God and Man

THE STORY

The Bible has only one story: the story of God and man, of God's dealings and struggle with man. The Bible is a portrait of human history, a plot where man struggles to be his own master, ruling his own life and the lives of others, and doing his own thing, committing all kinds of evil ranging from murder, enslaving people, and cursing God over to just telling "little white lies" and deceiving people. The Bible reveals a true picture of man, where man is seen making a mess of things, but God in His love intervenes and saves man. How God intervenes time and again and saves man is the story of the Bible. God's supreme intervention and salvation in human affairs is seen in the promised seed—the Savior and Messiah of the world—Jesus Christ. The coming of Jesus Christ into the world is the great subject of the Bible. But there is another major subject seen in the Bible as well: the great struggle of Satan where he is seen fighting against God and His purposes for man.

In fact, the Bible reveals three great struggles operating in human history. The great story of the Bible can be seen by studying these three great struggles: one visible, one invisible, and one redemptive.

⇒ God and Man: The Visible Struggle

⇒ God and Satan: The Invisible Struggle

⇒ God and Man and Satan: The Redemptive Struggle

I. God and Man: The Visible Struggle

The struggle between God and man is a visible struggle, a conflict that every person experiences within his heart and mind every day of his life. Every temptation—whether thought or act—arouses the struggle within us, the struggle to follow God or self, to do right or wrong, to reject the temptation or to give in to it, to obey God or to disobey God. This struggle between God and man has existed from the beginning of human history. The pivotal points of the struggle are clearly seen in the Bible.

1. Adam and Eve: Man's perfect relationship with God was broken by man (Genesis 1-3).

a. The Perfect Relationship (Genesis 1-2). When God created man, God's purpose was to shower man with His love, goodness, and grace. Therefore, God put man in the paradise of God, the Garden of Eden, and established a perfect relationship with man. Man's responsibility was to keep the relationship alive. The way chosen to maintain the relationship with God was to obey God (Genesis 2:15-17). If man disobeyed God, man would be showing distrust and unbelief in God, thereby rejecting God and severing the relationship. The consequences for such disobedience was death, which meant both physical and eternal death, an eternal separation from God. For an unknown period of time, man walked as God willed, obeying and keeping the relationship alive. Man was unselfish, obeying God in all things. Man loved, worshipped, and served God; and he shared in God's love, goodness, and grace.

b. The Broken Relationship (Genesis 3:1-7). But the day came when man chose to disobey God. He chose to do as he willed and to walk as he wanted. Man became selfish: he rebelled against God and rejected God and His Word. He broke fellowship; he severed the perfect relationship with God. The penalty for disobedience had been pronounced (Genesis 2:17). Now the penalty took effect: man's perfect relationship with God was severed; man was separated from God and doomed to die both physically and eternally (Genesis 3:22-24; cp. John 5:24; Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23; 1 Tim. 5:6; Ephes. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13; Hebrews 9:27; Ezekiel 18:4, 20).

Genesis 3:6 (HCSB) 6  Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate ⌊it⌋; she also gave ⌊some⌋ to her husband, ⌊who was⌋ with her, and he ate ⌊it⌋. Verse six is a foundational verse in the Bible for it contains the factors involved in the first temptation, failure, and sin of the human race. John said that the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are not of the Father, but of the world (1 Jn. 2:16). These elements are found here along with other insights.

The Lust of the Flesh: Eve sees that this tree is good for food, appealing to her flesh. Eve positioned herself to fall. She should have steered clear of that tree. Our problem is the same. We struggle with sin because we make provision for it to fulfill our lust and desires (Rom. 13:14). Paul admonishes us to walk in the Spirit and we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). If we sow to the flesh we reap corruption (Gal. 6:8). Eve ruined her life because she sowed to the flesh.

The Lust of the Eyes: The Bible says the tree was pleasant to the eyes. The lust of our eyes leads to impurity (Matt. 5:28). Lot's downfall accelerated as he lifted his eyes and chose the plains of Sodom (13:14). Potiphar's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and desired him (39:7). Turn your eyes from beholding evil (Ps. 119:37). Be careful what you watch.

The Pride of Life: Eve desired the tree to make herself wise. She desired to be like God. Satan appealed to her pride and won. Pride was the sin of the angels of heaven. The men at the Tower of Babel wanted to make themselves a name (11:4) Their pride corrupted them. Ham's pride caused him to brag about seeing his father's nakedness (9:22). The pride of Jacob's sons motivated them to destroy Joseph (37:20), and the pride of Potiphar's wife compelled her to sexually conquer Joseph, but she failed (39:10). Our pride will destroy us and cause us to fail (Prov. 16:18). God resists the proud (James 4:6).

Our choices in life as Christians should be based on God's Word. Stay in the Word of God each day. Choose you this day whom ye will serve (Josh. 24:15).

A Wrong Goal: The goal of Satan was to ruin Adam and Eve. He accomplished this by tempting Eve to have the wrong goal of wanting to be like God. When our priorities get mixed up, our goals in life are rearranged too. Instead of being content, Eve felt she was being cheated. Her attitude affected her desires in life. She had to be like God, even if it meant disobeying Him.

Wrong goals ruin our relationship with our Redeemer. What are your priorities and goals? Is one of them to live and serve Jesus Christ daily? Paul pressed for the mark or goal of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Eve fell and now tempts Adam with the forbidden fruit and her relationship with Adam. Unless Adam disobeys, their relationship will be strained or broken. Adam's choice breaks his close fellowship with God. Adam wasn't deceived, however. He sinned with his eyes wide open.

Eve in the Garden of Eden bought into the deception of Satan.

Genesis 3:

SATAN HITS US WITH DOUBT:

The devil said, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

SATAN HITS US WITH DENIAL:

Eve replies: “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ Satan denied the truth of God’s word: “You will not surely die.”

SATAN HITS US WITH DECEIT : Satan says to Eve, “God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan used deceit to confound Eve and confuse Eve, and catch Eve. He used a little truth mixed with poisonous venom that brought a curse to every person that has ever lived. Satan can cause us to doubt God’s word, deny God’s word, and he will deceive us about God’s word. Proverbs 30:5-6 says, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 6Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.”

c. The Restored Relationship (Genesis 3:8-24). However, God, who is love, intervened and sought man. When God found man, He promised to save man and to restore the perfect relationship through the seed of the woman, the Savior of the world, who was to be the Lord Jesus Christ.

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - Genesis I.

Treasures From the Scriptures - Treasures from Genesis.

The Jack Andrews Expository Studies - Spiritual Warfare: Studies from Ephesians 6.