The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-04-07

lHueGO Is WlllluSt puL TIC ASoA
is weak.
PRIMARY ToPIC-Ths Garden God
Planted.
JUNIOR TOPIC-How Sin Started.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
1C--How to Overcome Temptation.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-Our Responsibility for Our Sins.
A look out upon the world proves
that man is not what he should be.
1t is not reasonable to suppose that
man Is now what he was when he
came from the hands of the Creator,
much less an improvement. The only
way of accounting for this is by the
historic fall of man as given in the
Bible.
!. Mans Probation (Gen. 2:15-1O.
/. The place ". 15). 1t was in the
beautiful Garden of Eden. Mans en-
Yironment was suited to his nature.
2. The necessity ". 16). This grows
out of mans constitution. Adam was
created with the possibility Of charac-
ter, but not with character. Alterna-
tive choice makes character possible.
tFreewill was what made Adam a real
man.
8. The means ". ~. It was most
simple, just one prohibition. The tree
OF the knowledge of good and evil was
forbidden. Alongside of this small
restriction was placed large priv
ilege-the tree of life.
u. Mans Temptation (3:1-S).
1. The method wv. 1-5). Satan, a
personal, malicious being, appeared
in the guise of a serpent. Notwith-
standing the growing unpopularity OF
the doctrine, the fact remains that
there is a personal devil. This is
proven both by the Scriptures and ex-
perience. He did not appeal directly
to the man. He chose to appeal to
the woman through the serpent, and
through the woman to the man.
a. He found the woman while alone.
b, He insinuated doubt into Ewes
mind as to Gods word and love. This
is his method today. He tries to get
people to doubt Gods Word and then
to doubt his goodness. He persuaded
Eve that God was Withholding from
her something that was good. He to-
.day induces men to say that God is
cruel, harsh, and unjust. He gets
young people to think that father and
mother are too exacting. AS soon as
one doubts Gods word, he begins to
criticize it and to disobey it.
c. To get Eve to doubt the penalty
Of sin. There is much fiippant testing
about eternal punishment. Be it re-
membered, however, that this does not
change its reality.
d. He appealed to innocent appe-
tite. He agued that there would be
no harm in eating, but great advan-
tage.
e. Eve gazed upon that which God
had forbidden and lusted after it.
2. The fall wv. 6-S). The steps in
the fall seem to have been rapid.
From doubling Gods love, Eve went
to doubling his word. From gazing
upon and lustins after that which God
had prohibited, there was but a short
step to indulgence. Eve not only dis
obeyed, but involved Adam in her sin.
III. Mans Judgment wv. 9-2D.
Gods holy nature is such that when
men sin he at once manifests himself.
God called Adam and Eve to account
the same day.
1. A disturbed relationship with God
". 81. The introduction of sin marred
mans familiar intercourse with the
EIyn nnf nnlU
hid from Gods presence, but when
summoned by him began to make ex-
cuse and Adam even laid the blame
or God.
2. The degradation of the serpent
", 14). He henceforth became the
type of sin and Satan (Num. p %;
John 3:14; Rev. 12:9).
8. The undying enmity between the
seed of the woman and the seed Of
the serpent ". 15). This bitter en-
mity has continued from that day to
this.
4. The ultimate victory of the wom-
ans seed ". 15). Satan's seed has
harassed the woman's seed through
the centuries, but on the cross the
final stroke was made which crushed
his head John 12:31; Heb. 2:14; I
John 3:S). This is the first CLEAN Of
the glorious gospel Of Christ.
5. The judgment upon the woman
". 16). This relates primarily to her
as a wife and mother.
6. Mans new relationship to the
earth wv. 17-19). The earth was
cursed on his account.
z. Death ". 19). This includes
spiritual and physical death.
8. Expulsion from the garden ".
24). When mans nature was changed
by sin, out from the beautiful garden
he must go.