God is still a God of Grace!
I Believe: Finding My Purpose in Life • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:02:21
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What happens when we are faced with the shame of corruption and then resist any fellowship with God or resist any honest repentance.
We try to cover out nakedness.
We try to hide from the presence of God.
However, in the message this morning, we will notice that God still desires a relationship with us.
We are building a worldview right out of the first 3 chapters of Genesis.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
We believe God created this world with the creation of man in His own image as that purpose.
God gave man a helper, companion and completer, in woman.
God gave them dominion over His creation and God blessed them with the fruit of His creation.
However, Man did not rule, woman did not submit, and they worshipped the creation more than the creator and sin was born into this world.
Therefore, sin is a universal problem which make God grace a universal remedy.
And let me let you know right from the very beginning of this message, that no matter what you have done, God desires restoration and a relationship with you.
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.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
God Sought Them.
God Sought Them.
Adam and Eve have sinned.
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.
They attempted to make aprons.
Adam and Eve had broken a commandment of God and thus causing sin. With the result of sin, a great gulf was produced between them and God.
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
They failed at trying to cover their nakedness with fig leaves.
But we discover God’s grace. Because of this disobedience, God had every right to now fellowship with them. God had every right to fulfill the condemnation of death upon them both.
However, God initiates the first game of hide and seek.
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.
Even today, when we sin, God stirs our heart and makes us aware of our sin by guilt, but in that guilt, He also makes us aware of His great love for us.
This was the purpose of Jesus’ first coming.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
The Apostle Paul explains this to the church at Ephesus.
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
In order to have a relationship with God, It takes Grace on the part of God. After extending Grace, God withholds His judgment by showing mercy. Only then can His grace be poured out and received. How thankful are you this morning for God’s Grace.
God didn’t just come to see them in their sinfulness and nakedness. God searched with His still small voice.
God Searched Them
God Searched Them
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Obviously, as we can read between the lines. Adam and Eve had a standing time of fellowship and communion. I believe part of their attempt to make aprons from fig leaves was to cover up before this meeting. However, when they heard the voice of God, they knew by conviction they would still be exposed, so they hid.
When the fig leaves didn’t work, they hid in the bushes.
But understand, there is not enough leaves in the world to cover what we lose and becomes exposed because of sin.
23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.
God Scrutinized Them
God Scrutinized Them
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Where art thou?
Let me let you in on a little secret! God knows exactly what we have done and where we are at all times.
David understood this.
1 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.
David’s son, Solomon knew this.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Beholding the evil and the good.
God is not asking Adam for information, God is asking Adam for his condition. Why are you hiding?
God first calls because He is wanting and desiring that Adam and Eve step out from the bushes and confess their sin and repent.
However, most of us don’t want to confess because we don’t want to repent.
This is another great example of the depravity of man’s sinful nature. Once we sin, we can’t stop sinning and we don’t want to honestly repent.
Adam and Eve are about to learn this also.
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Notice in this depravity, Adam is not ashamed of the sin, but rather Adam doesn’t like the consequences of facing God.
Remember, the fruit they ate was the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
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.
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.
God’s Glory of Protection, Purity, and Innocence had now been removed. Their eyes were open.
We understand our nakedness and we understand our corruptness, however, we just don’t want it exposed to God and others.
Remember Romans 1 last week. Notice
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Sinners understand sin, they understand corruption, they understand guilt, they understand shame. That is built into our conscience.
Sinners know they are accountable to God, but still love their sin and will not repent. Fear replaces Joy!!!
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
God actually tells them the sin. and when confronted and exposed to the truth we become the victim rather than the perpetrator.
Once confronted, instead of just repenting, they began to play the blame game, more depravity. Deeper and deeper we go.
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Adam blamed Eve.
Adam blamed Eve.
It is always someone elses fault.
Adam blamed God.
Adam blamed God.
Victim: How stupid? but also how familiar.
