|
|
|
Part 3 - The Fall and the Restoration
The Rebellion of Man's Soul
The soul of man is not something that he has, it is who he is. The human
soul is the person. It is not a portion or entity of man, it is his being.
In the soul are the emotions, consciousness, and will of man. The soul of
man communicates with the spiritual and heavenly things through his spirit,
and communicates with the earthly things through his body. In the fall, man
became dead on the spiritual side to the things of God and in his
unregenerate state is a worldly and fleshly creature, for his soul's primary avenue of sensory
perception is his body. Because fallen man's spirit is dead to God, he is
prone to demonic deception in spiritual pursuits.
God's design in creation was that man would cleave to God, finding in God
all fullness. Thus man was created "poor and needy." This in itself is not a
"bad" state, or an imperfect condition. Man was simply created without any
possessions and resources of himself, for God's intention was to be all
things to man. In cleaving to God, man is in his perfect state. Only in
leaving God through rebellion did the poor and needy state of man become an
issue.
Self-enrichment, self-fulfillment
In the fall, Adam and Eve sought to provide for themselves apart from
God. They rebelled against God's provision and resources. They sought their
provision using their own resources. This was a rebellion of their soul. It
was a rejection of God's design for their souls to be complete only in
conjunction with Him.
That Adam and Eve looked for provision apart from what God provided, and
used their own resources in doing so is evident in the Genesis account.
Genesis 3:6 states, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she
took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he
ate." They acted apart from God and took that which He did not provide. They
tried to enrich themselves and be sufficient in themselves apart from God.
Bankrupt
In rebelling against God, Adam and Eve became separated from Him. In
their separation, their poor and needy state immediately became apparent.
Their souls became bankrupt, for they suddenly lost that all-sufficient
supply that God was to them. Genesis records, "Then the eyes of both of them
were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves
together and made themselves coverings" (Gen. 3:7).
The state of fallen man's soul is manifest in one of the seven letters to
the churches in the book of Revelation. Jesus said, "Because you say, 'I am
rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that
you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; I counsel you to buy
from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments,
that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be
revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Rev.
3:17-18).
Fallen man in his empty and bankrupt state tries to measure himself by
his possessions and works. Because his heart is centered on himself and not
on God, his soul seeks self-worth and self-importance by wealth and
accomplishments. This is a delusion in which God reckons the fallen state of
man to be "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."
|
|
