Weekly Devotional 9-7-15 The Nature of Man before Spiritual Regeneration
Adam’s “original sin” was disobeying God and taking of the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:1-6). This could not be repeated by his offspring. The gate to the garden had been closed and an angel with a flaming sword was placed in front of it to keep Adam, Eve and their offspring from re-entering. What was continued in Adam’s offspring was Adam’s fallen nature. Remember, Adam was created in the likeness of God, a spiritual being, able to recognize, communicate, and fellowship with God. However, when he took of the forbidden fruit (when he sinned) he lost that familiarity. Adam no longer worshipped God as he had before the fall. He now worshipped self and he became a creature of self-will, a will that sought its own glorification. That part of him that was spirit died toward and separated from God. His focus became enslaved by his flesh (his fallen nature) and its desires; desires that would be heavily influenced by Satan. From Adam’s fall onward, Satan would henceforth (until God chains him during the millennial reign of Christ) tempt Adam’s offspring in the same way he tempted Adam and Eve saying, “You don’t need to be under the authority of God, you can be a god unto yourselves.”
When Adam sinned he lost his God-likeness, he became self-willed and became subject to the influences of Satan. It was this life that Adam passed to his offspring. This life would manifest itself in some immediately, but in others it would be more gradual, i.e. Cain and Abel. The seed of disobedience and self-will would be and was the makeup of all of Adam’s offspring. This is borne out by what followed during the next 1100 years. We read from Genesis 6:5-7, “5Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
[God foreknew before He created the world that man would sin and He took no joy in it. It grieved Him, but man’s sin was necessary for God to fully show His glory and demonstrate His love for man].
Even though Noah and his family found grace (unmerited favor) in the eyes of the Lord still he and they were persons of a fallen nature. They too were self-willed and carried in their spirits the seeds of unbelief, rebellion and self-worship. These seeds would mature in their offspring. From Noah’s family came all other peoples of the earth; none of which truly worshipped Creator God. Even from Abraham’s offspring through Isaac and Jacob, that is the nation of Israel, true worship and reverence of God was not found. However, it was always God’s purpose to rectify this in them and many others by creating (birthing) in man a new nature. This has been and is being accomplished by His Spirit (The Holy Spirit) as He births new spiritual life into those whom are called by God; those who turn to Him in faith (John 3:1-8; Ephesians 2:1-10). It is to this second passage we turn.
“1And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (NKJV).
What a blessing to be among those in whom the Holy Spirit birthed a new nature. Even though we still have within us the old nature with all of its lusts, we with our new nature are not in captivity to the old nature.
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Transforming Power; the Work of God on Behalf of Man
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