God becomes the bad guy:
We question God’s authority and/or goodness: as a way to deflect guilt. For example, Adam, after eating the forbidden fruit, told God, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it". By inserting "you" into his statement, Adam implicitly blamed God for putting the "problem" there in the first place.
Blame God for creating a world with hardship: People may blame God for creating the circumstances that led them to sin.
For instance, someone might excuse stealing by saying they were desperate due to poverty. In this scenario, God is seen as responsible for the poverty, and therefore, for the subsequent sin.
Blame God for not intervening: When people experience temptation or disaster, they may question why God did not intervene to save them from themselves or their circumstances. This view attributes a lack of love or power to God and may lead people to feel justified in their choices.
Blame God for not creating them perfectly: This blame suggests that God created humanity with desires and weaknesses that make sin inevitable. By focusing on their "fleshly" or carnal nature, individuals can avoid responsibility by claiming that they were simply following their created instincts.
Eve blamed Satan.
Eve blamed Satan.
Victim: How stupid? but also how familiar.
"The devil made me do it" mentality: This is the most direct form of blame, where we attribute our sinful action to being forced or possessed by the devil. Satan is referred to as a tempter, but blaming him removes the individual's free will and responsibility for giving in.
Attributing all negative influences to Satan: Some people blame Satan for influencing their minds with evil or deceptive thoughts. While the Bible describes Satan as a deceiver and liar, a focus on this can lead an individual to neglect their own internal struggles and desires.
Giving Satan more power than he has: By externalizing all sin and evil, people can give Satan more power and control over their lives than theological doctrine suggests he possesses. This approach neglects to acknowledge that every person has the power to resist the devil by drawing closer to God.
Shifting the focus from personal desires: The book of James in the Bible explains that a person is tempted "when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed". Blaming Satan can be a way to avoid facing one's own lusts and weaknesses, which are the true internal source of sin.
All of these blame games are played out every day in our life to no avail but keep us from being open, honest, and accountable for our own sins.
However, this morning we are focused on the Grace of God and not our depravity against God.
However, we must understand our depravity before we can appreciate God’s Grace.
17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
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.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Next week, we will look at the consequences of sin, but this week, I want you to notice, in the curse of Satan, God promises Grace.
Hell is a real place, however, hell is for satan and his followers, not for the repented.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
God Scheduled Their Deliverance
God Scheduled Their Deliverance
14 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:
15 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.
This is the first prophecy in the Bible. The first Gospel message in the Bible, preached by God, Himself.
Everything in prophecy and the remainder of the Bible is wrapped up in this very short sermon.
Prophecy of a Battle!
Prophecy of a Battle!
15 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.
Enmity = “warfare”. In Genesis 3:15, God declared war on Satan. This is a spiritual war played out in the physical realm. A war between righteousness and unrighteousness, between heaven and hell, between good and evil, between light and darkness, between Christ and the Antichrist.
This battle is raging across the entire earth and on American soil right now, as I am pleading with soul, God wants you to feel in your heart, the weight of your sin, the nakedness of your appearance from the fall of the glory in which you were created. God wants you acknowledge in your mind that lack of covering and self diety. The battle is a war that will be fought till death. There will be only one winner, and it’s not the devil, for he has been cursed and his dwelling has been prepared.
The victor is found in Jesus Christ.
Notice the next prophecy.
Prophecy of a Birth!
Prophecy of a Birth!
15 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.
“Between thy seed and her seed” = if you are not careful, you will miss this. If you are careful, you will be complexed.
As you study the Bible, the Bible always speaks of the seed of the man. the seed of a man, more than one hundred times.
It is always speaking of the seed for procreation, found in the man. The egg for fertilization is in the woman.
But in this place, in this place only, it speaks of the seed of the woman.”
What? now you understand the confusion and complexity of the issue.
“her seed” is referring to the virgin birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This virgin birth was also prophesied by Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.
First, God prophecies a Battle, a War, but secondly, God prophecies a Birth. The birth of Jesus Christ, who will become the mighty victor, will destroy the devil. God could have just wiped Satan off the face of the earth. However, God promised a better way. God would become a man. As a man, created in the image, the glory of God, He would destroy Satan.
