The Fall of Man

BIBLE DOCTRINE II

LECTURE 48

ANTHROPOLOGY – THE FALL OF MAN

[The following are excerpts from R. Sargeant’s ebook ‘Landmarks of Baptist Doctrine’; Pastor Warner’s comments are in brackets]

The historical fact and implications of the fall of man is one of the most rejected of all Biblical accounts. No one naturally admits to being a sinner —Proverbs 16:2; 20:6 — or desires to reveal the darker side of his nature. In fact, a common delusion is that mankind is steadily improving. [Mankind generally thinks that he is a ‘pretty good person’].
Little wonder then that Satan seeks to have men reject the first twelve chapters of the book of Genesis — after all, the simplest way to keep men from being saved is to convince them they don’t need to be saved.

Various erred theories concerning the fall of man:

The “allegorical interpretation” of the fall of man –

1. Adam is the rational part of man.
2. Eve is the sensual part of man.
3. The serpent is the external excitement to evil.

The ‘mythological interpretation’

1. The Genesis account is truth concealed in poetic form.
2. The Genesis account is a summation of folklore.

The period of probation

Man was created in a state of innocence. By this we simply mean he had no knowledge of sin. We do not mean he was created with a neutral moral nature; rather, man was created with a holy nature.
Man was also created as a free moral agent. This is seen in the fact that he had a will, and this free will of man meant that he had the ability to choose between obedience to God (good) and disobedience to God (evil).

[Did Adam have the opportunity to never sin?]

The necessity of probation

It was essential for God to place the simple test recorded in Genesis 2:16,17 before Adam.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:17 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.”

If man were given no opportunity to exercise his will, then he would be as one without a will! — thus no better than an animal. [albeit, no better than a ‘robot’]
A fellowship-seeking God did not desire slavish, instinctive devotion from man. He was looking for a “want to” kind of fellowship. Therefore, man had to be given the opportunity to choose.
(Which is the better marriage: one that is pre-arranged for political or social expediency, or one in which both partners fall in love and decide to unite as one in the bonds of marriage?)
Through his creation, man had a holy nature, but not a holy character. Character is developed through the exercise of the will as man chooses to do right.

[Why do men go to Hell?.....because they willfully choose to go there!]

The test of probation

This was a simple test (Gn 2:16,17)
It involved a simple choice: obey or disobey — but notice that God had clearly stated beforehand the consequences of either action:
1. Adam Had Experienced Ultimate Fellowship.
For a period of time, Adam had enjoyed direct fellowship with his Maker. He had received all the blessings of this fellowship. He knew the consequences of obedience [i.e. rewards, blessings, joy, happiness].
2. Adam Was Told What The Results Of Disobedience Would Be. Disobedience meant death (separation).
Such death would involve “spiritual death” immediately, “physical death” eventually, and “eternal death” ultimately (without a Saviour).

[What would you have done if in Adam’s place? Was it fair that Adam ruined it all for us?]

The Tempter — Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
The serpent was the natural agent through which Satan, the one who would “be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:14), sought the allegiance of God’s crowning creation.

Notice Satan’s approach:

a) Subtlety; Satan rarely attacks “head on” — he is a masterful “back-door” operator.
Satan approached man indirectly through the woman. Eve was the “weaker vessel” (I Timothy 2:14) and evidently she had not directly heard God speak concerning the test.
b) Suggestiveness; “Yea, hath God said?” Satan sought to create doubt in God’s Word.
c) Selectiveness; Satan did not approach Adam and Eve together. He worked separately. We are always vulnerable when separated from divine authority — e.g. in cases of marital separation, parent-child breakdown, failure to attend church meetings, etc.
d) Sight; Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

“When the woman saw”… Satan’s basic approach to man is through the eye gate. (God’s approach is through the ear gate — Romans 10:17.)

The Fall — Gen 3:7 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. 8 And they heard the voice 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 amongst the trees of the garden.
[Their spiritual eyes were opened] The woman was “in the transgression,” but was deceived by Satan. On the other hand, Adam sinned willfully and deliberately. [He knew full well what God’s commandment was]

The results of the Fall

[Look at what happened to mankind as the result of Adam’s sin! Consciously aware of the sin (eyes opened); shame and guilt (were naked); separation from God (hid themselves); self-righteousness (made themselves aprons); selfishness (blamed ‘the woman’; blamed ‘the serpent’); sentenced (eat and die; physical and spiritual); suffering (sorrow and sweat).]

[Because of Adam’s sin, all are now by nature sinners, and are condemned to Hell]

All Men Are Born Sinful. [They are all sinners…even without having committed one sin! It is their nature]

Romans 5:12 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: 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
[Also, every sinner ‘sins’; there is no exceptions to the case.]
Romans 3:23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

[Everyone starts their life out as a child of Satan!]

John 8:44a “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...”
I John 3:8,10 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. ….In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil...”

Because of man’s sin nature, his understanding is darkened (Eph 4:18), his heart is deceitful (Jer 17:9), his mind and conscience are defiled (Gn 6:5), his flesh and spirit are defiled (2Co 7:5), and he is subject unto death (Rom 5:12,14).

[Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:]

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