Post #1 The Doctrine of Original Sin - Four fall-like events in the Book of Genesis and an introduction to Adam's Fall

 

Introduction: Four Fall-like events in the Book of Genesis

    The Book of Genesis presents to us four fall-like events. 

1. The first is Satan’s Fall, wherein sin had its beginning. Old Testament passages such as Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-16 each begin with God's judgment pronounced on certain kings, with the judgment speech switching to the primordial fall of Lucifer to become Satan. I take this first fall-like event to have occurred between the "white-space" of Genesis 2:25 and Genesis 3:1.      

    The seventeenth century theologian Thomas Watson in his "Body of Divinity" summarizes this initial cosmic fall:

 The origin of sin, from whence it comes. It fetches its pedigree from hell; sin is of the devil. 1 John 3:3 ‘He that committeth sin is of the devil.’ Satan was the first actor of sin, and the first tempter to sin. Sin is the devil’s first-born. 

2. The second fall-like event, which will be the focus of today's post and the next several, is the fall-like event most familiar to students of the Bible - namely the fall of Adam and his wife in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. 

    Sin was sourced in Satan, and then became distributed through our first parents. As we shall see in later posts, Adam and Eve were like gateways through which sin was distributed to the human race and onto the whole physical creation (1 Corinthians 15:20-22; Romans 5:12-21; Romans 8:21-25). 

3. The third fall-like event occurred in the events that led to God judging the world with the world-wide flood (Genesis 6-9). 

4. The fourth fall-like event we find in the book of Genesis is that of the Tower of Babel incident, recorded in Genesis 11:1-9. 

    All four of these fall-like events, with Adam's fall being most prominent, function together to explain what theologians call "the noetic effects of the fall", that is, the decay, moral ruin, spiritual darkness, and posture of judgment by God upon the fallen race of Adam. 

Why Adam's Fall is important to understanding the significance of Christ's accomplished work of salvation as the second Adam

    It is against such an otherwise bleak backdrop that God's redemptive plan of salvation, no doubt planned between the Father and Son before time began (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2), and worked forth through God's covenants with Eve (Genesis 3:15,20-21), Noah (Genesis 8-9), Abraham (Genesis 12; 17; 22), David (2 Samuel 7:13-16), the New Covenant itself (Jeremiah 31:31-34), would be revealed and worked out in history. 

    When a Jeweler wants to accentuate the beauty of a gem, they'll place it on a dark cloth. God's decree to permit sin to intrude into His creation was part of His plan. The 1689 2nd London Baptist Confession, in its sixth article, first paragraph, summarizes:

"which God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory."

    God permits what He hates to achieve the great good He intended (see Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23-24; Romans 8:28). God is not the author of evil. The Westminster Confession of Faith, in its third article "Of God's Eternal Decree", paragraph one, summarizes with Scripture proofs:

"God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: (Eph. 1:11, Rom. 11:33, Heb. 6:17, Rom. 9:15,18) yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, (James 1:13,17, 1 John 1:5) nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. (Acts 2:23, Matt. 17:12, Acts 4:27–28, John 19:11, Prov. 16:33)"

    As we understand how God had already foreknown of the intrusion of sin into our world, we come to realize that the Father, Son, and Spirit had planned the redemption needed to counteract the evils of sin and its effects on the human race and creation. The Son Himself came as the Father's appointed Redeemer, the Son of God incarnate, Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:21-23; John 1:14; Titus 2:11-13; 1 Peter 3:18). 

    Other New Testament passages bear-out that the incarnation of the Son of God to be a man. Jesus came as "the Second Adam" (Romans 5:12-14; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47). Christ's perfect life, substitutionary death on the cross, glorious resurrection, and ascension is contrasted with the failure of the first Adam. Christ came to undo what had been done by Adam, as well as to destroy the work of the Evil one who tempted our original parents (Hebrews 2:11-15; 1 John 3:8).  

The importance of studying the Fall of Adam 

      As we turn our attention to Adam's fall in Genesis 3, we cannot overemphasize the importance of that chapter in Genesis. One writer has noted, 

“Genesis 3 is unquestionably one of the most important chapters in God’s revealed Word. Without the historical record of the plight of man, and indeed all the trouble in the world caused by sin, would be an unfathomable riddle.”

    In the church I pastor, our children have been studying through Adam Murrell's "Young Baptist Catechism". In that work, questions pertaining to Adam's fall are asked.

Question 29: Did all mankind fall in Adam’s Sin? 

