CHAPTER 6
OF THE FALL OF MAN, OF SIN, AND OF THE PUNISHMENT THEREOF
Which God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory. – [Please note that this thesis statement is found at the end of paragraph 1, not originally at the beginning. (The Baptist confession of Faith of 1689 pamphlet, p. 16)]
Paragraph 1
Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it, and threatened death upon the breach thereof, 1 yet he did not long abide in this honor; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who, without any compulsion, did willfully transgress the law of their creation, and the command given to them, in eating the forbidden fruit, 2 which God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory [see note above].
1
Gen. 2:16-17 | The Lord commanded the man, saying, From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.
John MacArthur | Surely Die – To die has the basic idea of separation. It can mean spiritual separation, physical separation, and /or eternal separation. At the moment of their sin, Adam and Eve died spiritually, but because God was merciful they did not die physically until later ([Gen.] 5:5). There is no reason given for this prohibition, other than it was a test [a test of obedience by which our first parents were tried, whether they would be good or bad – obey God or disobey His command – note on Gen. 2:9]. There was nothing magical about that tree, but eating from it after it had been forbidden by God would indeed give man knowledge of evil – since evil can be defined as obeying God. Man already had the knowledge of good.
2
Gen. 3:12-13 | The man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate. Then the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
2 Cor. 11:3 | But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
1 Timothy 2:14 | … it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. [See context - 1 Tim. 2:9-15]
Paragraph 2
Our first parents, by this sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them whereby death came upon all: 3 all becoming dead in sin, 4 and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body. 5
3
Rom. 3:23 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
POSB – For all have sinned | The word sinned (Gk. – harmartano) is in the Greek aorist tense; that is, it is a once-for-all happening. It looks back to the historical entrance of sin into the world. This means that all men …
. inherited the nature of their sinful fathers and mothers.
. have sinned and are sinners.
. cannot keep from sinning and will sin.
Galatians 3:22 | But the Scripture has confined [shut up NASB; imprisoned – ESV] all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. [NKJ] – cf. 1 Jn. 1:8, 5:19; Gen. 6:5; 1 Kg. 8:46; Ps. 53:3 (cp. Ps. 14:3); Pr. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; Is. 53:6, 64:6; Micah 7:2.
4
Rom 5:12, etc. | Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned –
NOTE: Federal Head | Adam is considered as the federal head representing all of mankind within his lions. Thus when he sinned against God in the garden we too through him as our representative became sinners – cf. Romans 5:17-19 (in lieu of the context: 5:12-21 – The federal headship of the 1st Adam and of the 2nd Adam, that is, Christ in comparison to one another – cf. 1 Corinthians 15:20-26).
Romans 5:17-19 | (… For if by the one man’s offense death reign through the one, much more those who received abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. [NKJ]
1 Corinthians 15:21a and 22a | … by man came death … For as in Adam all die … [NKJ]
5
Titus 1:15 | To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and conscience are defiled.
Gen. 6:5 | Then the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Jer. 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it. [NKJ]
Matthew 15:10b-11, 15-20 | … [Jesus] said … Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. … Then Peter answered and said to Him, Explain this parable to us. So Jesus said, Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands [cf. 15:1-9] does not defile a man. [NKJ]
Rom. 3:10-19, [20] | … as it is written,
. There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understand, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.
. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing an bitterness;
. Their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known.
. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
. Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Ephesians 2:1, 5 | And you were dead in your trespasses and sins … even when we were dead in our transgressions …
John MacArthur – None Who Understand | Man is unable to comprehend the truth of God or grasp His standard of righteousness (see Ps. 14:2; 53:3; cf. 1 Cor. 2:14). Sadly, his spiritual ignorance does not result from a lack of opportunity ([Rom.] 1:19, 20; 2:15), but is an expression of his depravity and rebellion (Eph. 4:18).
