by Rick Combs
By the time the serpent had come to the garden to tempt Eve, Satan had long rebelled when sin was found in his heart. Now, the deceiver was present to tempt man. He chose the weaker sex to challenge the Word that God had given to Adam which was related to Eve. Using his diabolical ways, the serpent deceived her into taking the bait. “Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” Genesis 3:4-5.
The promise to be “as gods” was too much for her. Upon consuming the fruit, their eyes would be opened, and they would have the capacity of deciding for themselves what was good and what was evil. This power was now in their hands to do as they will. Life could now be lived on their terms and not God’s. Because Adam took the fruit willingly from Eve, sin through disobedience to God would now pass down to the couple’s prodigy for all generations to come. Satan now is the god of not only creation, but also man who was to “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 1:28.
The Apostle Paul provides some details as to the awful plight of man in his sinful state. Ephesians 2 and 4 are highly instructive. Romans 1:21-32 provides great commentary on how man became ignorant.
- Man’s walk is described as in the sphere of Satan, the prince of the power of the air (2:2-3).
- Man’s walk is in the sphere of the mind of the old Adamic nature (4:17-19).
- Their mind is full of vanity (vs. 17)
- Their understanding is darkened (vs. 18)
- They are alienated from the life of God because of ignorance and the blindness of their heart (vs. 18)
- They are past feeling (callous) in regard to lasciviousness and uncleanness with greediness (vs. 19)
The Adamic nature of man is the main point of Ephesians 4:17-19. The manner of life of mankind is in the vanity of their mind. It is empty, futile, full of folly, and depraved. Robert C. Brock made the astute observation in his book, The Fourth Dimension, Volume 2 on page 30 that “Vanity is like soap bubbles, full of nothing” … “aimless and futile in their goals of trying to substitute other things to take the place of God in their lives.” This is mankind hiding among the things of creation because of fear, of God (Genesis 3:8-10).
Romans 1:24, 26, 28 says that ‘God gave them up’ and ‘God gave them over’ to lifestyles of uncleanness and vile passions because they did not want to have anything to do with Him. Today, mankind hates the very One who died for them on the cross.
It is important for us to understand that because of the fall of man through the disobedience of Adam, we are not born into this world created in the image and likeness of God. We are in the image and likeness of Adam. Genesis 5:3 says: “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.” This image of Adam is that of a fallen, sinful likeness and image passed down to all of mankind, including you and me. Cain murdered his brother, Abel. Thank God that as saved members of the Body of Christ, we are dead and created in the image of Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10).
Paul uses interesting descriptions of the Adamic nature uniquely found in his epistles. One of them is the “old man”. It is old because it goes back to Adam. The ravages of sin over time have caused it to be worn out and decrepit. The old man is useless, worthless, and unusable to God. The old man is subject to a continuous process of corruption that grows worse as time marches on. This old man has no power over the lusts and sins of the flesh. It is also subject to all kinds of diseases, illnesses, and ultimately death.
Now that we have discussed the negative and downtrodden ravages of sin upon both creation and mankind, we enter the Good News that God has a plan. He does not leave His creation in this terrible state. His heart is one of reconciliation. Our loving God gives Eve a promise while still in the garden in the third chapter of Genesis.
We continue this Grand Epic Drama of the ages in our next post.
Until then, grace and mercy to you…
