Foundational Principle #6 – Redemption – Man Hides God Finds

Part 8 – BILBLICAL WORLDVIEW FOUNDATION #6 – The Redeemer – Man hides God Finds

Salvation and Reconciliation are of the Lord

Gen. 3:7-11   And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Then they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God in the midst of the trees of the garden. ⁹ Yahweh God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ And he said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” ¹¹ And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Gen. 3:20-21   Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 Then Yahweh God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them.

These texts are the first telling of the gospel, the only gospel which can save. The means of grace and mercy from God toward man is revealed in Gen 3.  We see man give in to his desires rather than obey and he rebels against God. He then attempts to hide from God, as if this were possible, but wonderfully God shows up. It is importance to notice man does not seek after God but God seeks after man demonstrating salvation is all of God – Eph 1:3-5. Then man tries to blame shift to anyone or anything else to get out of trouble. In fact, he was accusing God because He had made Eve for him – Gen 3:12. We get a first glimpse of the savior to come in Gen 3:15. Here is a promise of one to come who will crush Satan. Then we are introduced to the only remedy for sin and rebellion, a blood sacrifice.  This text foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let’s follow what the text reveals:

• Adam and Eve followed their desires rather than God’s commandment- Man rebels against God when they were carried away by their desire to be like God – Gen 3:1-6, Jam 1:13-14
• Their eyes were opened – Their disobedience resulted in the loss of innocence (sinlessness) resulting in spiritual death and separation from God – Gen 3:7
• They felt shame and quilt as the consequences of their sin – Gen 3:7
• The first act of sinful man was to try and cover and hide their sin – Gen 3:7
• They hid from God – Gen 3:8
• They were afraid of God – Gen 3:9
• But God came to find them.  Gen 3:9-11 (Also read in Eph 2:1-7 another BUT GOD text)
• God replaced their futile attempt to cover their sin with fig leaves, and replaced it with the only covering which saves, His provided covering though sacrifice – Gen 3:21.

Atonement through sacrifice. We see reconciliation as God provides the first blood sacrifice.  In Gen 3:21. God rejects man’s way of trying to cover themselve and replaces it with the only way of redemption. They had to be clothed with God’s way of salvation. God removed their fig leaves which was an attempt at covering their sin. He then clothed them with the skins from a blood sacrifice. Thus showing the only way of right standing before God is we must be dressed in his righteousness and not that of our own making. This is demonstrated by the great exchange in 2 Cor 5:21. Jesus took our sin and clothed us with his righteousness.  This is grace, this is God clothing them with his righteousness – Gen 3:21

I want to highlight and compare Gen 3:21 to 2 Cor 5:20 because Gen 3:21 is an amazing forerunner to what Jesus will do for us thousands of years later by going to the cross.

• In Gen 3:21 God replaces their self-made fig leaves with one of his own making. 
• In 2 Cor 5:21 Jesus took away our sins and clothed us in his righteousness.

Even though man sinned and rejected God, even though they hid from him, even though they tried to blame others for their sin. God came for them, called for them, sought them out.  This is always the case.  Sinful men hide and suppress the truth, but Jesus came to seek and save the lost. 

We have all paid the price for wanting to be our own god.  We live in a world where we are subject to sickness, suffering and eventual death.  We have also learned when Adam and Eve rebelled our spiritual transceivers were damaged and our ability to communicate with God died.  Sin has tragic consequences then and now. 

The good news in Gen 3 and thoughout the bible is even though man has rebelled and continues to rebel against God, he also has provided the solution through Christ.

The Gospel declared – 1 Cor 15:1-2

• The gospel which I proclaimed as good news to you,
• The Gospel must be received
• We must stand firm in the Gospel
• The Gospel is how we are saved

The Gospel elements – 1 Cor 15:3-4

• Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
• He was buried,
• He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Believers Hope – 1 Cor 15:20-22, 1 Cor 15:51-57

• Christ was raised from the dead
• For by a man came death, In Adam all die
• But in Christ all will be made alive
• While we live today in a corruptible body – One day it will be raised an incorruptible body
• Death will be swallowed up in victory
• Thanks be to God who gives us victory through Jesus Christ

Note the following:

1. Works righteousness is inadequate: Adam and Eve first tried to cover their own sin.  The first effort at works righteousness when only Grace will do – Gen 3:7
2. Man still hides from God:  Man suppresses the truth about God – Rom 1:18-22. Adam and Eve wanted to have nothing to do with God so they hid – Gen 3:8
3. Humanity still fully rejects God until this very day – Rom 3:9-12
   1. Scripture clearly states no on seeks God.