Answer: All mankind, descending from Adam, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 

Question 30: Into what state did the fall bring mankind? 

Answer: The fall brought mankind into a state of sin and misery.

        These questions, and the foregoing introduction, serve to get our thoughts in gear a closer look at the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. In this post and the next, we are going to understand Adam’s Fall through what is called the doctrine of original sin.

The Fight Of Your Life - An Exposition Of Romans 7:7-25

Romans 7:14 "For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin."

Introduction: The Christian Is In For The Fight Of Their Life

When we pass through the start of Paul's discussion of sanctification in Romans 6:1-7:6, we understand the urgency to understand our Christian identity. The blueprints of Christian growth following one's justification by faith are laid out in those verses. We find that not only is our relationship to Jesus Christ changed relative to pre-conversion versus post-conversion, but our relationship to sin is changed as well. Romans 7:1-6 illustrates Paul's discussion in Romans 6 by showing how the believer in Jesus Christ break with the former life before Christ is likened unto the death of an old spouse. Freedom enters into the picture, meaning that the Christian is free to live rightly for God. 

The design of sanctification has been laid out by the Apostle. The question of the hour is of course: "what will occur when the Christian is put into the context of working out their salvation with the internal conflict of left-over indwelling sin and this new-found nature in Jesus Christ? It is in answering this question that we will consider what I'm calling: "the fight of your life".

What Life Is Like Before Salvation With Respect To Sin And God's Law


As we come to The Holy Spirit's ongoing discussion of the victorious Christian life through the pen of Paul, we see Paul sharing his pre-conversion life in Romans 7:7-13.  Recognizing who he was before Christ, Paul changes the tenses of his verbs from "things that were" to "things that are now" in his life. Why does Paul first mention his life before salvation in Jesus Christ? The mention of the law of God in these verses serves to remind us of the one way we become aware of the fact that sin is sin. 

Much like traffic traveling down the interstate, many of the drivers will travel above the speed limit. However, whenever a police cruiser is sitting along the highway or is in their midst, all the drivers suddenly become "law-abiding" citizens. Why? The presence of the "law", so-to-speak, heightens the work of the consciences of the drivers, reminding them to "slow-down". Does it follow that the absence of the police officer meant that speeding was any less unlawful? Not at all. But now consider the funny thing that happens when the officer is seen by the drivers. Some of them will feel resentful, and the impulse will still be to try to speed! 

Is it the officer's fault if they still speed? Not at all. Rather, the presence of the "law" stirs up the impulse to want to rebel against authority. That impulse and bent toward unlawfulness was in that driver already. 

Paul's mention of his interior spiritual condition before salvation (and really, the spiritual conditions of all human beings born into this world) reveals the treachery of sin. God is not to blame for the sinner's sin. Rather, the sinner is the source of blame. Before we can ever get saved, we must first see that were lost. Sinners are in a war but don't know they are fighting on the side of the enemy. Only when we see sin as sin will we see it as our enemy. This determination, only made possible by the Holy Spirit working His convicting work through God's Word or Law will bring this point to roost in the heart of the sinner. 

The Fight For One's Sanctification Begins From The Moment Of Justification or Salvation


A wise pastor once told me that in order to understand the ramifications of Christian sanctification in Romans 6, you have to grasp the conflict of it in Romans 7 in order to experience the victory of it Romans 8. As Christians, we would prefer, I think, to skip having to fight the world, the flesh and the Devil (see 1 John 2:14-17) and just get on in becoming more like Jesus. Scripture of course doesn't portray Christian growth in this way. The Christian life is not to be conceived as developing in a serene, sterile test-tube environment free from conflict. 

As we look at Romans 7:7-13 and Romans 7:14-25, we see two pictures: Pre-conversion life and Post-conversion life.  We've looked briefly at what Paul is trying to point out concerning pre-conversion life. But what about post-conversion Christian life? We discover that having switched sides in the great spiritual battle between God's Kingdom and Satan's parasite kingdom, the Christian is tossed into a major struggle. 

In Romans 7:14-25 Paul is describing his Christian life as a boxing ring, wherein two opponents are sparing with one another.  There is "the law of sin" or "the old man, nature" (7:23) versus "the law of my mind", the "inner man" or the operations of the new nature in Christ. (7:22)  As you go down through this verse, Paul describes the interior of His Christian life in relationship to sin:

7:15 "For I am doing the very thing I hate"

7:18 "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not."

7:19 "For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want"

7:22 "for I joyfully concur with the law of God in my inner man"

7:23 "but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war..."

