This study covers the creation, fall, curse, and redemption, in their appropriate applications, to man, woman, and Satan. Proverbs 29:18 says: "Where there is no VISION the people perish." The nation of Israel had reached a pinnacle materially under King Solomon, but he was warning them here not to abandon God, since it was He, not they, who was responsible for their blessing. Israel was chosen to keep the way of the Lord (Genesis 18:19). However, as soon as they had lost the vision, their nation split because of a dispute over taxes. Their loss of vision resulted in Israel going captive to Assyria in 721 B.C. and Judah going captive to Babylon in 586 B.C. Only a remnant of Judah returned from Babylon and remained as a nation until A.D. 70, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. Few of the Jews accepted Jesus as Messiah, because, according to Jesus, their tradition had nullified the Word of God (Mark 7:13). The church receives the same admonition to beware of being taken captive by the tradition of men (Col.2:8). Rather, we should hold fast to the Biblical tradition of Christ and allow the truth to make us free (Col.2:9; John 8:32).
God's destiny is for everyone. His plan is always better than Satan's schemes. After we comprehend God's heavenly vision, we will not want to perish; but if we do not understand His divine will, it is impossible for us to act in a way to serve Him to that end.
THE CREATION
MAN
1. God created man in His image, but because of man's sin, man has lost part of that image (Genesis 1:27). Man is:
a. Given an ETERNAL SPIRIT, which by definition must live forever (Psa.49:14; Luke 16:22-24).
b. Different from the rest of creation (i.e., animals, plants, the earth, the heavens).
2. God is going to make man after His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).
a. God commands Christians to be HOLY, because He is Holy (1 Peter 1:15,16).
3. We were created for the mutual pleasure of COMMUNION with God (Genesis 3:8).
a. God desires the same for Christians today regardless of the fall of mankind (Phil. 4:8; John 4:24; Revelation 3:20).
4. In Genesis 1:28, we were also COMMISSIONED to:
a. Be fruitful (fruit of the Spirit).
b. Multiply (after their own kind, Genesis 1:25).
c. Replenish (fill up) the earth.
d. Have dominion (oversee rightly).
WOMAN
1. Woman was taken out of the man (Genesis 2:22,23; 1 Timothy 2:13).
a. To be the man's companion and commune with him so the man would not have to dwell alone (Genesis 2:18).
b. To help him.
c. To become one flesh with him. Since marriage on earth is in physical bodies, Satan tries to tempt and divide husband and wife (Genesis 2:24).
2. The church receives eternal life because of Christ (John 3:16).
a. God restored the way to communion with Him through Christ (Hebrews 10:19,20).
b. We are joint-heirs with Christ to help Him (Romans 8:17).
c. Marriage in heaven will be in spiritual bodies that the devil can no longer tempt. Christ and His body (bride) will be experientially one.
3. God created men and women to be different from each other, because the man represents Christ and the woman represents the church (Ephesians 5:23-27).
4. Marriage on earth between man and woman is in the flesh; consequently, Satan can still tempt and divide loyalties. In heaven we will have spiritual bodies outside the realm of Satan's temptation. Therefore, the earthly relationship we enjoy is only symbolic and falls short of the spiritual union the body of Christ will enjoy when joined with Him.
SATAN
1. Was created (Ezekiel 28:15).
2. Was perfect (Ezekiel 28:15).
3. Was full of wisdom (Ezekiel 28:12).
4. Was in the garden of Eden (Ezekiel 28:13).
5. Was the anointed cherub that covereth (Ezekiel 28:14).
6. Was perfect in his ways until iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:15).
THE FALL
SATAN
1. PRIDE was the reason for his fall.
a. "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God (Isaiah 14:13)."
b. "I will be like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14)."
2. He wants to be WORSHIPPED but was supposed to be a SERVANT (Ezekiel 28:14).
3. God created everything in the earth perfect, but Satan rebelled (Genesis 1:31).
ADAM
1. God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17).
2. Jesus said that if we love Him, we should keep his commandments (John 14:15). TESTING shows if we really love God.
3. Eve gave the fruit to Adam and he ate (Genesis 3:6).
4. Eve, not Adam, was deceived (1 Timothy 2:14).
5. Adam represents Christ dying for our sins.
a. Therefore, we know Adam ate the fruit out of love.
b. All men are commanded to love their wives in the same way (Ephesians 5:25).
c. All Christians are to love and serve others (Mark 10:31,44-45).
