ADAM THE GARDENER- OUR SPIRITUAL BIRTHRIGHT

When God placed Adam in the garden He said one of the reasons he placed him there was because "there was no one to till the ground".

So this was Adam's job when he lived there just as it was after he was sent from the garden. And he obviously did it. Even though we know he could have chosen not to. He did have free will both before and after he left the garden, after all.

God made him so he could make choices. Having the free will to decide what he would and would not do based on the information he was given by those he spoke with, God and Eve, and eventually hearing as well from the serpent, and the experiences he went through in his environment. The garden where he was told he could eat from all of the trees in the garden except one.

One thing I want to make abundantly clear at this point is that contrary to what many who are apostate teach Adam and Eve were never punished by God for their sin. In fact, no one has ever been punished for the sin of Adam. There was no penalty applied to them or anyone else for their sin.

A plain reading of the Genesis account and Rom.5:12-14 will attest to this fact. If you believe Paul you could never believe they or anyone else was punished for their sin. If you have been taught that men were punished with death for Adam's sin then you must put those lies out of your thinking. Stop believing and teaching that death is a penalty for Adam's sin.

Because as long as you think in terms of penalty for Adam's sin as the reason men need a savior you will pervert Paul's gospel to become one that is based on works. 

This radically changes who you believe God is, who Jesus is, and what the atonement was for from what the Bible plainly says. And perverting these means you will neither know Him or His atonement. And therefore you will not have eternal life. But rather as Paul said in 2Cor.13:5 you will be reprobate. Having only a form of godliness that denies it's power as Paul said in 2Tim.3:5. 

Now, the Bible says that the serpent was the most subtle of all the beasts of the field.

So when he spoke with them he was able to use the fact that they had no knowledge of good and evil against them. He used his subtlety to get them to do what God told them not to do or they would "surely die" by mixing just enough truth with a lie to get them to do what was contrary to what God told them.

He told them the truth when he said God does know that when you eat of it you would become as God by knowing good and evil. But, he lied when he said they would not surely die. This is how satan works. His subtlety is taking the skin of the truth and filling it with a big lie.

The purpose in the serpent doing this was to try to destroy God's plan for mankind. A plan that Peter says God made before He made the worlds. A plan that can be seen in the meaning of the names of Adam and his first several descendants. These names in sequence are,

Hebrew -----English

Adam ------- Man

Seth ---------Appointed

Enosh --------Mortal

Kenan --------Sorrow;

Mahalalel ----The Blessed God

Jared --------Shall come down

Enoch --------Teaching

Methuselah ---His death shall bring

Lamech -------The Despairing

Noah ----------Rest, or comfort.

And in sequence these names when translated into english read that God's plan for man was that being appointed to mortal sorrow, he would receive rest and comfort when the blessed God shall come down teaching that His death shall bring the despairing rest and comfort.

Just think of it. God's plan would ultimately bring the despairing, those who had no hope of ever being anything but flesh that returns to the dust from which it was taken as God said in Gen.3:19, the rest and comfort that only God could bring. By way of a spiritual birth that only Jesus' death and resurrection could make possible.

A rest by believing in Jesus to be born of the Spirit as Jesus said in John3:1-8 that gives us entrance into His rest as we cease from our own labors by living for him.

A rest that was first shown when God ceased from His work of creating on the 7th day. And a rest that was later symbolized under the law in which God gave Israel the 7th day set aside for rest in recognition of God's resting from creating. Later to be fulfilled in Jesus by the eternal relationship that is our rest in Jesus explained in Heb.4 that we have with God Himself through faith in Jesus.

And our comfort by the indwelling Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to live in those who believe in Him. Which is why Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the "comforter" in John16.

This process we see laid out in the names mentioned above is the plan of God that Peter said God made before He made the worlds. A plan that would require mankind to make choices. Choices that ultimately would not just determine whether he would remain in the garden forever. But, also what their lives on earth would be like. And where and with whom they will spend eternity.