Clearly there is conflict, a 12-round all and all out fight.  The underlined phrases tells us that sinning for the Christian  is a matter of choice.  To sin as a Christian is not "I have to", but rather "I want to".  Even the Great Apostle Paul dealt with this inner boxing ring. Christians are by position and experience counting themselves dead to the voice of the sin still resident in their flesh (please read Romans 6:11). However that voice that needles daily in their "old man", if not dealt with and regarded as dead by the believer, will as it were get off the cross and attempt to live. The fight is on. 

Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world

In the context of Romans 6,7 and 8 we discover one important truth about this boxing match in the Christian life: greater is the Holy Spirit that is in me than Satan that is in the world (see 1 John 5:4-5). Paul's argument, though showing the boxing match between "the old man" and "the inner man", reveals that the inner-man (that is, me in the the Lord and the Lord in me, my new nature) is much stronger and more skilled than the old man (the left-over remnants of sin that plague me in my sanctification).  The Holy Spirit says through the Apostle John in 1 John 4:4 "greater is He that is in you, and he that is in the world".  The argument carries on into Romans 8 and we read in Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death."  

So is there a boxing ring in the Christian?  Undoubtedly!  Are the opponents evenly matched? Hardly.  My inner man has with Him God the Holy Spirit, living in and through me and expressing Himself by way of my mind, emotions and will.  Even though the presence of sin is still in me, it is weakened and its power to utterly imprison me was taken away.  

Closing thoughts and final applications

Today we have focused upon expounding on Romans 7:7-25. We've considered the fight one has in wrestling with the left-over remnants of sin whilst having the internal new nature acquired in saving faith. The Christian life is an ongoing-internal boxing match. The question is: when it is all said and done, how can one get through to victory? Consider the following three exhortations for our application:

1. Determine your enemy: sin. Romans 7:7-13

2. Determine to fight sin. Romans 7:14-20

3. Determine to win against sin in Jesus. Romans 7:21-25

The argument of Romans 6 for the victorious Christian life requires the conflict of Romans 7 to demonstrate that victorious Christian living is a real thing and not a fiction of some pious imagination. Its not easy, but it is worth it. Let's fight the good fight of faith!

Getting A Handle On Romans 7:7-25

Romans 7:7-9 "What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died."

Introduction:

In our last post we considered the wider context of Romans 6,7 and 8. We noted four "r's" that can aid us in keeping Paul's main argument in mind: realities of our Christian identity; responsibilities of the Christian flowing from such identity; wrestlings internal to the Christian and the rights of sonship. The third of these "r's" will be our focus, since in Romans 7:7-25 we see the Apostle Paul zeroing in on what exactly is experienced by the Christian in their daily struggles with and against sin. As the Bible Knowledge Commentary notes on its introduction to the main issues of Romans 7:

"It is one thing for a believer to understand that his identification with Jesus Christ means that he has died to sin (6:2) and to count or reckon that to be true (6:11). But it is something else for him to deal with the sin nature that remains within and its efforts to express itself in his thoughts and actions. This is the internal conflict in the area of sanctification that every believer faces."

The Struggle To Rightly Interpret Romans 7:7-25

Ironically, the subject matter of Romans 7:7-25, namely the wrestlings of sin and righteousness inside every Christian, has led to another type of wrestling: namely, how to rightly interpret this chapter. John Hart in Biblia Theca Sacra, Vol. 170, pg 318-319, July-September 2013, identifies the three historic categories of interpretation:

(a) a believer’s experience (for example, Paul at maturity or pious Israelites under the law)

(b) an unbeliever’s experience (Paul [primarily in vv. 7-13], Paul and every human in Adam, or historical Israel under law)

(c) the experience of both believer and unbeliever.

Space and time does not permit me to chase down all of the streets and allies of the discussion. In future posts I hope to deal with the details of this very important conversation. Safe-to-say, how one interprets Romans 7:7-25 will determine how they grasp the presence of still-indwelling sin in the Christian life. If one goes with "option a", then Paul is describing the difference of experiences between an "immature believer" in Romans 7:7-13 and a "mature believer" in Romans 7:14-25. If one chooses "option b", then Romans 7 is chiefly talking about the "pre-conversion" life, followed by a final mention of someone who has been converted. Option "c" seems to nuance the second option and appears to be a most straight-forward handling of the text. For sake of time and space, this writer finds option "c" to be the most satisfactory in the handling of the chapter. The Holman New Testament Commentary summarizes this option:

"The best assumption to be made concerning the entirety of Romans 7:7–25 is that it is divided into two sections (as mentioned above): the value of the law and the conflict with the law. Again, this is easily the plainest way to view the past tense verbs in verses 7–13 and the present tense verbs in verses 14–25. He seems to be referring to his past experience in coming to a realization of sin through the law in verses 7–13, and his ongoing experience in wrestling with what the law continues to reveal in him in verses 14–25. In both cases, the law is “good” (vv. 12, 16). In the first case, the law aids in his salvation; in the second, the law aids in his sanctification."

