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From The Garden To The Cross
August 25, 2013
Men fell from the grace of God due to disobedience. Death was ushered in upon the human race due to Adam and Eve's sins. Man was cut off from the tree of life, for having eaten of the fruit of the tree or the knowledge of good and evil. In, and through, Jesus Christ, God has restored our access to the tree of life, contingent upon our obedience to His will.
Bernie Parsons
From the Garden To The Cross
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Load church of Christ on 08-25-2013
I have long thought about the comparisons between mankind in the garden in
Eden, and mankind after the death of Christ on the cross. I used to preach
that God is trying to get us “back to the garden”, but over time I came to
see that there are differences as well as similarities.
In the garden of Eden, humans had access to all the fruits of all of the
trees. God warned against eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, which would result in death.
Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field
which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said,
Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees
of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath
said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
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.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of
the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and
he did eat."
Some argue that they did not surely die that day that they ate the fruit.
Genesis 3:22 "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us,
to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of
the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till
the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden
Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of
the tree of life."
Death entered through Adam in the garden, because he was cut off from the
tree of life.
Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death
by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
1 Corinthians 15:20 "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the
firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they
that are Christ's at his coming."
Romans 6:11 "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
With the death of Jesus upon the cross, life was restored to humankind.
Having been cut off from the tree of life by Adam’s sin in the garden of
Eden, Christ restored our access to eternal life.
Revelation 2:7 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
Revelation 22:14 "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city."
Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death
by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when
there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had
not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure
of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the
offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by
grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment
was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto
justification.
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.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."
But the restoration to the access to eternal life is not a return to the
garden of Eden, where God’s people were forbidden to eat of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil. With the coming of Christ, God’s people are not
only given access to knowledge, but encouraged to grow thereby.
1 Corinthians 14:20 "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in
malice be ye children, but in understanding be men."
Ephesians 5:17 "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will
of the Lord "
Colossians 1:9 "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not
cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the
knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;"
In the garden of Eden, the Lord did not want sinful humankind to become as
He was.
Genesis 3:22 "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us,
to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of
the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till
the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden
Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of
the tree of life."
Under Christ, the God has adopted us as His children. He wants us to be as
He is.
Galatians 4:4 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his
Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an
heir of God through Christ."
1 Peter 1:15 "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
God put Adam into the garden to dress and keep it, to do His work.
Genesis 2:15 "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of
Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden
thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of
it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Under Christ, we are to do spiritual work.
Hebrews 13:20 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the
everlasting covenant,
21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that
which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory
for ever and ever. Amen."