This is how God made Adam because God knows that without free will no man can ever experience His love. And he can never experience giving or receiving love with others. And since God is love that would never do.

Does this mean it must have been God's plan from the beginning that Adam would eat the fruit so God could show His great love for mankind? See for yourself in this passage that the answer to this question is an emphatic yes.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your father; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." 1Peter1:18-21.

"Forordained" means it was God's plan that Adam would eat from the fruit. Because not eating from it is unthinkable. If he had he not eaten from the fruit he would never have needed deliverance from death.

God knew that free will was absolutely necessary if He was going to have a loving relationship with us. He also knew that having free will could bring some dire consequences. Consequences that could separate us from Him for all eternity. Dependent on whether we will choose to receive His love. Or allow satan, that old serpent, to talk us out of our birthright using the "deceitfulness of riches, the cares of this life, and desires for other things" as Jesus said in Mark4.

Yes, heaven is our birthright. Because Peter also tells us that it is not God's will that any should perish. 2Peter3:9. And Jesus tells us that hell, that is eternal separation from God, was never made for man. But, only for the devil and the angels that went with him in the rebellion. Mt.25:41.

Just as the birthright that was to go to Esau that he let Jacob talk him out of for some food when he was hungry. Like Esau, we too can be talked out of ours by placing more importance on the things of this world than on the things of God.

When the Holy Spirit's reproof and the knowledge of good and evil are present we have all that is needed to make the choices necessary to defend against being talked out of our birthright. We can believe God when He tells us He loves us. Because He proved it to us by coming in the same flesh all men have as John1:1,14 and Heb.2:14 says He did. He did this so that He could die a man's death. That by the resurrection He could conquer death for you and for me. Greater love has no man than he that will lay down his life for his friend.

Knowing God's love is the first step to securing our birthright. So you won't miss the mark....

If you keep your eyes on Jesus. 

Because when we know His love satan has nothing to use that can sway us from trusting in God and having the birthright He has given to us. Because our names are written in the Lamb's book of life from conception. And can only be "blotted out" if and when we die missing the mark by allowing satan to convince us that God really does not love us.

Sadly there are those who teach that man is destined for hell from conception by nature. And that because they believe we are born with a sin nature we inherited from Adam we are evil from birth and deserving of eternal fire and damnation. As the scriptures plainly show these are liars and false teachers.

Peter said "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2Peter3:9. And Jesus said when speaking to the disciples about the little ones, "Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” Mt.18:14.

How anyone could read the scriptures and come away with anything other than God's will being that no man should perish, is a testament only to their willingness to allow satan, that old serpent, to talk them out of their birthright. 

And sadly that is exactly what these do who have believed the doctrine of original sin and sin nature. Doctrines that turn God's word upside down and inside out by denying our birthright and making us Satan's children. But, being the children of disobedience is something that can only be done by choice. Never by nature or through inheritance. 

Because God's love requires free will. And it is God's kindness that leads us to trust in Him. To choose to respond to His love with trust. Rejecting another way satan would tempt us with, and instead trusting in Jesus. And having done so we have the confidence of knowing Him(John17:3) and holding on to the birthright for which He made us. To forever be the "new creatures" that make us His spiritual children and heirs to His kingdom.

Will you trust in Him? Will you keep hold on your birthright? If you will confess Jesus is Lord, and believe that He has raised from the dead, you will secure your birthright for all eternity. Because our choice to confess Jesus is Lord brings salvation. And our choice to believe that He has raised from the dead acknowledges that He alone is the way of salvation.

Because no one else has done it. Which is why in John14:6 Jesus said "I am the way, truth, and life. No man comes to the Father except through me." There is no other way because He alone has conquered death.

So trust in Him today and have your birthright secured. Satan is as a roaring lion James tells us. Roaming about seeking whom he may devour. These are they that have so far allowed him to talk them out of their birthright. But, by trusting in Jesus you will forever silence the roar of satan in your life to try to talk you out of yours. Do this and you will have the joy and peace of knowing that your birthright is secure.

See you there or in the air!