The Virgin part is very important to the gospel because man destroyed the image of God by eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Therefore, we need a substitute, a man created in the image of God that will die on our behalf to give us Grace. In Isaiah 7:14 the name “Immanuel” means “God with us”. God would send Himself.
We see the Prophecy of a Battle - What is happening?
We see the Prophecy of a Birth - Who will come?
and thirdly, we see a
Prophecy of a Bruising
Prophecy of a Bruising
What will happen?
15 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.
“and thou shalt bruise his head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”
The Incarnation of Jesus Christ:
The Incarnation of Jesus Christ:
Notice the imagery, Serpents strike at the heel of man. Satan slithers around with those fangs filled with venom and latches on to the heel of Jesus Christ hoping to inject the bitter, burning venom of sin.
21 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.
Again, Isaiah prophecies in Isaiah 53:5
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.
Jesus Christ, the precious, perfect, holy Son, Jesus Christ became our Savior when he took the venom of sin on the cross of Calvary.
This happened at the First Coming of Jesus Christ, but look back at verse 15 because this is amazing.
15 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.
Satan will bruise the heel of Christ but notice
The Coronation of Jesus Christ:
The Coronation of Jesus Christ:
The second coming of Christ. Her seed, Jesus Christ will bruise the head of Satan. This is future. How do I know it is future? because the Devil is still very much alive and active working hard in this world today.
Let’s go to the New Testament, after the first coming of Jesus Christ and read the words of Paul to the church at Rome after discussing man’s depravity and God’s grace a great length he finishes with this.
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Now, is it Jesus or us that will bruise Satan’s head? The answer is yes and yes!
After repentance and the accepting of the grace of God, we, as believers, become a part of Christ. We are in Christ and Christ is in us and we will be there to participate with our Lord in that victory.
Listen, because and when Christ reigns, we reign!
You see, as the Body of Christ, we have the heart and love of Christ,
as the Body of Christ, we have the eyes to see and understand as Christ sees and understands.
as the Body of Christ, we have the ears to know and learn as He learns, and listen very carefully.
As the Body of Christ, we have the feet to crush and bruise the devil.
But right quick, lets jump to verse 22 because God demonstrates this grace to Adam and Eve and extends them even more grace.
God Secured Them
God Secured Them
God Clothed Them.
God Clothed Them.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
God took an innocent animal’s life to provide for covering of their nakedness.
22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Repentance + Purification [only obtained by atonement] = Remission [Forgiveness and Forgetting]
You can repent, but without God’s grace, His atonement, no remission is possible.
God can give grace, His atonement, but unless you repent, no remission is possible.
God Confined Them.
God Confined Them.
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Casting man from the presence of the Tree of Life was an act of compassion and grace.
Man is confined to live separated from the presence and love of God.
When God keeps us from something, it is not because He is a killjoy. God is our creator and God knows what is best for us. Therefore, somethings are off limits as children of God.
Grace is what gives us protection.
Grace is what gives us a testimony.
Grace is what gives us fellowship.
One of these days, we will have an opportunity to eat of the Tree of life.
Remember last week, we finished with the church of Laodicean, which was luke warm and made God want to vomit because they were naked and didn’t even know it.
Well this week, we will finish we the letter to the first church. The church of Ephesus.
The Church of Ephesus had lost her first love, Jesus Christ and the grace of the Gospel.
Jesus said,
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
If they repent, Jesus makes a promise.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
John laters mentions in Rev 22:2 when describing the New Heaven and Earth
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
and then Jesus gives an invitation in Revelation 22:17
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
You cannot eat of the Tree of Life until you have drank the water of life.
This morning I am asking you to do as the Adam and Eve did, as the woman at the well did, repent. Admit you are a sinner and call upon the name and sacrifice of your Savior, the seed of woman, Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
Will You Repent?
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
God doesn’t want you to be ashamed, He is offering you grace.
