Teaching – Ruin in Eden

RUIN IN EDEN

UNFOLDING FIVE

WHERE ARE WE

Adam had everything that anyone would or could have wanted. In His creation of Paradise, God told Adam that all was his in paradise, except the fruit of that one tree – the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Of course, God gave Adam work to do, but it wasn’t real work. Adam had to maintain the garden… which had virgin, rich soil – no weeds. Oh, and he did have to name the animals as God brought them before him. The work was nothing close to hard labor. At the end of the day, Adam had no aching muscles… yes, though I’m sure he slept well – no fear of night; no fear of wandering, ferocious beast… most importantly, no emotional or psychological burdens of guilt or inadequacy. 

Still, Adam ate. Why? Pastor has yet to talk about what went down that terrible day. While Pastor did mention briefly the serpent – he has not yet written about Satan and what happened. Up until now, he directed his attention to God’s walk, then God’s talk with Adam. 

SCRIPTURE(S)

Genesis 3: 14-15

“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

John 3: 14

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:”

Numbers 21: 8-9

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”

RUIN IN EDEN
UNFOLDING FIVE

We begin with Pastor telling us of a master in Israel who cited the three ‘R’s’, Ruin, Redemption, and Regeneration as a means to help hearers understand the Gospel. With regard to the three ‘R’s and the Scriptures: 

• the third of Genesis reveals Ruin.
• the third of the Romans teaches Redemption.
• the third of John sets forth Regeneration. 

After explaining the three ‘R’s’ he then segues: 

“In the third of Genesis we have not only Ruin, but we have the Redeemer in “the seed of the woman,” and we have Regeneration in the expression, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman.” (Genesis 3: 14-15)

With regard to the Gospel of John after we read, “Ye must be born again,” Pastor points out that not far from that that proclamation we find it written (John 3: 14),

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have eternal life.”  (See also, Numbers 21: 8-9)

And now, Pastor segues to Satan, imploring us,

“I pray you, never regard that story of the serpent as a fable.”

Some in his day believed the story is a mere allegory, and he goes on to say that once the allegorizing of what is true and factual begins, there is no end. 

Pastor continues,

“There was a real serpent, as there was a real Paradise; there was a real Adam and Eve, who stood at the head of our race, and they really sinned, and our race is really fallen. Believe this.” 

And later, Pastor wrote,

“Cruelly determining to lead the human race into sin, that he might thus ruin it and triumph over God, the fallen angel did not hesitate to assume a reptile form.”

God would show no grace or mercy to Satan or his fallen host.

In summary of this unfolding, Pastor explains,

“He would raise up One who would suffer, but would win the victory – One whom He calls, ‘the seed of the woman.’ By Him, Satan’s head would be bruised; and in that very fact, the race of man would be unspeakably blest.” 

THOUGHT GOING FORWARD

Yes, Adam’s sin brought ruin to mankind and to the Garden of Paradise. As a result of Adam’s sin, all men have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3: 23) The three ‘R’s’ – Ruin, Redemption, and Regeneration explain the journey that all saved men have taken since Adam. It is clear that the Bible (Old and New Testament) speaks to each R, prophetically, symbolically and in reality with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Now, that is not to say the three ‘R’s’ do not pertain to women. They do. However, out of deference to Pastor’s emphasis on Adam in these first five unfolding’s, it was Adam ate, and God held him accountable. 

Lastly, and as a warning: let us not put to fable what the Word of God tells us is true and historically factual. As Pastor exclaimed:

“There was a real serpent, as there was a real Paradise; there was a real Adam and Eve, who stood at the head of our race, and they really sinned, and our race is really fallen. Believe this.”      

IN TRIBUTE TO SPURGEON’S LOVE OF SHORT RHYMES

To make a truth a fable
Is to turn a fact to lie.
A serpent’s sure deception
that many sinners buy.