Thursday, May 26, 2022.

Topic: Spiritual Death.

Scripture References: Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:8 to 10 & Galatians 5:19 to 22.

Exposition: God’s first command to man was on life and death. As with all of God’s subsequent commandments, there were blessings and repercussions for disobedience. All earthly goods and pleasures were at man’s disposal, except this one tree which was forbidden. God placed man in the garden to be obedient servants, warning them that what lies before them was life and death, depending on whether they obeyed the commandment. A popular question asked is; God knew man would sin against Him so why did He allow it? There have been several responses to this question but one thing is sure, God wanted man to love and obey freely and willingly. Remember man was made in the likeness of God; God has a will and needed to put man in a situation that He could make a choice whether to obey Him at his own will or not. Man was not created to be programmed by commands like a robot would, rather as God, to decide to choose between good and bad. Man was going to be like God in being able to discern good and evil if the fruit from the tree He prohibited was eaten.

Sin started as a voluntary separation of humankind from God. God did not tempt man with evil, and He does not tempt anyone. There is one basic truth, obedience leads to blessings, and disobedience leads to judgment. When man finally disobeyed God, he became like Him in being able to distinguish between good and evil, but unlike God as he lost sinless state and eventually died.

As a result of Adam’s fall from the beginning, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Human race inherited this nature from our first parents Adam and Eve but thanks be to God that there was a redemptive plan for Human race; Jesus Christ who came to die for our sins so now we do not live in our sinful nature but we have now adopted God’s righteousness again.

Prayer Guide: Thank you Lord for having another plan for me even in my depraved nature Christ died for my sins. Help me to remain under this grace. Amen.

Memory Verse For This Week: Psalms 91: 1 & 2- “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”