6. God held Adam responsible as head of the human race (Genesis 3:9).
a. God first called to Adam, not Eve (Genesis 3:9).
b. The Bible records Adam's death, not Eve's death (Genesis 5:5).
c. Scripture speaks of the first Adam and last Adam, not the first Eve and the last Eve
( 1 Corinthians 15:45).
WOMAN
1. The serpent was SUBTLER (craftier, wiser) than the beasts of the field (Genesis 3:1).
a. Satan was an anointed cherub, not a physical snake (Ezekiel 28:14).
b. Likewise, Christ was a man slain at Calvary, not a physical lamb. The lamb slain from the foundation of the world only represents Him in typology.
c. Satan is wiser than man because he was created full of wisdom (Ezekiel 28:12).
d. He is attempting to be worshipped rather than serve man with this wisdom.
e. Satan did not trick beasts when he came, but he spoke to Eve and deceived her (Genesis 3:2,13; 2 Corinthians 11:3).
2. Eve desired to be like God (Genesis 3:5).
a. Satan used that desire to deceive her: "God knows if you eat, you shall become like Him." The Hebrew word for "gods" in Genesis 3:5 is Elohim, which means "the God of all gods."
b. He caused the UNBELIEF to get the worship.
c. She was DISOBEDIENT, but Satan was purposely trying to deceive her.
3. Under CREATION (MAN, point 4) we saw the commission was to be fruitful, multiply, replenish, and have dominion.
a. Actually, God creates all people with these natural desires (Genesis 1:27).
b. Since all God created was good, the only way Satan can be worshipped is to disturb, distort, or confuse these desires (Genesis 1:31; 2 Corinthians 11:14).
c. No one would serve him if he revealed his true intentions, which are stealing, killing, and destroying (John 10:10).
d. Just as he deceived Eve, Satan deceives us by using half truths, because he is subtler than us. For example, Satan distorts man's desire for dominion.
1. God wants men to have dominion (oversee rightly).
2. Satan knows this and says: "So you want dominion!" We say: "Yes." Then he pressures us one step at a time until we become like Hitler (deceived into killing that good may come) or filling us so full of fear and hurts that we do not want dominion over anything.
3. Satan, not God, is getting the worship in both cases (Romans 14:23).
LESSON
1. God wants to COMMUNE with man (Genesis 3:8; Phil.4:8).
a. Satan also wants to be like the Most High God (worshipped) (Isaiah 14:13).
2. Life is a PROCESS of yielding to God or Satan.
a. No man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
b. We become like one or the other (Genesis 3:22).
c. We are either children of God or children of the devil ( 1 John 3:10).
d. We manifest either the works of the flesh (sin) or the fruit of the Spirit (righteousness) (Gal.5:19,22).
3. Satan is CONTESTING God for your soul!
a. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12).
THE CURSE
SATAN
1. God put enmity (WAR) between the seed of the devil and the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).
a. Satan has no physical seed.
b. His seed are those who love wickedness.
c. The woman's seed represents those who desire righteousness.
d. The two seeds show up in Cain and Abel, beginning in Genesis 4.
2. The seed of the woman would bruise the head (AUTHORITY) of the devil. (Genesis 3:15).
a. This prophecy is fulfilled in Christ and His body (covered under REDEMPTION).
3. Under the imagery of a serpent, Satan is cursed above all the beasts (Genesis 3:14).
a. This curse resulted because he rebelled against his created position to help man, with superior wisdom.
b. Because men have physical bodies, they are not now fully like God or in His presence the same way they will be in heaven.
c. Accordingly, the provision for both punishment and redemption are different as we shall see.
