1. What was Satan's name before he fell? Isaiah 14:12 _________
2. What was Lucifer spiritual condition when he was created? Ezekiel 28:12-15 _______________________________
3. Another text that refers to Lucifer before he fell is Ezekiel 28:12-17: How many types of precious stones was his covering? Verse 13. ____________________________________________
4. Isaiah 14:12-14, tells of how Lucifer rebelled against God. Fill in the blanks: How art thou fallen from ________ 0 Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the _________, which did weaken the nations! For ______ has said in thine heart, I will ________ into heaven, I will exalt my __________ above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the _________, in the sides of the north, I will ascend _________ the _________ of the clouds: I will be like the Most High.
5. Who joined Satan in rebellion? Revelation 12:4,9 _________
6. What sentence was executed against Lucifer after he sinned? Revelation 12:7-9 ______________________________________
7. After Satan's expulsion from heaven he turned his attention to the newly created human race: who was the first victim? Genesis 3:1-6. _________________________________________
8. What did Eve do? Genesis 3:2-6. _________________________
9. Who joined her in rebellion? Genesis 3:6. ___________________
10. What was the penalty for disobedience? Genesis 2:17. ________
11. List four things that happened to Adam and Eve as a consequence of their sin. Genesis 3:16-21. _______________________________________________________________
12. What great sin did their first child commit? Genesis 4:8 _____
13. What happen to the human race as a result of Adam and Eve,s
sin? Romans 5: 12. _____________________________________
15. What is the Bible's definition of sin? 1 John 3:4. __________
_____________________________________________________
14. Do we have to live in sin? 1 John 1: 9; 1 John 2:1. _________
God's intention is to restore us back to our Eden home: What step did He take to ensure the success of this plan? John 3:16; fill in the blanks: For God so loved the _________ , that He gave His only __________ Son that ___________ believeth in Him should not _________, but have ________ life.
The conflict between good and evil began in heaven. Angels, beings of a higher order than man, were created to enjoy intimate fellowship with God. Of superior strength, and obedient to God's word, they function as servants or ministering spirits. Though generally invisible, at times they appear in human form. It was through one of these angelic being that sin was introduced into the universe. Lucifer, son of the morning, the anointed cherub, resided in the presence of the Lord. He was the highest ranking angel in heaven. Ten different precious stones was his covering. Scripture says, "he was the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." "He was perfect in his ways from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him" (Isaiah 14: 12; .Ezekiel 28:12-15). Although sin's rise is inexplicable and unjustifiable, its roots can be traced to Lucifer's pride. His heart was lifted up because of his beauty. Lucifer refused to be content with the exalted position his Creator had given him. In selfishness he coveted equality with God Himself. He said in his heart that he would ascend into heaven, he will exalt his throne above the stars of God, he will be like the Most High-Isaiah 14:12-14. But though he desired God's position, he did not want his character. Lucifer's rebellion against God's government was the first step in his transformation into Satan, the adversary. Lucifer's covert actions blinded many angels to God's Love. The resulting discontent and disloyalty to God's government grew until one third of the angelic host joined him in rebellion (Revelation 12:4). The tranquility of God's kingdom was shattered and war broke out in heaven. Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven to this earth.
Upon his expulsion from heaven, he determined to entice others to join in his rebellion against God's government. His attention was drawn to the newly created human race. How could he lead Adam and Eve to rebel? They lived in a perfect world, with all their needs provided by their Creator. How could they become discontented and distrust the one who was the source of their happiness? The account of the first sin gives the answer.
In his assault on the first human beings, in order to accomplish his work unperceived, Satan chose to employ as his medium the serpent. The serpent was one of the wisest and most beautiful creatures on the earth. It had wings, and while flying through the air, presented an appearance of dazzling brightness, having the color and brillancy of burnished gold. Resting in the rich laden branches of the forbidden tree and regaling itself with the delicious fruits, it was an object to arrest the attention and delight the eye of the beholder. Thus in the garden of peace lurked the destroyer, watching for his prey.
Satan decided to catch them off guard. Approaching Eve when she was near the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he, talking through the serpent, questioned her as to whether God had told them not to eat of all the trees of the garden. Eve told him that they may eat of all the trees of the garden except the one that is in the middle of the garden, if they ate of that one or touch it they would die. "You will not surely die" the serpent said unto her; "for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." He aroused her curiosity by suggesting that God was trying to keep her from a wonderful new experience - that of being like God. Immediately doubt about God's word took root; Eve became infatuated with the grand possibilities the fruit was said to offer. The temptation begin to play havoc with her sanctified mind. Belief in God's word was replaced by belief in Satan's words. Suddenly she imagine that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise. Dissatisfied with her position, Eve yielded to the temptation of becoming like God. She took of its fruit and ate, she also gave to her husband and he ate. Genesis 3:6.
