Gone Rogue (Genesis 3)

Gone Rogue

Being Human Series

Wong Soon Yean. 28/4/2017



I. Recap

Genesis 1:26: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Made in the image of God –qualitative and functional aspects.
  • Righteous in relationship to God (Eph4:24)
  • Has a mind and free will to act in relationship to God (Col 3:10)
  • Has a role to play on behalf of God (Gen 1:28)
Components of being human made in the image of God (unpacked by Collin) –

  • Heart –seat of spirit
  • Soul –seat of will
  • Mind -seat of thought
  • Body –seat of senses
Being made in the image of God sets us apart from all other creation. But sin has distorted this image. How can we restore this image?


II. The Saddest Part in the OT



Gen 3:22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.



Gen 4:1 :In the day when God created man, He made himin the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.



Gen 5:3 Then the LORDsaid, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever,because he also is flesh;nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”





Without the qualitative aspect, man becomes an intelligent amoral animal:
  • Non-righteous in relationship to God but seek righteousness in himself
  • Has a mind and free will to act but not in relationship to God
  • Has a role to play but not on behalf of God, rather desire to control his own destiny
The inversion -We become human beings having a spiritual experience; rather than spiritual beings having a human experience (adapted from Pierre Teilhardde Chardin)

The road to self-redemption : many proposed truths by “wise” men based on man’s thoughts on what the image of God is like and how to get back there.


III. Gone Rogue

Read Genesis 3:1-10

Questions:
  • In what way does being “God like” cause the separation between God and Man?
  • How did Adam and Eve’s decision to eat the fruit impact their relationship with God? In what ways did the relationship shift?

    1. What are the lessons we can learn  and apply to our spiritual walk?
    • We love control after the Fall, religious or non religious form. 
    • John 12:25 (ESV) - Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
    • Matt 4:4 - Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on   every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 
    •  Matt 23:23 - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and  cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and  faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

    2. We avoid surrender, repentance and are spiritually stubborn, struggling with God all the time.
    • Gen 4:9 - Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
    • Is 30:15 - For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will  be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing, 16 And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,” Therefore you shall flee! “And we will ride on swift horses,” Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.

    3.   What other lessons can we learn?


    IV. Personal and Prayer Time

    The 4 Deadly “Ds” is the spiritual reality we face:


    Doubt

    Distortion 

    Deception

    Delusion 



    The physical world is an illusion. The real world is the spiritual world. Truth is the most precious commodity in the spiritual world. 



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