4. Satan has progressively lost his position by:
a. Being cast out of the mountain of God (Ezek.28:16).
b. Dwelling in the Antichrist (Isaiah 14:16; 2 Thess. 2:3).
c. The Antichrist coming to an end and none helping him (Daniel 11:45).
d. Dying the deaths of those slain in the midst of the seas (Ezek. 28:8).
e. Being brought down to ashes upon the earth (Ezek. 28:18).
f. Being bound for 1,000 years during the Millennium (Revelation 20:2).
g. Being destroyed from the midst of the stones of fire (men) (Ezek.28:16).
h. Being brought down to hell (Isaiah 14:15).
i. Being thrown into the lake of fire, which is everlasting (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
MAN
1. God told Adam that he would die if he ate fruit from the forbidden tree (Genesis 2:17).
2. God removed man from Eden, lest he live forever in sin (Genesis 3:22).
3. God cursed the ground (Genesis 3:17).
4. In the sweat of his face man eats bread (Genesis 3:17).
5. Man must return to the dust (die physically) (Genesis 3:17).
WOMAN
1. God told the woman that in sorrow she would bring forth children (Genesis 3:16).
2. Woman's desire would be toward her husband (Genesis 3:16).
3. Man would rule over woman (Genesis 3:16).
LESSON
1. OBEDIENCE is important to God (Genesis 2:17; John 14:15; 15:10).
2. Disobedience produces death (Genesis 2:17; 3:17).
3. PHYSICAL DEATH occurred 930 years later (Genesis 5:5), not on the day Adam ate (Genesis 2:17).
4. However, when they disobeyed, they broke pure fellowship with God (Genesis 3:8).
5. Adam and Eve were now afraid of God (Genesis 3:10).
6. Therefore, SPIRITUAL DEATH is separation from God's presence (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:15).
7. Communion with Satan causes feelings of guilt or shame (Genesis 3:10-11).
8. Satan is now resisting all who want Christ- likeness (Ephesians 6:12).
9. They that are in the flesh (i.e., are carnally minded) cannot please God (Romans 8:6-8; Gal. 5:19,22).
10. God can only lead those who submit to Him (Romans 8:14).
11. We feed on the Word of God, but we only understand in part ( 1 Cor. 13:12).
12. While we are living in our physical bodies, we cannot see Him face to face (Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:4).
13. Yet, like Eve, we desire to become like God, even though the devil deceives us (Phil.3:10; 1 John 3:2).
14. Man's punishment was broken fellowship with God. Therefore, God removed him from the garden of Eden, lest he live forever (Genesis 3:22-23).
THE REDEMPTION
SATAN
1. The Scriptures clearly show that Satan will never be redeemed and that he will be forever separated from God (see CURSE, Satan, point 4).
2. The lake of fire is prepared for Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41).
3. Every person who listens to the devil's lies and becomes like him spend eternity in the lake of fire (Genesis 3:22; Revelation 20:15).
MAN and WOMAN
1. God's provision for mankind's redemption is seen after their fall in the garden.
a. God removed the fig leaves (works) they had made (Genesis 3:7).
b. God made coats of skins and clothed them (Genesis 3:21).
c. These coats of skins pointed to Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, who became the covering for our sins (Revelation 13:8; Hebrews 10:10).
d. Sacrifices were part of the Law given to Israel through Moses (Lev.1:3).
e. Their sacrifice was their act of faith that God was covering their sins.
f. However, God desired obedience, not needless killing of animals (Isa.1:11-20).
2. The seed of the woman was to bruise Satan's head (Genesis 3:15).
a. This prophecy points to Christ, whom all Old Testament women desired to bear (Daniel 11:37; Luke 1:42).
b. The woman was to be saved through the child bearing (the Messiah) ( 1 Timothy 2:15).
c. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil (that which Satan has built) (1 John 3:8).
d. God gave Christ as the head over all things to the church (Ephesians 1:22).
e. Christ is the head (authority), and we are His body (Ephesians 1:22-23).
f. Because He is seated in heavenly places, we are also (Ephesians 1:20,23;2:6).
g. God has put all things under Christ's feet (Ephesians 1:22).
h. If Satan's authority shall be bruised under our feet, that means this prophecy in Genesis 3:15 is also fulfilled in Christians (Romans 16:20).
3. God never intended broken fellowship (Genesis 1:26,31).
a. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all repent ( 2 Peter 3:9).
b. Since all have been deceived by the devil and sinned, everyone has fallen from the relationship they could experience with God (Romans 3:23).
4. Therefore, we can only return to God through Christ (Acts 4:12; Ephesians 1:3, 7-18).
a. A man had to die for the sins of man to restore that fellowship (Hebrews 10:4-5).
b. That man had to be sinless (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 1 John 2:2).
c. No other man could fulfill this ministry (Revelation 5:3-5; Romans 3:23; 1 Timothy 2:5).
