Treasures of Truth
2 Fall of Mankind
In the Genesis account of creation, we see man,
made in the image of God,
enjoying the privilege of receiving and reflecting
the very character and glory of God.
They lived in harmony and unbroken fellowship
with their Creator. Tragically, through Adam and Eve’s choice
to violate God’s command, they were cut off from life.
Their intimacy and fellowship with God was broken.
This offense had its drastic effects,
which resulted in a fallen race, mankind.
Ever since,
man has known a spiritual vacuum within himself.
In the book of Romans,
we again see mankind living apart from the Creator.
Rather than acknowledging our spiritual bankruptcy
before a holy and righteous God,
we still have a bent towards choosing to find life
and fulfillment outside of the Person and Life of God.
Paul writes in Romans 1:21, 25:
For even though they knew God,
they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks . . .
for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie,
and worshipped the creature
rather than the Creator who is blessed forever.
It is at natural birth that we inherit this state of hostility
toward our Creator
that originated in Adam’s fall.
We are born into a state of death
where the law of sin governs our being and actions.
We suffer from the effects of non-equilibrium with God,
with others, and with ourselves.
Through the death and resurrection
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
God has made a provision for man
to become a new creation.
Adam was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28).
So, Adam’s spirit was the highest center of operation.
The essence of Adam was spiritual.
As an essentially spiritual being,
Adam enjoyed unbroken fellowship with God.
After the fall, Adam’s spirit died -
he was separated from God;
thus his soul became the center of operation,
independent of God.
The essence of Adam became soulical.
Adam became an independent creation,
cut off from the life of God -
Adam was cut off
from God’s mind, His perfections, and His purity.
Therefore, Adam had to find
his identity (purpose and meaning) from his soul -
drawing upon his natural resources.
For Adam, life had to be found from within.
Without Christ, our essence is soulical,
without divine resources.
Just as Adam was cut off,
we were born cut off
from God’s mind, perfections, and purities.
Life needed to be found within ourselves.
Jesus said,
“He who is without the Son
is without life (spiritual life).” I John 5:12
MANKIND WAS BORN IN NEED OF LIFE
Unregenerate men are born:
•Dead in trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1)
•Walking according to
the course of this world (Ephesians 2:2).
•Walking according to
the prince of the power of air (Ephesians 2:2).
• Indulging the desires of the flesh
and of the mind and
are by nature
children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).
In Christ, you have the spiritual life
that joined Adam to God before the Fall.
Ask God to show you, by His Spirit,
all His riches
implied in the word ‘life.’ (John 3:16; 10:10)