Honolulu Bible Church
Evening Worship Service
April 19, 1998

Honolulu Bible Church

Evening Worship Service

April 19, 1998

THE COVENANT OF GRACE

I WILL BE YOUR GOD AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE

Sermon #5 - The Covenants of Works and The Devil's Substitution - Genesis 3:1-6

INTRODUCTION - Last week we began to look in detail at the Covenant of Works (Covenant of Creation) which God established with Man in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. The Lord created Man with the ability to know, love and serve his Creator. This evening we shall continue to look at that Covenant and then see, from Genesis 3, how the devil offers a substitute for that which God had established in Eden.

1) THE NATURE OF GOD'S COVENANT WITH MAN IN THE GARDEN

A) HOW WE MUST VIEW OF THE GOD OF THE BIBLE - Genesis 1:1 - The very first words of the Bible establishes who we are and how we got here. Yet it also establishes the position of God in relation to this world. The Lord, as Creator, is completely separate from His creation. He was not created but has always existed. This shows us the sovereignty of God over all things. It also shows how distinct He is from the world around us (Isaiah 46:9). He is the eternal, almighty God, ruling all of His created Universe in His sovereignty and power.

B) HOW WE MUST VIEW MAN'S RESPONSE TO THE GOD OF THE BIBLE - Genesis 1:26-30 - Man was made in the likeness of God and was given a special place in the creative order of God. The Lord made man with a purpose. Man would honor and worship God by subduing creation (Genesis 1:26) and by living out his life under the principles of Sabbath rest, marriage, and labor. By living in submission to God in this covenantal relationship, Man would consecrate God as the supreme ruler of the Universe. Man could enjoy the holy work of subduing the earth while living under the holy ordinances which God provided.

C) THE ADDITION OF THE TEST OF MAN'S LOYALTY TO HIS CREATOR - In the covenant between God and Man, there is added a simple test which, if passed, would be Man's acknowledgement of God's place as his supreme Ruler and Sustainer of life. What is the test? Genesis 2:16,17 tells us that Man was not to eat the forbidden fruit. Yet this really was not the entire sphere of the test. Would Adam have to continually live in that Garden forever, constantly avoiding that tree and its fruit? Is this how a state of blessedness would be maintained? In actuality, there are two trees in the Garden, not just one. Man was allowed to eat from every tree of the Garden, except one (Genesis 2:16). What other tree existed beside the forbidden one? We are told that there was also a tree of life in the Garden (Genesis 3:22-24), and it is this tree which constitutes the other side of the test. Eating from the forbidden tree represents Man's refusal to have God rule over him. If Man eats from it, he will refuse covenantal obedience to God and he will deny that God is supreme. Yet the tree of life was open for Man to eat from. God freely gives this tree to Man and it will be this tree which gives Man life. If Man ate from this tree, instead of the forbidden tree, he would be saying that he was glad to live in covenantal obedience to God and that God is indeed the Lord and Giver of life. This is the nature of the test. Eat from the tree which God has provided and by this state that God is Lord. Eat from the forbidden tree and by this state that God is not Lord. Obedience to God would mean life, disobedience would bring death. It is important not to overlook the role of the tree of life in the story of Eden. This same tree will come up later, especially in Revelation 22:14, where God's people in Christ will once again be given access to that same tree. Christ takes us back to the tree we should have eaten from. Christ takes us back to allegiance and obedience to the covenant-making God. Thus, the tree of life is Man's proof of his allegiance to God and his declaration that God is Lord. Man's test would end when he decided to eat from one of the two trees.

2) THE DEVIL'S ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE COVENANT GOD MADE WITH MAN - Genesis 3:1-5 - The devil is a rebellious creature who hates God's covenant with Man. He would gladly bring all of creation against the Creator. We see in his dealings with Man that the devil is not ignorant of the covenant as he endeavors to overthrow God's sovereignty. Genesis 3:1 contains the entire program of overthrow which Satan attempts in the Garden.