Paragraph 3
They being the root, and by God’s appointment, standing in the room and stead of all mankind, the guilt of the sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed, to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation, 6 being now conceived in sin, 7 and by nature children of wrath, 8 the servants of sin, the subjects of death, 9 and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free. 10
6
Rom. 5:12-19 | Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned – for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who received the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so, through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
1 Cor. 15:21-22, 45, 49 | For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. … So also it is written, The first man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. … Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
7
Ps. 51:5 | Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. [ESV]
Job 14:4 | Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!
8
Eph. 2:3 | Among them [the sons of disobedience – v. 2] we too all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
9
Rom. 6:20 | For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regards to righteousness.
Rom. 5:12 | Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned –
10
Heb. 2:14-15 | Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He [Jesus – v. 9] Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
1 Thess. 1:[9b]-10 | … you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
O Death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin … but … God …giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ | 1 Cor. 15:55-57. [KJV]
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From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, 11 do proceed all actual transgressions. 12
Original Corruption – cf. Romans 5:12-19 | (See Ch. 6, P-graph 3, Pt 6 above.)
. Utterly Indisposed | thoroughly, entirely, absolute not willing.
. Disabled | to render incapable; cripple; to render legally incapable.
. Opposite to All Good | contrary in tendency or character; facing or moving the other way
. Wholly Inclined | completely, totally, exclusively, only to be bent, preference, be disposed.
11
Rom. 8:7 | because the mind is set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so
Col. 1:21 | … you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds
John MacArthur | The unbeliever’s problem is much deeper than acts of disobedience, which are merely outward manifestations of inner fleshly compulsions. His basic inclinations and orientation toward gratifying himself – however outwardly religious or moral he may appear – are directly hostile to God. Even the good deeds unbelievers perform are truly a fulfillment of God’s law, because they are produced by the flesh, for selfish reasons, and from a heart that is in rebellion.
12
James 1:14-15 | … each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
Then when lust had conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
1 John 2:15-16 | Do not love the world or things in the world, if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.
Matt. 15:19 | For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.
Galatians 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissentions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [NKJ] – cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Colossians 3:5-9; Revelation 21:8.
Paragraph 5
The corruption of nature, during this life, does remain in those that are regenerated; 13 and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and the first motions thereof, are truly and properly sin. 14
13
Rom. 7:18, 23 | For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. … but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
J. Vernon McGee – Romans 5:17-18 | Here we have the conflict of two natures, the old nature and the new nature. …. When the old nature breaks the commandment (in this instance it was coveting), then the new nature agrees with the law that coveting is wrong. Paul was not fighting the Law because he broke it. He was agreeing as a believer that the Law was good. In other words; It is no longer I (new nature) who am working it out, but sin (the old nature [flesh]) living in me. … Let me make it personal. Anything that Vernon McGee does in the flesh, God hates. God won’t have it … When it is of the flesh, it is no good.
Eccles. 7:20 | Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
1 John 1:8 | If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
14
Rom. 7:23-25 | but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Gal. 5:17 | … the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish.
NOTE: There are those in Christendom who claim that they no longer sin. They believe that God has completely sanctified them [set apart from] to the point of not being able to fall into sin. However, in order to keep such of a belief, they are permitted to make mistakes occasionally – which in reality makes a two tier level concerning what is classified as sin and what is classified as only a mistake. But, as the above 1 John 1:8 shows, there is no two tier level at all concerning sin and mistakes, for John says, If we say we have no sin [mistakes – if you so choose], we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. – cf. Jeremiah 17:9.
. Folks, we still are living in these sinful, corruptible, and perishable bodies and will be in them until either we die or are raptured by the Lord – cf. 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
CLOSING THOT:
As saved sinners – 1 Timothy 1:15, we are to strive to live our lives in a manner that gives glory to God – Romans 6:1-2, confessing our sins to Him – 1 John 1:9, when we stray from the path – Proverbs 16:9, in which He is guiding us – Psalms 119:105, through His providence. For our duty is to fear God and keep His commandments – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
