What Is the Origin Of My Misery?
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 7/28/2013 AM |
Text: | Ecclesiastes 7; Lord's Day 3 |
Psalters: | 227, 338, 37, 23 |
- We cannot blame the good God because He created man good, without sin and misery.
- God?s creation of man was especially good because man was God?s highest creature.
- Physically, mentally, psychologically, and spiritually man is a most remarkable creature (able to bear God?s image).
- And man was created so he had a relationship to God.
- God made man ?in His own image,? i.e., like God, ?looked? like God spiritually.
- God?s creation of man was especially good because man was God?s highest creature.
- Man?s sin and misery had its origin in us, i.e., in our first father?s willful and deliberate fall into sin.
- Our problem is not that we have bad parents, bad schools, bad friends, or bad circumstances.
- Our fundamental problem is that we have a bad heart; and we all are born with it.
- We are so bad that we only sin always, and are unable to do anything truly good in God?s sight.
- Adam was created fallible (lapsible), i.e., he was able to fall from this lofty position.
- Adam was created with a morally free will, i.e., he was spiritually free either to love God or to hate Him.
- God placed before Adam two trees which were the occasion for him to express his free will.
- Sin came when Adam, of his own will, deliberately chose to disobey God and determine good and evil for himself.
- Satan, in the form of the serpent (Rev. 12:9; 20:2), deceived Adam?s helpmate so he could use her as an ally.
- Adam knowingly (he was not deceived) ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree, making his choice (I Tim. 2:14).
- Our problem is not that we have bad parents, bad schools, bad friends, or bad circumstances.
- To what extent are we naturally sinners?
- Adam and Eve immediately knew guilt, worthy of the punishment of death.
- He immediately knew spiritual separation from God?s love and favor (removed from the Tree of Life).
- The power of spiritual death began to rule in them so that they were filled with carnal lust and wanted to do only evil.
- Adam?s fall into sin had bitter consequences for all mankind, for God appointed Adam representative and father of all.
- It brought sin and death to all mankind (I Cor. 15: 21,22; Romans 5:12).
- Now we are, by nature, wholly incapable of doing any good and are inclined to all wickedness (totally depraved).
- The only hope of escape is from outside of ourselves: the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ.
- Learn that in Christ there is forgiveness of all our sin and guilt, and He has the power to remove sin?s dominion over us.
- Jesus does this by regenerating us, re-creating us in the image of God (now the image of Christ).
- Adam and Eve immediately knew guilt, worthy of the punishment of death.