Scripture Alone: God’s Rescuing Word
Scripture Alone • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 41:50
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· 18 viewsAdam plunged humanity into separation from God; but the second Adam rescued humanity by “killing the dragon and getting the girl.”
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1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
We are commanded in Scripture to remember those of the past.
We are commanded in Scripture to remember those who taught us God’s Word.
October is the month we celebrate the reformation because October 31st.
It was the day that Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door at Wittenberg.
Where did your english Bible come from?
[I]n 1362, English replaced French as the language of the courts… the English people began to escape the illiteracy that had held back much of the populace.” —Steven Lawson, Pillars of Grace
John Wycliffe
Attended Oxford in 1346.
The black plague swept through Europe in 1347.
It killed almost 1/3 of all Europeans.
He labored in Academia.
Pillars of Grace (AD 100–1564) John Wycliffe
“the greatest of the English Reformers: he was in truth the first Reformer of Christendom.… If Luther and Calvin are the fathers of the Reformation, Wycliffe is its grandfather.”
Opposed the Pope.
Condemned by the Pope.
Yet remained at Oxford to translate the Latin Vulgate into the English language.
Revolutionized the art of translating into the common vernacular.
“The true Christian was intended by Christ to prove all things by the Word of God: all churches, all ministers, all teaching, all preaching, all doctrines, all sermons, all writings, all opinions, all practices. These are his marching orders.
Prove all by the Word of God; measure all by the measure of the Bible; compare all with the standard of the Bible; weigh all in the balances of the Bible; examine all by the light of the Bible; test all in the crucible of the Bible.
That which cannot abide the fire of the Bible, reject, refuse, repudiate, and cast away. This is the flag which he nailed to the mast. May it never be lowered!” —John Wycliffe
Wycliffe didn’t know Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic.
But he translated the Latin Vulgate into English.
Though it had many mistranslations, it was revolutionary.
“To be ignorant of the Scripture is the same thing as to be ignorant of Christ. In the Bible is the salvation of men contained.” —John Wycliffe
We left the story in the garden of Eden with peace and security.
The seventh day of creation revealed God’s intended purpose for the creation order.
Life under the rule and reign of God.
God’s Word mediating the relationship between God and man.
And mankind ruling in the perfect paradise garden.
Plunging into Darkness from the Light of God’s Word.
Plunging into Darkness from the Light of God’s Word.
(Gen 3:1-7)
Genesis 3:1 (ESV)
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
Narrative breaks are critical.
Narrative breaks reveal crucial details.
One beast of the field came to Adam and Eve.
An animal made by God came and spoke to Eve.
Keep in mind that God had earlier told…
Adam was to name all the animals.
Naming was a sign of his authority over them.
Genesis 2:19–20 (ESV)
And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field.
Animals were to be in submission to Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve were meant to rule over all the created order.
This serpent was part of the created order.
Other parts of Scripture tell us that Satan was animating this serpent in some way.
But Moses tells us that this serpent was “more crafty” (Gen 3:1a).
The Deceitful Serpent and the Word of God.
The Deceitful Serpent and the Word of God.
This same word used for “crafty” is the same word used for “prudent.”
But here it is still unclear what direction this serpent is trying to go.
We find out quickly this word is negative.
The serpent is CRAFTY.
He’s crafty to deceive.
The power animating the serpent comes from Satan himself.
Satan has two main goals throughout Scripture: deceive and destroy.
Satan will later be the destroyer of God’s people.
But here early in the narrative he is content to deceive this woman.
What happens next is one of the most diabolical foils in all history.
Genesis 3:1 (ESV)
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Notice what this serpent goes after.
“Satan does not come to Eve with a gun but with an idea.” —Dallas Willard
He does not come to Eve with a stick to physically harm her.
He comes to her with an idea.
He comes to her to attack the Word that God just spoke.
Deception begins by questioning the Word of God.
Deception begins by questioning the Word of God.
Genesis 3:1 (ESV)
“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Imagine two friends discussing a difficult decision.
One friend says, 'I trust you, but I’m confused about the steps we should take.'
This expresses trust and a desire for clarity.
In contrast, the other friend accuses, 'Do you really know what you’re talking about, or are we just guessing?'
This is phrased as a question and an accusation at the same time.
Two types of questioning…
1. To ask a question from faith sounds like, “I believe you, but I don’t understand.”
2. To ask a question from unbelief sounds like, “I don’t really believe you, so I want to accuse you.”
Satan addresses Eve directly.
Whereas Adam received the commandment.
Satan attacks his wife.
How does Eve respond to this questioning?
Eve corrects he serpent with a minor addition.
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
Distorting the Word of God through addition–Legalism.
