MEMORY VERSE: ‘But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ Romans 5:8.
LESSON AIM: To show that the sin of Adam and Eve had consequences which they could not put right, but which the death of Christ could, and did.
‘And she “gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” “Adam was not deceived,” however. He accepted the situation, and went with his wife, even though he knew she was deceived. “And the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” The glory of God which had rested upon them, and its holy light which had clothed them as with a garment, departed from them; and they knew they were naked, and they “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord.” Guilty, they were afraid of the presence of the Lord. Innocent, they had loved His gracious and holy presence. Sin separates the soul from God, and fills it with a dread of His approach. Righteousness binds the soul to God, delights in the fulness of His presence, and basks in the sunlight of His divine glory.’ A. T. Jones, Ecclesiastical Empire, page 592.
1. How graphically does Scripture describe those who are held in the kingdom of darkness? Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18.
NOTE: ‘He [Adam] was a captive, and no longer free. He was a slave, and could no longer do as he would. His very mind itself was enslaved to the evil one to whom he had yielded himself; and he had no power even to think otherwise than as dictated by the master mind to whom he had yielded. The man was now overwhelmed with that darkness of sin of which the evil one was the author, which he had brought with him, and into which he had succeeded in drawing the inhabitants of this world. Then it was, as well as ever since, that “darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the people.” That darkness was complete. In it was no element of light. No suggestion of good could possibly reach him from that realm where the ruler of the darkness of this world reigneth alone.’ A.T. Jones, Ecclesiastical Empire, page 597.
2. How successful had been their own efforts to ease the fear of their predicament? Genesis 3:7-8.
NOTE: ‘When sin entered, they severed their connection with God, and the light that had encircled them departed. Naked and ashamed, they tried to supply the place of the heavenly garments by sewing together fig leaves for a covering.' Christ’s Object Lessons, page 310.