PROJECT EARTH – PART I
QUESTIONS WE WILL ANSWER IN THIS LESSON:
GOD CREATED A WORLD WHICH HAD MANY LIMITATIONS COMPARED WITH THE SPIRIT REALM AND HE CALLED THIS THE NATURAL REALM OR EARTH.
1. WHY DID GOD CREATE THE WORLD? WAS IT PART OF AN OVERALL PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING?
GOD CREATED MANY TYPES OF CREATURES TO LIVE IN THIS NATRUAL REALM, EACH SUITED FOR LIFE IN THE EARTH. HE ALSO CREATED A SPECIAL CREATURE, WHICH HE CALLED ADAM, (WHICH MEANS MANKIND). HE GAVE MAN CHARGE OVER THE EARTH, TO SUBDUE IT AND RULE OVER IT. ADAM WAS A SPIRIT BASED BEING WITH AUTHORITY TO RULE THE EARTH. GOD ALSO PLACED IN THE EARTH EVIL SPIRITS LED BY AN EVIL ANGEL NAMED SATAN.
2. WHY DID GOD PUT SATAN IN THE EARTH, IN THE VERY GARDEN WHERE HE PUT ADAM?
IN HIS FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH SATAN, ADAM REJECTED GOD’S AUTHORITY AND CHOSE TO RELY ON HIMSELF, RATHER THAN ON GOD.
3. WHAT WAS THE EFFECT OF THIS DECISION ON ADAM AND ON ALL OF ADAM’S DECENDENTS? WHAT HAPPENED TO ADAM’S SPIRIT?
4. DID THIS EVENT SUPPRISE GOD? DID GOD KNOW IT WOULD HAPPEN? WAS IT PART OF A PREORDAINED PLAN?
5. WHAT HAPPENED TO ADAM’S AUTHORITY TO RULE OVER THE EARTH?
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS?
1. WHY DID GOD CREATE THE WORLD? WAS IT PART OF AN OVERALL PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING?
GOD’S PURPOSE IN CREATING THE EARTH WAS TO CREATE A NEW WAY TO REVEAL HIS MANY ATTRIBUTES, HIS NATURE, LOVE, COMPASION, POWER, GLORY, ETC. TO HAVE A PEOPLE “IN HIS IMAGE” WHO WILL REVEAL WHO HE IS. Ephesians 3:8-11 NAS To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the churchto the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose, which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
BEFORE THE EARTH WAS CREATED, THE GODHEAD (FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT) FORMED A PLAN. THIS PLAN INVOLVED THE CREATION OF A NATURAL REALM, DIFFENENT FROM THE SPIRIT REALM, THROUGH WHICH GOD MIGHT SHOW FORTH HIS GLORY.
2. WHY DID GOD PUT SATAN IN THE EARTH, IN THE VERY GARDEN WHERE HE PUT ADAM?
THIS WAS CLEARLY NOT AN ACCIDENT, FOR GOD DOES NOTHING WITHOUT A REASON. IF GOD HAD A REBELIOUS ANGEL TO DEAL WITH HE COULD HAVE PUT HIM ANYWHERE, EVEN ON THE MOON OR SOME OTHER PLANET. NO, HE PUT HIM IN THE EARTH FOR A SPECIFIC REASON, TO INTRODUCE INTO THE NATURAL REALM A SPIRITUAL DARKNESS TO CONTRAST THE SPIRITUAL LIGHT. John 1:1-14 NAS In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
3. WHAT WAS THE EFFECT OF THIS DECISION ON ADAM AND ON ALL OF ADAM’S DECENDENTS? WHAT HAPPENED TO ADAM’S SPIRIT?
Genesis 2:17 NAS 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." GOD HAD TOLD ADAM THAT EATING FROM THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL WOULD KILL HIM. SOME WOULD SAY THAT GOD HAD LIED, SINCE ADAM ATE THE FRUIT AND HIS BODY DID NOT DIE. I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT ADAM DIED SPIRITULLY AND TOOK ON A NEW NATURE, CALLED THE FALLEN NATURE, OR FLESH NATURE, OR JUST FLESH. BEFORE THE FALL HE HAD BEEN A SPIRIT BASED INDIVIDUAL. AFTER THE FALL HE WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO RELATE TO GOD AND HIS SOUL RULED ALL HE SAID AND DID. HE WAS SPIRITUALLY DEAD. Genesis 3:8-13 NAS They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." 11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12 The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
AS TO THE FATE OF ALL OF ADAM’S DECENTENTS, THEY ALL WERE BORN WITH THE FALLEN NATURE AS WELL. Ro 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men….
4. DID THIS EVENT SUPPRISE GOD? DID GOD KNOW IT WOULD HAPPEN? WAS IT PART OF A PREORDAINED PLAN?
Revelation 13:6-8 KJV 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
SCRIPTURE REFERS TO CHRIST AS “SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD”. THIS CLEARLY REVEALS THAT GOD NOT ONLY KNEW ADAM WOULD FALL BUT THAT IT WAS PART OF GOD’S PLAN TO REVEAL HIS GLORY IN MEN. THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST TO REDEEM FALLEN MAN WAS PART OF GOD’S PLAN FROM BEFORE THE EARTH WAS CREATED.
5.WHAT HAPPENED TO ADAM’S AUTHORITY TO RULE OVER THE EARTH
THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF MAN, IT HAS BEEN THE RULE “TO THE VICTOR GO THE SPOILS”. THIS MEANS WHEN A KING DEFEATS ANOTHER KING HE TAKES POSESSION OF ALL THE HOLDINGS OF THE FIRST KING AND RULES OVER THEM. SUCH IS THE CASE HERE. WHEN ADAM CHOSE TO SERVE THE SNAKE RATHER THAN GOD ALL THAT GOD HAD GIVEN HIM DIMENION OVER WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE POWER OF SATAN. 1 John 5:19 NAS We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS ONLY BECAUSE GOD ALLOWS IT. Matthew 28:18 NAS And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. WHY WOULD GOD ALLOW IT EXCEPT THAT IT IS ALL PART OF GOD’S PLAN.