Creation
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Thou hast set our iniquities before thee,
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. |
Psalm 139 makes us to realize just how thoroughly God really knows us. He sees all! He hears all! He even knows our every thought! God is OMNIPRESENT - everywhere at the same time. There is nowhere we can go to escape from His presence. Some think they have cleverly hid their secret sins. They are confident that their sins are safely hid, that nobody knows what they have done. But, as we can see from God’s Word, all things will be brought to light. So, don’t try to hide your
sins. Come to the Lord and confess them - and forsake them! This is the way to
find peace and victory. |
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Woe unto them that seek deep
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Some may feel confident
that nobody sees them, that nobody knows what they’re doing - but they fail to
realize that God is watching all the time! |
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Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed;
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God fills the universe! Even the night is as light to the Lord. Someone may feel their
works are hid in the dark - but the Lord sees as clearly in the dark as He does
in the light. They may feel they’ve got things well hid, that nobody knows anything about their secret sin - BUT ... ..nothing will be left hid
forever. |
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Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD,
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After they ate the
forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve realized that they were naked - and they tried to
cover their shame. |
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And the eyes of them both were opened,
Unto Adam also and to his wife |
But God didn’t accept their covering. Making their own covering and trying to hide from God wasn’t repentance from sin. We find later where God had
to provide an acceptable covering for their sin - verse 21: the first mention
of blood sacrifice in the Scriptures. |
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He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:
The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
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How often man tries to
cover his sins and hide from God. There’s no point in trying to conceal sin,
nor to try to hide from God: |
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| And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die:
and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Genesis 25:32-33
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Sin done in secret! No matter how sin is committed - it will be exposed! Cain killed his brother under the impulse of the moment. There are others in the Word who were just as hasty to commit sin, believing it was hid from all: Esau sold his birthright merely to have something to satisfy his appetite. My, just over a greed for food! Many compromise, going places where they ought not to be as Christians, just because of the promise of having a good meal. What will they do when it
comes down to the mark of the beast? Will they take the mark so they can buy
and sell? or will they trust the Lord? Will they sell their birthright just to
eat? Are they going to give up their faith in God and take that mark? If they
do, they’ll lose out. |
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| And they said one to another,
We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. Genesis 42:21
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Joseph's brothers thought their sin against him had been forgotten. It took years for their sin to be found out. They had lied to their father, telling him that Joseph was dead - but, eventually, the truth came out. Like Joseph’s brothers, it takes years for some hidden things to be brought out in the open - but, one day, as God said, they shall not be hid. You may be like Cain, thinking your sin was committed in secret. You may think that even God wasn’t aware of it! You may do as Esau, and compromise to satisfy the lusts of the flesh. Or, you may be like
Joseph’s brothers, having your sin concealed for years - and, then, suddenly
made known. |
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Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, |
The Apostle Paul declares that Adam was a type of Christ - a figure of Him who was to come. Adam had been given dominion over this world - but, through his willful disobedience, the devil took it from him. Yes, Adam had the dominion which God gave him, and he lost it through sin. Then the devil took control. But Jesus Christ bought
back the dominion, bringing us back to God. |
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| I am he that
liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation 1:18 |
Jesus has gained back the dominion. The earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1). No longer do we have to be under the devil’s dominion. Jesus not only redeemed us
from under the curse of sin. He bought us with a great price: His shed Blood (I Corinthians
6:19,20). What suffering He had to go through in order to buy us
back!
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And so it is written,
Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
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THE FIRST ADAM THE LAST ADAM The last Adam refers to Jesus Christ. We are told that He is a quickening spirit - a life giver. Yes, in Christ, we find life. THE FIRST: earthy THE SECOND: heavenly We NOW bear image of the earthy! We WILL bear image of the heavenly! One day, we will put off this earthly, natural body - and receive a new, heavenly, spiritual body. The Scriptures would tell us that when we see Him we shall be like Him. Jesus said that in the
resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the
angels of God in heaven (Matthew 22:23-30). |
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But now is Christ risen from the dead,
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People lose sleep worrying about things that are yet to come, things that are way down to road. They fear they won’t have enough to live on in twenty years - when they may not even be around in twenty years! Don’t put your faith and trust in your bank account. Don’t put your faith and trust in the government. Put your faith and trust in God. The government may fail, your bank account may not be there: but God’s Word endures forever. You often find those who
have saved and saved for retirement - only to pass away before they get to
spend any of their savings. |
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For all flesh is as grass, |
Life is brief. Life seems like such a long time when we’re young. We get bored so easily, not knowing what to do with all that time. But, as we grow older, we soon realize just how brief our lives really are. We spend years raising our family. Finally, they’re all grown and out on their own. We feel that we now have time to enjoy life - but, just about then, it abruptly comes to an end! Let’s spend our days
wisely, making each day count for eternity. |
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For all our days are passed away in thy wrath:
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We are promised 70 years, with 10 years added by reason of strength. Thus, as a child of God, we can expect to live until we are at least 70. Those who live beyond that age are really living on borrowed time - especially if they live past 80. | ||
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My days are like a shadow that
declineth; Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. |
When you’re young, you can’t wait until you grow up. But when you reach mid-life, you want time to stop so you won’t grow any older! We need to live each day as unto the Lord, redeeming the time we have been given, because it shall soon be gone - forever! Don’t worry about tomorrow
- it may never come. Live today as unto the Lord, laying up treasures in heaven
where moth and rust won’t corrupt. |
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For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners,
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A shadow suddenly appears -
and just as suddenly, it is gone. This is what our life is like. |
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Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
For that which befalleth the sons of men
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Our flesh will go back to the dust, but our spirit will return unto God - see Ecclesiastes 3:19-21. There are those who claim we evolved from the monkey: but we see here where animals are not made equal to man. Man is given a living soul, and his spirit goes to God when he leaves this world; whereas an animal merely has a spirit, that goes downward to the earth when it dies. - Man has been made in the image of God. - Man has been given a living soul. - While he is upon the
earth, man has been given dominion over the animal kingdom. |
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Wherefore, |
Now, another result of sin
is death - both spiritual and physical.
