"Adam Lost It" (April 2005)
For several weeks the Lord has been taking me back to Genesis, Adam, and the creation. What He has been showing me is very enlightening and exciting. I want to make an attempt this month to share some of it with you. Let me start by saying that I still don't understand it all, and there is so much that isn't clear to me yet, and most of you probably already know what I am going to share- it's nothing new to you. As He has given me insight and a little better understanding of the creation and fall of man, it has given me a deeper awareness of what my role is here on earth and God's plan for my life. I pray the Holy Spirit will use this message to give you a better understanding of who you are in Christ so that you can go forth and do the work that He has called you to do.
We know that God created man in His image, placed him in the Garden of Eden, made Eve from his rib, told them not to eat of the forbidden tree, they did, it brought sin into the world and they were banished from the garden forever. This is the Bible story version that we have always heard. But there was so much more to it than that. When Adam disobeyed God, there was a lot more that happened then just them being cast out of the garden. Adam not only lost everything that God had given him, but he lost it for all of us as well. Everything that God intended for mankind was lost to mankind because of Adam's sin. What was intended for us that Adam lost? I'm glad you asked. We can find the answer throughout the story of creation. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." (Genesis 1:26-28) When we read this verse we usually think it's just for Adam, but this verse includes all of mankind. Adam was not the only one made in God's image- we all are. The word "man" is also translated "mankind". "Male and female" means it's all inclusive of the entire human race. "And let 'them'" was not only Adam and Eve. "Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created." (Gen. 5:2) So if this verse means all of us and not just Adam, then this was a command, a blessing, and God's intention for you and me as well. Let's read on to see what God intended for "mankind" when He created us; as we do we'll also talk about what Adam lost for us when he sinned.
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness". Mankind was made in the image and likeness of God. We were covered with the glory of God, the Spirit resided in us, we had a sinless nature like His, and a spirit that was alive. Through Adam's sin our likeness became "marred"; we now had the likeness of sinful flesh. "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." (Gen. 3:7,10) Before the fall they had no shame in their nakedness because of the purity of the nature that was in them. After the fall they knew they were naked and so ashamed that they tried to hide from God. After the fall the word that is used for naked translates- being made bear. So they were made bear- they were stripped; stripped of the glory of the image of God that resided on them. Adam lost this and gained a sin nature in it's place. Therefore, we have a sin nature. This is why the scripture says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23)
"And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Subdue and have dominion. God gave mankind dominion over the earth. "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men." (Psalms 115:16) The word dominion means- to rule, dominate, serve. Subdue means to- keep under, bring into subjection, force. Man was made the ruler on the earth. "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." (Gen. 2:15) Man was to "dress" (work, labor) and "keep" (have charge of, guard, watch over) the garden. "And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." (Gen. 2:19,20) God and man worked together- God created the animals and brought them to Adam- Adam named them. God gave man dominion over land, sea, and air. But when Adam sinned, man lost his dominion. Before when he worked, the land served him, now he serves the land. "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Gen. 3:17-19) Before man and woman shared authority (co-equals) in having dominion over the earth. "And let them have dominion." Now... "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." (Gen. 3:16)
Let's look at some other areas that Adam lost for us. "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." (Gen. 3:8a) Adam lost the intimacy with God that man was created to have. Each day God would commune with man. They had a one-on-one relationship. They had a relationship that is beyond our ability to even fathom because there was no sin in the earth, nothing to hinder their relationship, nothing to come between them and cause a division. But when Adam sinned, that all changed. Sin now entered into the picture and caused a wedge between God and man- it put them on opposing sides because God is a HOLY God and cannot dwell with sin, and man was now SINFUL and cannot dwell with God. Sin put enmity between God and man- it caused us to become enemies.
"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Gen. 2:7) Man became a living soul not just a living body- his soul became alive. "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." (Gen. 2:17) When Adam ate of the tree, death came upon him, physical death that he would yet experience one day and spiritual death that he experienced at the time he ate. "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Gen. 3:19) "And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:15) "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (1 Cor. 15:26) "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12) Adam lost the eternal life that God desired to give mankind.
As I said at the beginning, I don't claim to know it all about this subject, and what little I do know would take too long and too much paper to relate it to you. But as you can see from some of the high points that I have hit what Adam lost was MUCH, and he didn't just lose it for himself but he lost it for all of us. All mankind became the "loser" through him. If I stopped here with what was lost, I would be leaving out the best part. Because God is so wonderful, gracious, and loving and even though it was lost to us, He made a way that it could be "found" again. God provided a way so that everything that was lost could be restored. That way was through His Son Jesus. If one man lost it for us, one man could gain it back. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12) "Yes, Adam's one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life. Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in God's sight." (Romans 5:18,19- NLT)
Jesus did gain it back. He gained back eternal life for us. "God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:9,10-NLT) "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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16,17) He also took out the sting of physical death- so death has no more victory over us. "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Cor. 15:54,55) "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Rev. 1:18)
Jesus restored our "image". We no longer have to bear the image of sin, but we can bear the image of righteousness. "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (1 Cor. 15:49) "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18) "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." (Colossians 3:10) "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 Cor. 5:21)
Jesus gave man back dominion in the earth. "For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch." (Mark 13:34) "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 28:18,19) "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19) "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19) Through giving us back dominion in the earth, He has also restored our position as laborers together with Him. "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." (1 Cor. 3:9) "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (Mark 16:20) He also restored women to a place of co-authority on earth, and has given us a part in the work of His kingdom. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy." (Acts 2:17,18)
As we said earlier, Adam lost the relationship between God and man that God intended for us to have. Just imagine walking and talking with God in such a way as Adam did. Knowing the Almighty Creator- God Himself- on a "first name" basis. Thank God for loving us so much that even though "we" through Adam walked away from that relationship, God never stopped desiring it. So He sent Jesus in order that our relationship with Him could be healed and restored. At the cross Jesus brought restoration between God and man and took away the enmity that was between God and mankind. "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." (Ephesians 2:16) "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." (Colossians 1:20-22) Through Jesus we can enjoy the relationship of a child to their Heavenly Father and become an heir to God. "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Galatians 4:6,7) We have been accepted in the beloved and are made right with God once more, but it took Jesus Christ to get it back for us.
I have only "scratched" the surface concerning what was lost to us at the fall; there is so much more that we haven't talked about, and I condensed what we have. The bottom line is that everything God intended for "me" to have, Adam lost it. In short, he lost "my inheritance"- the thing that God had blessed for me and gave to me at creation. He lost "your inheritance" also. When we look back to see how he lost it, we can learn a very valuable lesson from it. Adam lost it because he believed a lie. He believed the lie of the devil when he said through theserpent- "Ye shall not surely die." (Gen. 3:4b) When he believed the lie instead of believing God he acted upon it and lost everything. The devil has nothing new in his bag of temptations, he still comes to us propagating his lies and trying to get us to believe them. If he can get you to believe his lie, then he has you just where he wants you. From there he can steal, kill, and destroy.
Adam lost what belonged to you and me because he believed a lie. Jesus Christ came to restore everything that Adam lost- and He did. But in order for us to have the restoration that He provided and get back everything that Adam lost we have to believe the truth. We lost it because Adam believed a lie; we gain it back when we believe the truth. "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:19-22- NLT) Believe it and act upon it.
