Har Far Did Man Fall?

How Far Did Man Fall?

Some time ago, while teaching a Bible class on the Book of Genesis, I came to the third chapter and the account of the fall of man. In the course of the study I said that many of the great differences in theology which divide men and churches arose out of the question as to how far man fell in the sin of Adam. To my astonishment, the crowd laughed. I was not expecting it at all, and had a flash of stunned silence, but then I immediately saw that the laughter came from a shock of something so unexpected. The audience had never heard the matter expressed in that way, and their minds were totally unprepared for the statement, and did not comprehend it. The combination had touched off laughter.

Yet in no small sense the statement is historically true and Scripturally revealing. One of the fundamental differences between the Catholic and the Reformed theologies is the question of the distance of the fall. Or, to put it in another way, of what is man capable at the present time? Rome would teach that man is quite capable of storing up merit by a system of good works. Every religion which believes that salvation is through human character holds that man has not fallen very far. Some think, indeed, that he has fallen upwards! The great difference between the Arminians and the Calvinists again lies in this question, How far did man fall?

It is a matter that is of great importance to all who carry on any kind of witness to unbelievers. I remember a preacher who once said in a private conversation that if he thought there was a spark of the divine left in fallen men, he would counsel putting electric fans in the pulpit to fan the spark to flame, rather than preachers to proclaim the miracle-working Gospel. Facetious? Perhaps, but there is a great deal of truth in his remark.

There can be no doubt that New Testament theology is based on the fact that man fell all the way. He fell so far that he could fall no farther. He fell so far that there was no life left in him. He is "dead" (Eph. 2:1), and must be "quickened" by the Spirit before he can have even the remotest semblance of faith, but even that must be the gift of God (Eph. 2:8). The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit, neither can he know them (1 Cor. 2:14); in fact there is no one that understandeth, not even anyone that seeketh after God (Rom. 3:11). The carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be; they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:7). When we realize this, we will learn to rely less on anything that appeals merely to the natural man and his understanding. Instead we will send forth the Word with the knowledge that we are preaching to dead men, whom only the power of God can quicken. All praise will be to Him. The Curse Upon Man and the Earth

Satan is interested in anything which can take the minds of people away from the Word of God, and in anything which can get people to disbelieve the Biblical account of the Fall and God's curse upon man and the earth. The International Journal of Religious Education recounted the story of a regional conference of the United Christian Youth Movement.

An altar was erected with a cross and candles in the background, and a pile of fruits of the earth and dishes of soil on a white altar cloth occupied the foreground. The young people had a service that was called "The Ceremony of the Soil." There were special prayers written for the occasion, including the following: "Grant us . . . strength . . . courage and intelligence . . . to the end that the land shall blossom as a rose and in all Thy holy earth none shall be hungry nor be afraid."

Immediately, the Christian thinks of Cain and his offering. Here is the hatred of the blood of Christ and the hatred of God's curse manifested in a religious act which is Satanic in origin. The prayers are prayers to Satan, even though there is a cross on the altar. The land, according to the prayer, is to blossom like the rose as a result of strength given to men, rather than by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Bible teaches. The earth is referred to as "Thy holy earth," though the Scripture teaches, "Cursed be the ground for thy sake. . ." (Gen. 3:17).

The very soil has been smitten with the curse which came because of the sin of man. Thorns, thistles, and deserts are on this globe because they reflect the heart of man. The erosion of our top soil (20 percent of the top soil of America has already gone toward the oceans), keeps up with the spiritual erosion of our population.

Christian eyes and Christian hearts can look out upon the cursed earth only when they know that the thorns which pressed into Christ's brow were a prelude to the removal of the curse of the thorns, and that "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now ... waiting for the adoption. . . of our body" (Rom. 8:22). God can never accept the offering of fruits unless the offering of the blood has come first

1. If we have fallen so far that we can fall no further, have humans then lost the image of God? What scripture passages would you support your answer with?
2. If sin is as bad as it will get and the gospel is what melts the sinner’s heart of stone, what should we use when we defend the faith or evangelize?
3. If sin has effected our minds and hearts can we properly know anything apart from the illumination and revelation of the Lord?