#2300 0717 16A

            When constructing or assembling anything—a plan, a sketch, an outline, or a blueprint should be followed.  We begin with a basic part and build from that point—adding this and including something else—and progressing to a specific goal or point of completion.

            God’s blueprint for Adam is the same plan He has for His children today—Malachi 3:6; James 1:17.  The relationship they had with God and their trust on Him before they sinned by not following His plan—provided perfect peace and contentment for Adam and Eve Genesis 2.  It was an ideal environment Genesis 1:31, “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”  That same faith and trust on God is required of us today.

            The tempter appears to deceive and destroy the first humans.  Ezekiel 28:15 “You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you.  17 Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty.  You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.”  It is the same Revelation 12:9 dragon, “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world [leads the whole world astray]: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

            Satan is always in disguise, always has wicked intentions, and is evil to the core.  He loses no time in trying to influence Adam away from God’s plan for His creation.  He tempts Eve when Adam was not there to remind her of God’s warning.  Satan says something plausible and believable, but mixed with a lie.  Eating from the tree would open their eyes and would give knowledge, but it would not help them and not make them gods.

            Satan changes the words God said and asks Eve if they are not allowed to eat from any of the trees.  Eve corrects the wording Genesis 3:2 “We may eat fruit from [most of] the trees in the garden”—just not eat from the one tree.  Genesis 2:16 “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat.”  God had first given the command to Adam, before Eve was created, which affirms Adam’s rightful position as head of the family.  Adam would be accountable for any wrong decision. 

            Eve understands God’s warning, but she softens it by changing the wording.  God told her Genesis 2:17 “You will surely die,” but she tells the serpent that God said they would die—omitting surely Genesis 3:3.  To this very day, Satan continues to deceive people by distorting God’s Word and changing the meaning.  Genesis 3:5 “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”  He means; You will be your own boss; make your own plans; and control your own future without depending on God like children.

            The truth is, however Matthew 18:3 “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  Satan lies to Eve and reverses the truth of God’s blueprint for them.  Her eyes would be opened, but she would not become like a god.  Satan’s lie that day is the same lie this day—that more worldly knowledge will bring more human success and satisfaction.

            The truth is that too much learning brings many more troubles—as it can feed the pride in our heart.  Ezekiel 28:17 “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.”  God’s blueprint to follow is to confess and forsake any pride that God reveals—and only He can do that.  Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

            Disobeying God would not bring happiness, but it would make them like the serpent—rebellious, defiant, proud, deceitful, and guilty.  Eve accepted Satan’s lie and rejected God’s plan.  When she “saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it” Genesis 3:6.

            She thought that gaining more wisdom would bring more pleasure.  The forbidden tree was pleasant to view, and she wanted what it seemed to promise.  Food to eat, nice things to view, and knowledge are good things—good things within God’s will and plan, but they are sinful things outside of His will and plan.  1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

            Our decisions and choices in life are vitally important.  Genesis 3:6 “She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”  The sin-nature has always rebelled against God’s blueprint of obedient trust.  Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” 

            Adam’s disobedience brought sin into the world, even though Eve yielded first, because Adam’s position as head of the family makes him responsible for decisions of the family.  When Adam fell, humanity fell with him.  We all share his guilt, because we are all born with a rebellious heart that will not trust God in faith for anything until converted.

            Psalm 51:5 “In sin my mother conceived me”—everyone has an unbelieving heart, until God reveals it and removes it.  We must allow Him to do that spiritual work in our heart, by surrendering our life to Him—“Not my will, but thine, be done” Luke 22:42.  Only God can remove a rebellious nature and replace it with a submissive one.

            The apostle explained Romans 5:18 “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification [acquittal] that brings life for all men.”  Spiritual life means we have a believing faith in Christ; it is a trusting nature that depends on God for everything—health, healing, protection, provisions, peace, avenging wrongs, and eternal life—that is God’s divine blueprint to follow.

            Abraham’s faith James 2:22-23 “was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness,’ and he received the name of ‘God’s friend.’”  The apostle then says James 2:24 “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by [spoken] faith alone.”

            The entire world is guilty because of Adam’s rebellion.  Romans 5:19 “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners;” but 6:4 “we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

            It is really a new life of trust on God—one that is willing to surrender everything to God, and to believe in faith for the Holy Spirit—just as we would believe in faith for any other answer to prayer.  This new and different life—of believing faith that continues to trust on God’s divine power—has been His blueprint to follow from the beginning.

            In the same way that Adam brought guilt on us as our representative human—by rebelling, Jesus took away that guilt as our Representative Savior—by His sacrifice.  Our responsibility then is to place our trust and our faith on that blood-atonement for sin.  1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”—if our trust is on Him.

            Eve was just as guilty, because she influenced Adam to rebel against God’s plan of trust.  They both tried to cover their mistake—but hiding our sin does not deal with our guilt.  Proverbs 28:13 “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”  We are to admit rebellious and resentful attitudes, repent before God, forsake those sins, and follow His plan of trust through the power of His Spirit.

            Atonement for our sins is possible only by a trusting and enduring faith on the perfect Blood sacrifice Jesus made for us.  Adam and Eve knew they sinned.  Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”  Jesus warned Luke 13:3 “unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

            God asked Genesis 3:11-13 “‘Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?’  The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’  Then the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’  The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’”  They admit they disobeyed, but we hear no confessing, no repenting, and no correcting the mistake—just blaming someone else.

            Everyone will answer to God for the personal decisions they make Romans 14:12—whether they trusted Him in believing faith, or turned away in rebellious unbelief.  John 5:29 “They that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation.”

            False teaching has influenced millions of Christians to fall away from faith and trust on God.  We are warned Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sow-eth, that shall he also reap.”  A trusting, believing, and enduring faith in the resurrection power of Christ, is the only way our sins can be erased.   God provides the power and the ability, but we have to provide the choice to believe, and to make the decision to keep trusting Him—regardless of the risk.

            God will always be faithful, and He will always have the power to heal, deliver, protect, provide, and guide us by His Spirit—but we have to make the decision to believe His Word and trust Him in faith first.  Jesus said John the Baptist John 5:35 “was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.”

            That is our decision to follow God’s blueprint for life; John 7:17 “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching [doctrine] comes from God,”—His teaching is God’s plan to follow.  Jesus said to unbelievers John 5:40 “you are unwilling to come to me that you may have Life.”  That life of trust is God’s blueprint for everyone’s life.

            Walking in the light of God’s full Truth leads directly to His eternal kingdom.  John 5:24 “Whoever hears my word and believes [on] him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” Trusting on the atonement Blood of Jesus Christ for everything in life is God’s Blueprint for Believers.