5. God's DESTINY for man is to return to God and be conformed to the image of His Son
( 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 8:29; Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 46:10).
a. We are conformed to the image of God's Son, because Christ is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15; 2 Corinthians 5:19).
b. We are new creatures in Him, but we are to be conformed to His image (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:29).
6. This is why SANCTIFICATION is a process (1 Thess. 4:3-4).
a. We are changed from glory to glory into the same image (2 Cor. 3:18).
7. The PROCESS of restoration begins with being born again (John 3:3).
a. As many as receive Christ are given power to become the sons of God (John 1:12).
8. Being born again is not enough.
a. If we are born of the Spirit, we will not be perfected by the flesh (works) (Gal. 3:3).
b. Having the foundational doctrines of Christ, let us go on unto PERFECTION (Hebrews 6:1). The Greek word for "perfection" here is teleiotes, which denotes "a fulfillment, completion, perfection, an end accomplished as the effect of a process," thus signifying full spiritual growth, just as a child becomes an adult.
9. God works in Christians both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil.2:13).
a. In our own strength, we cannot overcome sin, but God can empower us to overcome sin (Romans 8:2-4; Ephesians 3:20; Hebrews 12:2).
b. For this reason, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins (Hebrews 3:7-8; John 16:8).
10. In order to come to maturity, we must be led by God's Spirit (Romans 8:14).
a. Although Christ's blood is sufficient for legal salvation, only going on to experiential maturity satisfies the heart of God (Hebrews 6:1; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 Thess. 4:3; Matthew 5:48).
11. Jesus prayed that we not be taken out of the world until the church becomes one with Him as He was with the Father (John 17:15,21).
12. Paul prayed the same prayer.
a. That God would be giving us the full knowledge (epignosis) of Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 1:17).
b. That we might be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).
c. That we come to a perfect man, the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
13. This is why the bride of Christ is without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27).
a. She has made herself ready (Revelation 19:7).
b. Christ is coming for a bride who lives in a way that is yielded, pleasing, and obedient to the commands He left us.
14. If we do not overcome sin, we cannot reign with Christ during the Millennium (Revelation 2:26-27; 21:7).
15. This is why Paul pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling (literally, "the call from above") in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).
16. This is the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5-6).
17. The rest of the dead (possibly saints) lived not until the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:5).
CONCLUSION
1. Since Satan rebelled, every person is tempted (James 1:13-15; 1 Peter 5:8-9).
a. Through our daily decisions, we are becoming either like God or like Satan (Genesis 3:22).
2. Therefore:
a. In Adam, all die (FLESHLY BODIES) ( 1 Corinthians 15:22).
b. In Christ, all are made alive (SPIRITUAL BODIES) ( 1 Corinthians 15:22, 49).
3. If that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you, He shall quicken your mortal body (Romans 8:11).
4. This mortal body must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:49,53).
5. When Christ, who is your life, shall appear, you shall also appear with Him in glory (Col.3:4).
6. He shall fashion for you a body like unto His own glorious body (Phil.3:21).
7. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).
8. Many Scriptures cover earthly conditions during the 1000-year reign of Christ. Overcomers who have suffered with Him will be glorified with Him and will reign with Him over the earth (Romans 8:17). Together they will still be concerned with the salvation of those upon the earth who are still in fleshly bodies. Everything will not be perfect during the Millennium (Zech.14:17-19). The seed of the wicked will still be on the earth (Revelation 20:8-9). At the end, all persons will be tested (Revelation 20:7-10). Afterward, the final judgment occurs, followed by the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 20:11-15; 21:1-27). For all eternity, God has prepared things that have not entered the hearts of those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). In the new heaven and new earth, all the righteous in Christ from all ages will dwell together as one. Right now, there is a prize to be attained. Overcome sin so if by any means you may attain to the Rapture and reign with Christ as He establishes righteous government in the earth and destroys the works of the devil. The purpose of this study was to impart the vision of God's destiny so that you will repent from any dead works and rise up in faith to appropriate God's promises for your life. The harvest is great, and the laborers are few, so do not let the devil steal the seed of God's Word from your heart. AMEN!
