THE DOWNFALL OF MAN

By Jay Pearson

 

I can do has been the downfall of man ever since the devil said you can do. He is still saying the same thing today.

Genesis 3:4-5
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

The first taste of disobedience and its consequence of death remains today, but God is victorious.

Romans 5:17
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.)

The goal of this lesson is to encourage myself and you also to be a more obedient follower of our Lord, Savior, and God, Jesus Christ. Thomas recognized his Lord and God when he stood face to face with the risen Jesus Christ.

John 20:28-29
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Man does not want to acknowledge his need for a savior or God. He measures good according to himself. After his first taste of disobedience to the one true God, his creator, man wants to be his own god and answer only to himself. Since that time man has turned a blind eye to disobedience and followed his own way.

Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Proverbs 21:2
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

You and I should not be surprised by the depravity of man, nor should we slip into his ways. We were forewarned.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The unbelieving man will always challenge your faith and beliefs to justify his own. Man wants to be his own god and answer only to himself. Early in my walk with the Lord, learning his way, and witnessing what I was taught, I’d get this response. “You use Jesus as a crutch.” I would question myself and be offended at the accusation. Then I would sweal up with pride and continue in my own strength. That pride didn’t make a good crutch. Today I would say that the accusation was correct. Yep, I need Jesus as my crutch, he is also my walker, my wheelchair to get me where I need to be. Without this crutch, walker, or wheelchair I would fall flat on my face. We know without Jesus we can do nothing of any value. We have the faith of Jesus Christ and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God.  

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

When someone says I am weak, I think they are seeing me better than they realize. I am weak in myself, but in Christ I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

2 Timothy 2:3
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

We all have troubles, but as Christians we don’t fold in adversity. I learned to play poker at a young age and to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.” We don’t fold unless God says NO.

Enough about me and my past experiences. Let’s talk about us. Jesus is our savior. He saved us from being our own little god and dying the death that it deserves. We needed Jesus to save us then and we need him to save us now when we stumble. He is also our Lord. We need to continually remind ourselves we have relinquished our lordship. We now walk under the Lordship of Christ and his power in his grace, mercy, and peace.
There are many instructions in the Word of God to direct us in our obedience to the Lord. Certainly, our prayer life would be near or at the top of that list.

Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Our prayers should be an expression of our heart with direction from the Holy Spirit. Prayers are for speaking directly to God. It is not a masked demand of any kind nor is it a chain of power. By joining with others in prayer we are showing a unity of the spirit and heart’s desire. The power in prayer is God. It is not in numbers. Our prayer is always thy will be done, not ours. For God’s will, absolutely, will be done. May we share in his glory by acknowledging Him and by loving one another as he loved us. May we share our burdens in His strength. We don’t want to taste disobedience as was in the garden and become little gods, to know good but do evil. Man has always corrupted wisdom with his own way, but this is not our way. Our way is the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are many opportunities in the Bible to follow the Lord in obedience.

John 14:1
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 15:4
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

John 15:12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

The obedience is simple. In the application of obedience there is always resistance. It requires effort to accomplish. This road of obedience isn’t a six-lane super-highway with little or no traffic. It’s a cow-path with "land mines" and potholes, but the roadside is adored with beautiful scenery and shiny things to distract us from our way in the Lord. Jesus leads us with arms wide open to shelter us from the storms of life and supply the strength needed to obey.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Psalm 61:3
For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

John 15:10
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Wow! What an example to follow. May we abide in his love through obedience to his commandments. One of the most important goals in a Christian’s life is heartfelt obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ and his Father. We need to lean on his everlasting arms and stand on the promises of our Lord and resisting all else.

1 Peter 5:6-11
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Obedience frees us from self and joins us to Christ. Yes, we can do all things through Christ. Remember always God is God and we are his.

 

Presented 5 February 2023 in French Settlement, LA

---