Distorting the Word of God through addition–Legalism.
Notice that Eve reminds the serpent of what God said…
BUT with a small addition.
It seems like a logical addition.
“Since we shouldn’t eat the fruit, let’s not even touch it.”
“If we don’t touch it, we won’t be tempted to eat it.”
This is how a legalism works.
Imagine a gardener who loves his plants and wants to keep them safe.
He adds a fence around them.
Feeling extra cautious, he builds a second fence inside the first.
Then a third, until the original garden is overshadowed.
In his attempt to protect the plants, he's created a barrier so complex that it stifles their growth.
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan now brings two charges against God.
1. He begins by attacking God’s character.
He presents reality as though God is a liar.
“God is not faithful to His Word!”
Satan presents a false promise that Eve will not really die.
Questioning leads to contradicting the Word of God.
Questioning leads to contradicting the Word of God.
Notice the second doctrine that the serpent tempts Eve to deny.
2. God won’t really fulfill what He promised for disobedience.
“The judgment that God promised won’t really happen!”
The formula that the serpent presents to Eve is the counter promise of sin.
The promise is that death will not come.
The fulfillment of the promise is that she will be “like God.”
But here the serpent tempts her to think that she is missing out on something.
3. That God is withholding something from her.
“God does not have your best interest in mind…”
“God is withholding from you, Eve.”
Satan did not come to Eve with a stick to threaten her.
He presented a false view of God’s faithful Word.
Satan presents this as though God is keeping back from her.
If you've been facing marital strife, you might find yourself questioning the biblical call to love unconditionally.
This can lead to resentment towards your spouse and a justification for withdrawing affection.
Notice the progression of this…
The serpent gets Eve to question God’d word which is the questions faithfulness.
He then presents a promise with a fulfillment in being like God.
How does Eve respond to this contradictions?
Genesis 3:6 (ESV)
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good…
Disobeying the Word of God through rebellion–Antinomianism.
Disobeying the Word of God through rebellion–Antinomianism.
Genesis 3:6 (ESV)
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good…
Her experience becomes the barometer.
It moves from hearing to seeing.
Her experience begins to measure truth from falsehood.
Her experience determines right from wrong.
Even though we just heard God describe all that he made as good.
Notice the reversal that happens.
Eve believes the lie of the serpent.
Now she will determine what is good and bad.
Notice the role experience plays in this for Eve…
Genesis 3:6 (ESV)
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise…
Eve looked at the fruit (lust of the eyes).
Determined it was beautiful (lust of the flesh).
And the fruit could make her wise (pride of life).
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Eve’s failure required her to look at the tree, make a judgment of the value of the tree, and finally be led away by her desires.
Eve did not do this alone.
God’s Word was given in the beginning was to Adam alone.
In the garden, the Word of God came to the man alone.
We can assume then that after God made Eve from the side of Adam.
He would need to communicate to her what God had said.
Genesis 3:6 (ESV)
…she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
We should never get a picture of this as though Adam was uninvolved.
The man who was given authority over the created order in the garden.
He stood by passively.
He simply watched as his wife was being deceived and abdicated his responsibility.
Romeo and Juliet
Stories like Romeo and Juliet reveal the kind of narrative we live in.
Juliet is forbidden from marrying Romeo.
So she pretends to have committed suicide, so she could run away with him.
Without knowing the plan, Romeo discovers this.
He kills himself because he can’t imagine life without his bride.
Juliet awakes to her groom that is perished.
And so she commits suicide.
The sad tale is not so much unlike the story in Genesis 3.
“Adam indulged pride so as to bring death upon himself voluntarily.” —John Wycliffe
The heart of sinful man is abdicating responsibility.
Shirking responsibility over the dominion God has given us.
If you ever have to stand for the truth, you will quickly see the abdicating heart of man.
This is one of the reasons I love the reformers.
They stood alone while very few people came to their side in agreement.
But they were convinced from Holy Scripture that God has spoken and it’s worth dying for.
John Wycliffe was hated in his own day.
We regard him as a hero.
But he was despised and condemned by even the Pope.
Wycliffe heard the jeers of man but understood them as the cheers of heaven.
We must not be lulled with the cheers of man.
We must not be lulled with other’s speaking well of us.
We must learn to, like Wycliffe, stand upon the Word of God alone.
Let me give you a real practical example would look like in our own day.
I know most of your employers desire for you to use things like gender pronouns.
They desire for you to pretend that there are more than two genders.
And they will become in raged by any thought of a man calling himself a man or a woman calling herself, a woman.
And it’s in these moments Christian that you will decide what word you will stand on.
Will you stand upon God‘s word?
Or will you abdicate responsibility and stand upon the approval of men?
