The Dolores star., 1919-05-09
LESSON FOR MAY II.
SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
TExT-Genesis s:l-2i.

GOLDEN TEXT-The wages o. sin is
death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our I.ord.-Rom.
6:23.
DEVOTIONAL READING-Psalms 81:
lib
ADDITIONAL MATER1AL-Rom. l;ls-
%; James l:l5.
PRIMARY ToPIC-Disobeying Our
Heavenly Father
JUNIOR TOPIC-How Disobedience
Separates Us From God
INTERMEDIATE TOPIC - Destructive
Power of Sin.
SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIC-The Ma
ture and Results of Sin.
An outlook upon the world proves
that man is not what he should be.
Then. too. apart from gospel influence
there is no sign of Improvement. The
only way of accounting for the discrep-
ancy between what man Is and what
he should be is by the Fall. This is
the way that the Bible accounts for it.
The Introduction of sin is the answer.
!. The Temptation (Gen :1-6).
Man possessed free will, in the ex-
ercise Of which he turned away from
God and his commandment. This was
done at the instance of the devil
Npl Mig llllouSH lllt serpent. he ltt
not appear as he really was, but in dis
gulse. The method employed was "a
finding the woman while alone; (2) in
sinuating doubt into her mind as to
Gods word and love. At his sugges-
ton she began to believe that God did
not mean what he said, and that he
was unkind in placing restrictions upoz
them. In this the devil slandered God.
even accusing the Almighty of jeal-
ousy and fraud. (3) Appeal to Inno-
cent appetite. az She gazed upon
the fruit which God had forbidden
Looking soon begat lust. 60 She
lusted after that which God had for
bidden. That which God has forbid
den should not be looked at lest the
flesh should lust for it.
II. The Fall (3:6-S).
From lusting to indulgence was
short step. This act of disobedience
has brought on all the worlds woe and
misery. Eve not only disobeyed. but
| involved Adam in her sin. Aspiring
to be gods. they became the slaves of
sin. They came to know good and evil.
| but by sad experience. They knew sin
without the power to free themselves
from it.
III. The Consequences Of the Fall
g :9-2H.
l. The disturbed relationship with
God wv. 0, Joy. The familiar inter
course which man enjoyed with the AL
mighty was marred and broken by
sin. Sin makes life intolerable in the
divine presence. Adam and Eve not
only hid from Gods presence, but
Adam began to make excuses and even
| laid the blame on God.
J .. The serpent was degraded and
henceforth became type of sin and
Satan ". II; cf. Mum. 21 20; John
8 IA; Rev. 12: :9). This doom was pro-
nounced without trial. In the case of
man 1t was not so.
3. The undying enmity between the
two seeds ". Is; cf. John S:4O-45 :;
Matt 23 :33). The antagonism thus
begun reached its climax in the cruci-
tixion of Christ. Satan's seed has been
ever since endeavoring to destroy the
Lords work and his workers.
4. The ultimate victory of the wom-
ans seed ". 15). Satan harasSed the
woman's seed; bruised his heel but
finally the stroke was made which
crushed the serpent's head (John 10 :
81; Heb. . IA; l John 3 :S). This was
the first CLEAN of the glorious light Of
the gospel of Christ. The victory was
marvellous. but the cost was infinite
| Qsa. 50; . Cor. 5:2D.
8. Judgment upon the woman ".
1G). This relates to her as wife and
mother; also to her subordination to
man. This is Gods decree. and all eff
forts of freeing ones self from it
are fightingS against God.
6. Mans new relationship to the
earth wv. 17-19). The earth was
cursed on his account. Because of the
rank growth of thorns and thstles
man must make an increased effort to
exist. Man with his sinful nat ure would
be in bad state without the neces-
sity of toll CRom. s 1922.
Z. Death ". 19). This includes
physical and spiritual death-both the
result of sin.
s. Expulsion from the garden ".
24). rhis was an act of great mercy.
To have partaken of the tree of life
and live forever in a sinful state would
have been intolerable.