But what is after death? Life or
death. |
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And as it is appointed unto men once to die,
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This verse disproves purgatory. Purgatory is a place between heaven and hell where some go after death; while there, others can pray them into heaven to avoid judgment. But purgatory doesn't exist, it isn't real; the Bible leaves no room for such imagination. This verse also disproves
re-incarnation - thinking a dead person comes back to earth as another person,
or as an animal. |
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If the clouds be full of rain, |
So, if you die saved,
that’s what your state will be thereafter. If you die a sinner, that’s what
your state will be. Nobody can change his state AFTER he dies. |
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And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: |
Once your life ceases upon
this earth, you will be judged according to the state you were in when you died
- whether lost or saved. |
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The wicked shall be turned into hell,
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Here is the truth in plain
black and white: if a wicked person dies in his sins, he will be condemned to hell. There will be no second chance, no hope of prayers changing the mind
of God. Once you die, then the judgment (saved or lost). |
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Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? They that trust in their wealth,
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You can’t buy your way into heaven, nor can you buy anyone else’s way. | ||
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For by grace are ye saved through faith;
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The only thing that will
get you into heaven is salvation - by repenting of your sins, and receiving
Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. |
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| Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:24 |
For this to be true in us, we must be born again. When we receive new life in Jesus Christ we have passed from death unto life - and that life is eternal! | |||
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We are confident, I say, |
This
earthly body will die. It will be left behind. But, realize, that this is just
our natural body. |
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Jesus said unto her, Being born again, |
Here is a promise that we will never die - if we believe in Jesus Christ to the saving of our soul. Oh, our natural body may perish and decay - but we will leave that behind and go on to be with the Lord. Realize that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. This body we now live in is corruptible - but our new body will be incorruptible. It will live for ever. You see, when we have been
born again we have been born of an incorruptible seed, that lives and abides
for ever. |
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... that through death he might destroy him
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Jesus has come to free us
from the fear of death. Through His death, He destroyed the devil, who had the
power of death. |
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In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:
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The fleshy (or corruptible body) is MORTAL: whereas the spiritual (or incorruptible body) will be IMMORTAL. Our new spiritual body will never taste death. Death has been swallowed up in victory. If we are right with God death should hold no misery for us. The assurance that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord should remove all fear of death. This old flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God. It has to die, and be left behind. But our spiritual man will rise to meet Jesus in the air.