Rescuing those in Darkness with the Light of God’s Word.
Rescuing those in Darkness with the Light of God’s Word.
7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Adam and Eve should have been exterminated in a moment.
All humanity destroyed.
But mankind received the “first death” which is separation from God.
Which is accompanied by the “second death” which is the perishing of our bodies.
Their eyes were opened and the shame of the sin came rushing in.
The fruit of sin is always shame.
“Shame is that all-too-human experience of worthlessness, failure and not belonging.” —Ed Welch
Fig leaves were the feeble attempt to remove the shame.
It was a feeble attempt to cover their nakedness.
The nakedness that comes from disobedience to the Word.
Like children hiding in plain sight from their parents, so Adam and Eve try to hide themselves from the sovereign one.
8 And 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.
A sound that once meant intimacy and fellowship now is regarded with fear and judgment.
“Presence” or literally (Hb: פָּנֶה or “face”) that once meant fellowship now strikes fear.
You’ve had the experience of walking in disobedience to parents and hearing them approach you.
Footsteps that were once heard with joy turns to fear and judgment.
Genesis 3:9–11 (ESV)
9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
It’s interesting to note that God addresses them with a singular “you.”
By addressing Adam, the head, the Lord shows the degrees of responsibility.
It begins with the man.
Then moves to the woman.
Adam’s response to God‘s grace filled question strikingly reveals the connection of fear and shame.
Adam was afraid because he realized his nakedness.
Adam was bold before the face of God before because he was in right relationship with him.
When Adam was confronted, he shifts the blame to his wife.
Rather than taking the responsibility of his family he abdicates and actually blames the woman and God.
12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
This shows that Adam is even willing to blame God for his own misfortunes.
The gift of a woman that once led Adam to sing brings him to blaming God for her.
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Eve takes a similar line of argument.
“The serpent made me do it!”
This story began with the Word of God setting the parameters and life.
It gave mankind the boundaries to live under.
Here we are with fingers being pointed with shame-filled responses to one another.
All relational breakdowns, find their origins in disobedience to the word of God.
God’s Faithfulness and the consequence of sin.
God’s Faithfulness and the consequence of sin.
Their God-given tasks from the beginning will be made more challenging.
Eve, who is meant to bring life into the world will do so through pain.
Adam, who is meant to cultivate the ground will do so through toil.
We could examine each of the judgments as well as the mercy that flows forth from it.
But one particular one I want to focus on.
God’s Faithfulness and the promise of redemption.
God’s Faithfulness and the promise of redemption.
In Genesis 3:15 God promises the serpent that he will send someone to crush his head
14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
One author argues that you can capture the whole Bible in one phrase.
“Kill the dragon, get the girl.” —Andrew David Naselli
So many stories echo this great story.
It has prompted many little boys to pick up pretend swords.
Many men like John Wycliffe to stand against evil powers.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Sin connects you to the first Adam.
Sin connects you to the first Adam.
We’re not sinners because we sin.
We don’t become sinners because we sin.
It’s the exact opposite.
We sin because we are sinners to the core.
Through Adam, everyone inherit a sin nature.
We should ask a question of this narrative in Genesis 3.
What would it have meant for Adam to obey after his wife ate of the fruit?
True obedience for the first Adam would have look like dying in the place of his wife.
It would’ve looked like him, cutting the head off of the serpent.
It would’ve looked like him, upholding the Word of his heavenly father.
It would’ve looked like dying in the place of a bride cursed with death.
This is what faithfulness looks like.
How do you know this?
We know this because we have seen the S\second Adam.
We know this because the second Adam was faithful unto death.
“Kill the dragon, get the girl.”
It echoes this great story of the son of God faithfully fulfilling the word of his heavenly father.
13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.
14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
Sin came before the law.
The law was given to suppress and reveal sin within us.
Faith connects you to the Second Adam–Jesus Christ.
Faith connects you to the Second Adam–Jesus Christ.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.
Adam’s one trespass resulted in death and condemnation for everyone after him.
But the free gift offered in the Gospel is that one man.
The second Adam would taste death and judgment to make right the many.
“Sin links you to the wrong person; faith links you to the right one.” —Ed Welch
17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ has defeated the grave.
“It is not good for us to trust in our merits, in our virtues or our righteousness; but only in God's free pardon, as given us through faith in Jesus Christ” —John Wycliffe
All who turn from their sin and trust Him are made anew by grace.
They are made righteous in the life of the Son of God.
Adam plunged humanity into separation from God; but the second Adam rescued humanity by “killing the dragon and getting the girl.”
Adam plunged humanity into separation from God; but the second Adam rescued humanity by “killing the dragon and getting the girl.”