A) THE DEVIL'S ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE PLACE OF CREATION IN THE COVENANT OF GOD - How does Satan appear to mankind? He comes as a serpent, as a created beast, one of the creatures from God's creation. In God's covenant with Adam, the Lord established that all of creation would be subservient to Man (Genesis 1:28). Man was told to subdue and dominate all the beasts. Yet here is the devil endeavoring to rearrange the covenantal order. The devil, as a creature, usurps himself over Man, who should have dominated him. The creature speaks above Man. This creature should have been immediately subdued and dominated, for Man had the God-given power to do this. Notice, Satan is working from the bottom up. He begins with the lowest order in the covenantal system. Man was to dominate creation, but now creation is trying to dominate Man. The next step in the order of the covenant would be -

B) THE DEVIL'S ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE PLACE OF MARRIAGE IN THE COVENANT OF GOD - Who does the devil speak to first? Not the Man, but the Woman. Again, we see his attempt to overthrow the order of the covenant. The devil usurps the authority given to the husband over the wife. She is not the head, Adam is. Paul uses this principle in his lesson to women today (I Timothy 2:12-14). They are to keep silent and not teach over men, for Adam was created first. He is the head of the woman. Eve should have told the devil to go and speak with her husband. The devil knows precisely how to overthrow the covenant of God by attacking the places of God-established authority.

C) THE DEVIL'S ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE PLACE OF GOD IN THE COVENANT OF GOD - In Genesis 3:1, the devil actually questions and authority of God. "Has God indeed said…?" This is absolute arrogance on the devil's part, yet he must breach all the walls of covenantal authority if he is going to become the new lord and master. In this final area, the devil denies the lordship and supremacy of almighty God. He denies the right of God to make covenant with man. Having violated this last area of authority, it is now time for the devil to bring in his own type of covenant with Man.

3) THE DEVIL'S SUBSTITUTIONARY COVENANT WITH MAN - Satan has just taken apart the covenantal authorities. Now he needs to make God's covenant look unfair and corrupt so that he can bring in his own plans for mankind. How does he go about this task?

A) SATAN DISTORTS THE MESSAGE OF GOD'S COVENANT WITH MAN - Genesis 3:2-5 - Immediately he says that God is a liar and that He is trying to keep Man from becoming like Him. Notice, the devil says nothing of the immense covenantal blessings from God, nor does he speak of the covenantal curse of death, except to deny it. God's Covenant of Creation is completely misrepresented in the devil's words.

B) SATAN REPLACES GOD'S COVENANT WITH HIS OWN - Satan offers a completely new relationship for Man. A new bond will be formed between the devil and mankind. It will come through disobedience and calling Satan "lord" instead of God. Satan grasps at God's creation to control and rule it (II Timothy 2:26). What does the devil promise in this new relationship? He promises life (Genesis 3:4), which is an outright lie, for he cannot overthrow the covenantal curse. Yet Man is told that if he follows Satan, he will not die. He promises authority (Genesis 3:5), telling Man that he will become like God. Satan's way will make Man an equal with the Creator. Again, it is another lie. Finally, he promises wisdom, satisfaction, and fulfillment (Genesis 3:5,6). Man is attracted to the forbidden fruit for he thinks it will give him things that he is missing with God. In reality, the whole relationship with Satan is a scam. There will be no life, but death. There will be no authority, only bondage. There will be no wisdom, as man's heart is darkened. There will be no satisfaction or fulfillment, as Man spends the rest of his days fallen from what he was originally created for. All that Satan can offer are the curses which come from breaking covenant with God. As Man grasps for that which is not his, he falls miserably, losing the covenantal relationship and blessings of his Creator. Where would we be today without the mercy and grace of God! Who can free us from this bondage of death!? Thanks be to God for sending His Son the Lord Jesus Christ who redeems us from the bondage of Satan and puts us back under the sovereignty of Almighty God. Thanks be to Christ who opens the door once again to the glorious tree of life!

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