Thus far in this lesson, we have taken a look at the character of man before and after the fall: BEFORE THE FALL: man, who was made in the image of God, lived in unbroken fellowship with his Maker. His character before the fall was that of innocence and purity. AFTER THE FALL: that perfect fellowship was broken. Man was separated from his Maker through sin. His character after the fall was sinful. Rather than desiring to fellowship with God, as he had previously done, he now strove to hide from his Maker. Now, we want to look at man after redemption, where he is in contact with God. We take note of the character of God in response to man’s desire for Him; and man’s character in hungering and thirsting after a personal relationship with his Creator. AFTER
REDEMPTION: man, once
again, is able to have unbroken fellowship with God, as a Father as well as a Creator. |
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For the wages of sin is death;
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Thank God that through Jesus Christ fellowship can be renewed between man and his Maker. | |||
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A man that hath friends must show himself friendly:
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. |
One of the greatest ways you have to fellowship with God in this life is through prayer. You can fellowship with Him in the same way you fellowship with your friends, because He is your Friend. And how do you fellowship with your friends? by taking time to talk with them. Some friends in this life are here today, and gone tomorrow! But the Lord is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother, closer than your own flesh and blood. When you have much, friends will be right there; but if you suddenly lose everything, you’ll find that most of those friends are gone. The Lord, however, is a true Friend. He won’t leave you nor forsake you. He’ll be there in the good times - and He’ll be there if bad times come your way. Some friends are friends
just for what they can receive from you. They have no time for you, though,
when you have something troubling you. They have no concern - but for
themselves. |
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Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. |
There is a Friend who
always has time to listen. He is always concerned, and ready to offer help when
you need it. He is very mindful of you: and He desires your fellowship. |
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| The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying,
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us;
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Get this into your heart -
God is very mindful of you! And you should be just as mindful of Him. He does
care for you, and He is concerned. |
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And to Seth, to him also there was born a son;
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P R A Y E R an address
to God; Is your relationship with God an open relationship? Do you tell Him every day how much you adore Him, how much you appreciate Him? Do you take the time to communicate with Him in love and thanksgiving? or do you just come to Him in time of need? Too often, people only turn to God in prayer when they are in trouble. We need to cultivate an
intimate relationship of coming before God out of a heart filled with love. We
need to come to Him with a desire to fellowship with Him. |
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And he spake a parable unto them to this end,
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Jesus encouraged us to be diligent: to persist in prayer - knowing the answer is on the way. How many times have you prayed, and grown weary when the answer didn’t seem to be evident? We tend to get a bad attitude about prayer when we don’t see the answer right away. But there is no reason to get discouraged. The Word is filled with encouragements urging us to pray until the answer comes. When something is troubling
you, tell it to the Lord. When you feel like complaining, pour out your
complaint before Him. Don’t talk with others about it. Bring it before the
Lord, and let Him take care of it. |
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I poured out my complaint before him;
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If you feel you must complain, tell it to the Lord. He’ll change the circumstances - if they need to be changed. And IF you’re at fault - He’ll let you know. He will be quick to let you know if you’re the one who needs to change. Either way, the problem will be cured through prayer. It will be taken care of by pouring out your complaint before the Lord - instead of filling someone else with your gripes. We need to appreciate what God gives us, and not be unthankful or complaining. In training our children, we should train them to eat whatsoever is set before them. Teach them where their food comes from - that God has provided their needs: and, thus, not to complain nor waste. We met a man who told us that he had forty suits in his closet - forty suits! And, when I was relating this in a service, a woman came to me, and said she had even more than that! Man tends to always want
more and more. He is never satisfied with what he has. And when he does get
more, it’s not what he really wanted - so he begins to murmur and complain. |
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Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
Jesus said unto her,
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
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God has promised to supply our needs: but too often we neglect to show Him our appreciation and our thankfulness. If we’re not careful, always murmuring and complaining about what He has provided, we may find that He holds back the blessings - after all, we didn’t appreciate it when we had it! Get this into your heart: God is very mindful of us. And we should be just as mindful of Him. He does care for us. He is concerned about us. He sees when we’re hurting inside from something someone has done to us. He’s concerned about our feelings. And He wants to pour out His blessings upon us. I think we should appreciate Him! God is so mindful of us
that He has provided a way for us to be set free from sin. He gave His only
begotten Son that we wouldn’t have to perish - but that we could have
everlasting life with Him, everlasting fellowship in His home. |
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The
Bible gives us three examples of people who committed sin in secret
and later had to bear the consequences when sin was revealed:
Adam and Eve in disobeying God;
Cain in slaying his brother Abel;
Joseph's brothers in selling him into slavery.
Adam and Christ are compared in the Bible to illustrate their differences:
| Adam The first Adam a living soul natural earthy by one man came universal sin |
Christ The last Adam a quickening Spirit spiritual heavenly by One Man came universal grace |
The
time of our earthly life is brief;
therefore we should live it wisely to the service of God.
At
the end of life the fleshly body ceases,
but man's living soul continues eternally.
Man's
eternal existence after death is determined by the soul's condition at death;
the saved go to heaven for an eternal reward;
the unsaved perish to hell for eternity.
Once
a person dies, his eternal judgment cannot be changed.
After death, neither prayers nor money nor any thing else can change God's
judgment.
After
the saved die on earth and discard the mortal, corruptible body,
at the time of redemption they receive an immortal, spiritual body.
Before
the fall: man lived in unbroken fellowship with God.
After the fall: the perfect fellowship was broken by sin, man
separated from God.
After redemption: man's unbroken fellowship with God restored
through Jesus Christ.
Jesus
is that Friend Who cares for us, hears our prayers, loves us at all times,
and is always mindful of us, to bless us.
Prayer
is our means of fellowship with God,
and of bringing our complaints and needs to Him.
Assignments
(to learn before taking test)
Memorize each of the four passages below.
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:
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Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;
For by grace are ye saved through faith;
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