Rom. 3:9-12   What then? Are we better? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; ¹⁰ as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;  THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ¹² ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME WORTHLESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

• Salvation is all of God: God came for them.  – While man hide God finds.   
  • Redemption/Reconciliation is all of God – Gen 3:8-11
  • Jesus came to seek and to save the lost – Luke 19:10
  • No one comes to Jesus unless given to him by the Father – John 6:37
  • No one is able to come to Jesus unless the Father who sent me draws him and he will raise him up on the last day – John 6:44
• The first promise of a future savior – Gen 3:15
• The first sacrifice – which points to Christ the ultimate sacrifice – Gen 3:20-21

To close I want to add the following illustration so we can be encouraged that even though we were spiritually dead and the image of God was fully corrupted in us, we are never beyond being transformed into the image of Christ.

The image and relationship with God restored by Christ.

Story by Athanasius and told by Michael Reeves: “One of the great heroes of the faith was the mighty fourth-century theologian, Athanasius. His name means “immortal.” And it’s quite appropriate. Athanasius had a lovely image to help us get how Christ is the image of God and how He restored the image of God in humanity.”

“He said, “Adam was like a beautiful portrait painting. On him, the image of God was drawn.” And what happened at the fall was that the portrait was utterly wrecked. Adam was no longer anything like God. He’d become vicious, selfish, horribly unholy. And so the image, the painting was ruined. So, how could this precious portrait be restored? And the problem was, there was nobody who knew what the portrait had once looked like. They couldn’t restore it. To restore it, you had to know God. You had to know what He’s like. Otherwise, you could never know what the image of God should look like. There was only one hope. The original subject of the portrait had to come and have His likeness redrawn on the canvas of humanity. Only the One whose likeness was originally drawn on Adam could restore and renew it. And so, the image of God Himself came. He took on humanity to renew His image in it. He came and showed us the image of God in the flesh. And in Christ alone could humanity be restored from what Athanasius called all this “dehumanizing of mankind.” Only He, the image of God Himself, could rehumanize us. Only in Him could we, as Paul puts it in Colossians 3:10, “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.””

The damaged image not even recognizable from Gen 1-3 as demonstrated by Eph 2:1-12

• We were dead in our transgressions and sins – Eph 2:1
• We walked according to the course of this world according to ruler of this world – Eph 2:2
• We had a spirit of disobedience – Eph 2:2
• We followed the lusts of our flesh – Eph 2:3
• We did the desires of the flesh and mind – Eph 2:3
• We were by nature children of wrath – Eph 2:3
• We were without Christ – Eph 2:12
• We were lost and without hope in this world – Eph 2:12
• We were separated and alienated from the promise of redemption – Eph 2:12

Image being restored in Christ – BUT GOD

• Being rich in mercy because of the love with which he loved us – Eph 2:4
• We were made alive with Christ by grace – Eph 2:5
• We were saved by grace – Eph 2:5
• We were raised with him and seated in heavenly places – Eph 2:6
• We will in ages to come be shown His surpassing riches of His grace in kindness in Christ – Eph 2:7
• We were saved by grace though faith – Eph 2:8
• We were freely given this grace, salvation and faith as a gift of God – Eph 2:8
• We could not earn it – Eph 2:9
• We are now his workmanship being created in Christ for good works which were prepared beforehand for us to walk in. – Eph 2:10

With respect to Athanasius illustration above we might say we were the damaged unrecognizable portrait, but Christ has come with his blood strained brush to transform us. Christ has saved us by His grace and He is transforming us back into the perfect image of God.  We are being transformed stroke by stroke into the image of Christ – Rom 8:29, Eph 2:10

Summary table Redemption – Death to Life by Christ –  Eph 2:1-12

Image Restored	Image Lost
Are made alive by God – Eph 2:4	Are dead in transgressions and sins – Eph 2:1
Are rich in mercy because of the love with which he loved us – Eph 2:4	Walk according to the course of this world according to ruler of this world – Eph 2:2
Are made alive with Christ by grace – Eph 2:5	Have a spirit of disobedience – Eph 2:2
Are saved by grace – Eph 2:5	Follow the lusts of the flesh – Eph 2:3
Are raised with him and seated in heavenly places – Eph 2:6	Obey the desires of the flesh and mind – Eph 2:3
Are in ages to come be shown His surpassing riches of His grace in kindness in Christ – Eph 2:7	Are by nature children of wrath – Eph 2:3
Are saved by grace though faith – Eph 2:8	Are without Christ – Eph 2:12
Are freely given this grace, salvation and faith as a gift of God – Eph 2:8	Are lost and without hope in this world – Eph 2:12
Grace, salvation and faith are not earned by our works – Eph 2:9	Are separated and alienated from the promise of redemption – Eph 2:12
We are now his workmanship being created in Christ for good works which were prepared beforehand for us to walk in. – Eph 2:10

Final Summary of Genesis 1-3 as the scripture lays out for us the basic principles of a biblical worldview and the rest of the bible is the history how those principles work out in time.  So here they are:

1. God is/God created
2. Made in His image
3. God speaks
4. God makes the rules
5. Man wants to be his own God and pays the price
6. Salvation and Reconciliation is of the Lord.  Man hides God finds

Next time we will return to why a biblical worldview is essential. It will be  summarized to show how holding onto these foundational principles will help us with the big questions of our day.