Dr. John MacArthur also favors Romans 7:7-13 speaking of Paul's experience or the general experience one has before salvation with respect to the law, followed by conversion and the struggle with internal sin depicted in Romans 7:14-25. MacArthur states in one of his sermons on this text:

"When he was talking about himself before his conversion it was past tense. Verse 9, "I was once alive." This is in the past. "And then I died when I truly saw myself in the Law as a sinner, crushed under the weight of the Law," of course that's what led him to salvation. He's describing how it was in the past in verses 7 to 13 and all of a sudden the verbs come into the present tense. I am...verse 14, I do not, I am, I am doing, I do, I agree, I am the one doing it, I know, I wish, I'm doing, I find, I joyfully concur, I see...all present tense. This is post-conversion in the immediate presence. And there's a change also in the circumstance. Verses 7 to 13, "Sin killed him." 

MacArthur continues:

"Here he is pictured fighting with sin and refusing to give in. There's a sense in which our sin does kill us at our salvation. We die in Christ to rise in newness of life. And yet there's a sense in which even now in our new life we go on fighting with sin, refusing to give in. So this is Paul's testimony as a Christian. And it's very, very important for us to understand that because what's here is what we live with every day...every day."

Suggesting An Outline Of Romans 7:7-25

As we close out today's post, let's consider a proposed outline to get a handle on Romans 7:7-25. It is fair to say that Romans 7 is among the more difficult chapters to interpret in God's Word. Thankfully, when we consider it in its wider context, and compare scripture with other scripture, we can arrive at what appears to be a satisfactory understanding of the text. Again, how we get a hold of Paul's key argument in Romans 7:7-25 will determine how we understand the Christian's daily struggle with indwelling sin as they strive to grow in Christian sanctification. Below I will close out with the following simple outline:

1. The Pre-conversion life (of Paul and all of us). Romans 7:7-13

2. The Post-conversion life (of Paul and every Christ-follower). Romans 7:14-20

3. The Pre-heaven hope (of Paul and every Christ-follower). Romans 7:21-25. 

Understanding the creation of man, his fall and need for salvation

Genesis 1:26-28 - Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Introduction

Today's post aims to summarize what the Bible teaches about God's creation of human beings, their fall into sin and the hope of salvation. 

God made human beings

God made man out of the dust of the ground and endowed him with the capacity for a relationship with him. The former expresses man as a living soul in a physical body that expresses himself volitionally, emotionally and mentally (Genesis 2:7). The latter part of this statement is described in Genesis 1:26-28 as man being made in God’s image and likeness and endowed with the capacity for relationship, exercise of dominion and thus God’s co-regent here on earth (Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8). 

This creation of man did not derive from the mechanism of biological macro-evolution, natural selection or genetic mutation of interrelated species of monkeys and apes. Rather, the original Man and woman were unique creations of God that were spiritually unique from the rest of the animal kingdom. All subsequent generations are descended from Adam and Eve and still bear the image of God with respect to their still being accountable to Holy God despite the fall of our original parents.

Man rebelled against God, resulting in spiritual separation from God and the need for salvation

The fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden stands as ground zero for the entry of sin into the human race (Romans 5:12-21). All of Adam’s posterity has inherited his original disposition to think and act contrary to God’s will in favor of their own. When we speak of “nature”, we are referring to the manner in which a living being expresses its existence. 

When sin was introduced into the human race, the chief mode of expression would go from being “able not to sin” to that of “unable not to sin”. Another writer has noted that prior to the fall, man was morally and spiritually curved outward towards God, with Adam’s sin resulting in us becoming curved inward to ourselves. David describes this situation as having been conceived in iniquity or “a long-standing sin-pattern” in his mother’s womb (Psalm 51). Numerous times we read in the books of Kings and Chronicles of certain kings or peoples doing the sins of their fathers. The New Testament echoes this emphasis of inherited sin by classifying a non-redeemed state as having a “worthless way of conduct handed down to us by our fathers” (1 Peter 1:17-18). 

