us power to be and live righteously, giving us power over the enemy, and giving us eternal life!