In trusting her senses rather than God's word, Eve severed her dependence upon God, fell from her high position, and plunged into sin.. The fall of the human race, therefore, first and foremost was characterized by a breakdown in faith in God and His word. This unbelief led to disobedience, which, in turn, resulted in a broken relationship and finally a separation between God and man. The first consequence of sin was a change in human nature that affected interpersonal relationship with God. The new exhilarating eye opening experience brought Adam and Eve only feelings of shame. Instead of becoming God's equal as Satan had promised, they became afraid and attempted to hide (Genesis 3:8-10). When God questioned Adam and Eve about their sin, instead of admitting their fault, they tried to pass the blame along. Adam said, "the woman you gave to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eat" (Genesis 3:12). His answer imply that both Eve, and indirectly God was responsible for his sin, clearly showing how sin had broken his relationship with his wife and his Creator. Eve, in turn, blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:13). The dire consequences that came of it reveal the seriousness of their transgression. God cursed Satan's medium - the serpent, condemning it to move on its belly as a perpetual reminder of the fall (Genesis 3:14). The woman was to bring forth children in pain and her desire would be to her husband. Adam listened to his wife instead of to God, and the earth was cursed for his sake.
In reaffirming the unchangeableness of his law and that any transgression leads to certain death, God said: "Dust you are and unto dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19). God executed this verdict by expelling them from their Eden home, severing their direct communication with God and preventing them from partaking of the tree of life - the source of eternal life. Thus Adam and Eve became subject to death. Sin is a moral evil; it is the result of human beings using their free moral choice to violate the reveal will of God. Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 1:18-22. After Adam and Eve sinned, the struggle between Christ and Satan soon became apparent as sin distorted the image of God in humanity. Though God offered His covenant of grace to the human race through Adam and Eve, their first child, Cain, murdered his brother. Wickedness continued to multiply until in sorrow God had to say of man "that every imagination of his heart was only evil continually." (read Genesis 6:-15; Genesis 4:8; Genesis 6:5).
God used a great flood to cleanse the world of its unrepentant inhabitants and give the human race a new start. Genesis 3:17-20. But before long the descendants of faithful Noah departed from God's covenant. Although God promised never again to destroy the entire earth with a flood, they blatantly showed their distrust of Him by building the tower of Babel in an attempt to reach heaven and thus have a means of escape from any ensuing flood. This time God squashed man's rebellion by confounding his universal language (Genesis 9:1, 11). Sometime later, with the world in near total apostasy, God extended His covenant to Abraham. Through Abraham, God planned to bless all nations of the world. However the successive generations of Abraham's descendants proved faithless to God's gracious covenant. Entrapped in sin, they aided Satan in achieving his objective by crucifying the Author and surety of the covenant- Jesus Christ. The spirit of rebellion has continued throughout the ages in the martyrdom of the people of God, and disobedience to God.
Sin is the transgression of God's law. It is a deviation from the known will of God, either of neglect to do what He has specifically commanded or of doing what He has specifically forbidden. Jesus said, "he who is not with Me is against Me. Failure to believe in Him is sin. (read 1 John 3:4; Matthew 12:30; John 16:9). Sin is rebellion against God and His will. Any sin, small or great, results in the verdict "guilty." Thus, whoever keeps the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2: 10). Sin could be committed through thought or actions. The Bible says that being angry with someone violates the sixth commandment of the Decalogue-"you should not kill." Lustful desires also transgress the command "thou shall not commit adultery" (read Exodus 20: 13, 14). Sin, therefore, involves not only overt disobedience in actions, but also thoughts and desires. The seat of sin is what the Bible calls the heart, what we know as the mind. From the heart springs the issues of life. Jesus said it is the person's thoughts that defile; "for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness." He says that "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." (read Matthew 15:19; Jeremiah 17:9).
Sin produces guilt. From the biblical perspective, guilt implies that the one who has committed sin is liable to punishment; and because we all are sinners, the whole world is guilty before God - "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;" And, the wages of sin is death, Romans 3:19; and 6:23. However, God has provided an antidote for sin or guilt - forgiveness. This forgiveness God is eager to grant to all who repents. Before God pronounced the punishment on the fallen pair's sins, He gave them hope by introducing the covenant of grace. He said, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed; He shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel. First God promised through His Son a bulwark against sin. He would create a hatred between the serpent and the woman -Satan's followers and God's people. This would disrupt man's relationship with Satan and open the way for a renewed relationship with God. Through the centuries war was to continue between God's church and Satan. The conflict reached its culmination in the death of Jesus Christ, who was the prophesied personification of the "Seed of the woman." At Calvary, Satan was defeated. Bruised though the "Seed" of the woman was, the author of evil was defeated.
Because of Christ victory on Calvary, we too can be victorious in the battle against Satan. Through faith we can share in the Saviour's victory on Calvary. He said, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God; but if we confess our sins, He - Jesus - is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." He says, "behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hear My voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him." I beg you, let Jesus into your heart today and obey His voice.
Do you believe that by the grace of God you can live free from sin?