The whole race of humanity is morally, spiritual and intellectually compromised and dead to the desire for God (Romans 3:10-13; Ephesians 2:1-2, 12). Mankind is incapable of redeeming itself and chooses to exchange God for anything else in the created realm and pursue their own desires (Romans 1:18-31). Though each man is responsible for his own sin (Ezekiel 18:20-24; Acts 13:46-47), it is clear that the pattern and propensity to sin derives from our original parents as a result of God’s curse (Genesis 3:17-19).

When man sinned – three problems or crises resulted – namely  moral, legal and spiritual ramifications that define what it means to be separated from the life of God. With respect to the moral crisis brought about by our inherited and preferential dispositions for sin over God – we cannot do anything to morally make ourselves appealing to God. The most common words for sin in both the Old and New Testament both refer to “falling short” or “missing the mark” (Romans 3:23). God is too holy to condone and look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). Lest God intervened, there would be zero chance for man to cross the vast chasm between himself and God. In addition to our moral predicament, there is clearly a spiritual crisis that compounds our separation from the life of God prior to salvation. Human beings in their natural unredeemed state balk at God’s Word (1 Corinthians 2:14); have no hope in this world or the next (Ephesians 2:12); are darkened in their understanding and are sons of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-2) and choose to run from God (Romans 3:10-13).

The spiritual separation from the life of God is a direct result of mankind’s preference for darkness rather than light (John 3:17-19). Henceforth in addition to man’s moral and spiritual predicament we come to the third crisis of human beings that defines their separation from the life of God – namely their legal crisis. The Bible affirms that human beings are not right with God – i.e unrighteous (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23; 6:23). 

The only solution to reconciling a fallen human being to God - redemption by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone

The law of God is God’s written revelation of His absolute righteousness – which alone makes anyone acceptable in his sight. No one can measure up to such an unreachable standard – which is why God chose to send His Son into the world to die for sinners (John 3:16). As unreconciled people, sinful man needs reconciled to Holy God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ by saving faith. To reject God’s provision and not to receive such by faith renders the individual condemned already (John 3:36). 

Sin is Spiritual Leprosy

Leviticus 13:1-2 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2“When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests.

Whenever you hear words like "cancer" or "AIDS", instant images and dread grips the mind.  In human history we have read about diseases that turned into outright plagues - killing millions of people.  However there is one disease that has killed billions - the S-I-N virus. 

In Leviticus 13, 14 and 15 we see the profane nature of sin illustrated by God in three sets of instructions given to His people.  I would classify Leviticus 13,14,and 15 as among the more grossest chapters to read - however that estimation is how we should regard sin.  Sin should repulse us - just like the three word pictures employed by Moses: Leprosy (Leviticus 13); Mold (Leviticus 14) and Uncleanliness (Leviticus 15). 

What kind of disease was leprosy, and how does it picture sin?
Various commentators have attempted to identify what exactly Moses was referring to when God gave sanitary laws dealing with leprous infections.  Some have suggested the dreaded "Hansen's" disease or what is known as modern day leprousy, where quite literally the human body destroys itself.  Others have suggested various skin ailments.  Whatever the disease may be, we do know that the disease followed a predicted pattern and produced definite outcomes.  By viewing these outcomes, we can see why God used this disease in Leviticus 13 to illustrate sin as "spiritual leprosy".  Note the five characteristics of sin as spiritual leprosy:

1. Like leprosy, sin deteriorates.  Leviticus 13:1-13

2. Like leprosy, sin debilitates.  Leviticus 13:14-28

3. Like leprosy, sin deforms. Leviticus 13:29-37

4. Like leprosy, sin destroys. Leviticus 13:38-46

5. Like leprosy, sin defiles. Leviticus 13:47-52

As you read through Leviticus 13, though you are reading about a serious disease dealt with back in the days of ancient Israel, you are ultimately getting a word picture of why it is sin must be hated and why only God in Christ can provide the cure. Throughout the scriptures, leprosy, though not in every case, was nonetheless used on occassion to illustrate sinful rebellion.  Gehazi in 2 Kings 5:27 and Uzziah in 2 Kings 15:5 both broke out in leprosy for their rebellion against God and His authority. 

Leprosy was virtually incurable, and in human terms was incurable by human medicine.  Only God could cure the leper. God healed the Syrian general Naaman in 2 Kings 5 and Jesus healed lepers in Matthew 8:1-13 and Luke 17:11-19. Like the leprosy in those cases, our sin and shame before a Holy God can only be dealt with effectively through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:24 states - "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."