Saturday, September 15, 2018

Triplets of Faith: Were Adam and Eve Saved?

The common element in different covenants God made with mankind throughout Biblical history is our faith in Him, as reflected in three true Gospels. Faith is our belief in God Whom we cannot see directly (Hebrews 11:1-3), although His creation reflects His excellence (Psalm 19:1). Without this faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). 
 
How do we demonstrate our faith in God?  Faith is manifest in our obedience to Him (1 Samuel 15:22; James 2), yet each of us has disobeyed God (Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3). Sin, or disobedience, is always the result of pride and/or unbelief

Thankfully, God can take the smallest seed of faith we can muster and grow itinto faith that could move mountains (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:5-6). Paradoxically, He shows His love for us by punishing us when we disobey, just as a loving Father does His children (Hebrews 12:5-11).
The specific requirements of what He asked the faithful to believe and to do differed with each covenant, or promise that God made to His chosen people (Hebrews 11). God did not reveal His entire plan of salvation or Who He is all at once (Isaiah 55:9), nor will we able to understand Him in His infinite glory until we see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Despite their disobedience that ultimately led to every person being born with a sin nature (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:18), I believe that Adam and Eve were saved because they knew Who God was, and they obeyed Him before the Fall. They recognized that He created them (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7) and everything else, and that He provided for them (Genesis 1:29; 2:9).

Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, it appears that they enjoyed daily fellowship with Him, speaking with Him as He walked in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). They obeyed God in that Adam named all the animals as God requested, and they both kept and dressed the garden (Genesis 2:15,19-20).

Adam believed what God had done in creating a wife for Him (Genesis 2:21-22), and he recognized the significance of that creation and of their union (Genesis 2:23-24) as one flesh – a forerunner or type of the union between Christ and His Bride the Church (Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-32)

Despite this blissful existence with God in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve fell prey to Satan’s deception when the serpent convinced Eve to disobey God by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-6). God, being holy and just, had to punish their sin (Genesis 3:16-19) and banished them from the Garden of Eden.

Yet their banishment from the garden was for their own salvation, for had they stayed there and eaten of the Tree of Life, they would have lived forever in their sinful, corrupted state, in their aging bodies subject to sickness and pain (Genesis 3:2-24).

In a futile attempt to cover their own sin, symbolized by their nakedness, with their own works, Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together (Genesis 3:7). But God covered their nakedness with animal skins (Genesis 3: 21), representing the blood atonement (Leviticus 17:11), or “scarlet thread,” that would culminate in the shed blood of His Son (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:22).

The perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), not only covered sin but removed it as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). When God looks at all those who place their faith in Christ, He no longer sees their sin, but only the perfect righteousness of His Son (1 Corinthians 1:30; Hebrews 1:8; Philippians 1:11; 3:9).

Although the first couple was cast out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-23), Eve continued to show her faith in God’s promise that her seed would destroy the serpent’s seed (Genesis 3:15; 4:1, 25). Adam’s faith is not spelled out, but he is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:38), suggesting that he was also saved by faith.

The disobedience of Adam and Eve resulted in all their descendants being born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12-14). Except for Jesus Himself, all thereafter sinned and came short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and none has perfectly kept His commandments. So salvation cannot be based on self-righteousness or works, or none would be saved (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, it is based on believing what God has revealed about Himself at that point in history -- believing that He is Who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do.

© 2013 Laurie Collett
Reposted from the archives
children's ministry blogs
Adorned From Above
No Ordinary Blog Hop

10 comments:

Aritha said...

Thank you for this good Bible Study!

Frank E. Blasi said...

Dear Laurie,
How refreshing to read that Adam and Eve were historic people who actually existed!
Unfortunately, there are many who attends church regularly who mythologies the story in favour of believing in evolution, whether theistic or pure Darwinism. And amazingly enough, such people tend to be graduates who holds down professional careers, quite a number I have known personally for years.
As mysteries goes, they say to me that they are Christians and are obeying God, but have never made the connection that if Adam and Eve were fables, so was Jesus Christ himself.
Thank you for your excellent post, reminding us of our true origins.
God bless.

Laurie Collett said...

You're very welcome, and thanks for your comment!
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Dear Frank,
So true, that if we doubt the historical accuracy of Adam and Eve and the literal account of the 6-day creation, then we have no reason to believe in Jesus Christ, His resurrection, His return, or any other Bible truth.
Thanks as always for your insightful comment and God bless,
Laurie

Donald Fishgrab said...

God wants our love, and without a choice, any demonstration of love would be meaningless. Thanks to their choice, Adam and Eve placed each of us in a position of having to make a choice whether to love and obey God or not. While they made a bad choice, God causes it to produce something good for us.

Laurie Collett said...

Amen, Donald! Praise God that He works all things together for good for those who love Him, even thwarting the devil's schemes to ruin us and using it for His purpose. Thanks for your comment and God bless,
Laurie

Brenda said...

Hi Laurie,
all I can say is that God wants all to be saved, and I can not see how God cannot get His own way, What I do find interesting is that in 1Peterchapter 3 there is a reference to Jesus going and making proclamation to the spirits in prison in the time of Noah, and I believe that this shows that all things are possible as there is no time to God. Just as fleshly man can be released from prison, it appears that the spirits of those who have passed away long ago can be too.
God bless Laurie, an interesting subject of discussion.

Laurie Collett said...

Dear Brenda,
Thanks as always for your thought-provoking comment. I believe the Bible teaches that once we pass into eternity, we will have one of two destinations: heaven if we have accepted Jesus Christ, or hell if we have rejected Him. Mark 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.
God bless you,
Laurie

Susan said...

Hi Laurie, I agree that Adam and Eve were real people that were the first ones on earth as stated in the book of Genesis. There are many things that get conjectured beyond what we are told in the Bible, trying to make it fit our human understanding or make it fit the “world view” of how things came to be. I take from the Genesis account just the way it is given. I agree that Adam and Eve were saved through the hardship they had to encounter as a result of their sin. God provided the way for them the same way He does for all who believe Him, and true faith comes from Him. The NT tells us Jesus is THE WAY, so He was the way for them as well because there is only one way to the Father. Beyond that, Jesus will show us more details (maybe) when we leave this world to be with Him. 🙂❤️

Laurie Collett said...

Amen, Susan, to a literal interpretation of the Genesis creation account! Salvation has always been through faith in the One True God, Who is Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and Holy Spirit. When we see Him face to face, I believe we shall understand all the great mysteries and praise Him for His goodness, mercy, love and grace!
God bless,
Laurie