HUMANITY'S FALL AND THE CHURCH

God’s Purpose

EPH 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love EPH 1:9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him EPH 1:10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, {that is}, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him EPH 1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, EPH 1:12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

2TI 1:9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

ROM 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose.

We have all been predestined by God to fulfill His eternal purpose. This purpose was established before the earth was formed but is now in the process of being fulfilled by the church.

GEN 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." GEN 1:27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. GEN 1:28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

God created man in His own image and His own likeness so that man could rule over this earth and all that is on it. It was in this image and likeness that God's purpose was to be completed. Ultimately God has predestined that man should rule over all the works of His hands. PSA 8:4 What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? PSA 8:5 Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, And dost crown him with glory and majesty! PSA 8:6 Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet,

HEB 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. "For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

GEN 3:22 Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"-- GEN 3:23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. GEN 3:24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life.

EPH 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, EPH 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. EPH 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

When man fell into sin, he also fell from the purpose of God and became subject to death and separation from God. Still God's purpose had not changed and God actively pursued His purpose in bringing man to His desired goal of ruling over all the works of His hands. Before that could happen man must be redeemed and restored to God's image and likeness. Then man must come to full rulership maturity and trustworthiness.

From the very beginning God had given man dominion and rulership. That dominion was confirmed following the fall of Man and then is reconfirmed again following Calvary and man's redemption. While the plan and purpose of God never changed, man had drastically changed from what he was created to be. Salvation then is restoring man back to Adam's first condition and then by eating continually from the Tree of Life and by the Father's discipline be matured to rulership character and ability. This is the goal of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The first Adam and the first Eve failed completely. The Last Adam did not fail and has now achieved that goal and rulership. HEB 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. "For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. HEB 2:9 But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, {namely,} Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. HEB 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

HEB 8:1 Now the main point in what has been said {is this}: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, HEB 8:2 a minister in the sanctuary, and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

God's original purpose was to have Adam and Eve to rule. The authority was given to Adam but Eve was created to be a helper for Adam. This is a picture and type for us of God's eternal purpose for Christ and His bride. The man Jesus Christ has ascended to the right hand of God and has taken His seat on the throne of heaven and is now ruling. 1CO 15:25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 1CO 15:27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 1CO 15:28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.

The Last Adam has completed the first part of God's eternal purpose but now is working to complete the second part of God's purpose. That is the creation and completion of the last Eve to become a helper to Jesus Christ to rule over all the works of God's hands. Now the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are actively working to perfect a bride for Jesus Christ who will be of the same character, nature and stature or maturity of Jesus Christ. In other words Christ is not looking for a baby bride but a mature woman who is just like Himself.

When Adam and Eve fell from the image and likeness of God they fell from perfect and innocent humanity to something far less. Adam was perfect but was not yet perfected. After the fall both Adam and Eve were less than human as God created them to be. We could say they fell to a sub-human condition. This sub-human condition was soon manifested when Cain killed Abel and has been in constant manifestation ever since. This is the source of man's inhumanity to man that is demonstrated continually upon the earth. This sub-humanity has been delivered by birth to every person on the face of the earth except one; the Lord Jesus Christ. Since He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary He was born as a fully human being. Since His mother was Mary and His Father was God He is not sub-human like the rest of us but fully human.

PHI 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, PHI 2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, PHI 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, {and} being made in the likeness of men. PHI 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

ROM 5:15 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. 1TI 2:5 For there is one God, {and} one mediator also between God and men, { the} man Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ is still "THE MAN".

Through this Man, Christ Jesus God is building a whole new race of "humans". Not white humans or black humans or anglo humans or Hispanic humans. These are all sub-humans. But through Jesus Christ and God's grace it is possible for sub-humans to redeemed and changed from sub-humans to humans. The church is in that process of change from being sub-humans to becoming fully human. It is not only possible but is normal for sub-humans to be forgiven of their sins and redeemed but still act sub-human.

This has been a great shock for multitudes to discover that the church is full of sub-humans. They may look holy at first glance but their character, their attitudes and their actions show they are still sub-human. The transformation from sub-human to human seems to be very slow and difficult for most Christians and is a process that requires patience.

Then how do we identify those who are still in the process of change? 1CO 3:2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able { to receive it.} Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 1CO 3:3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 1CO 3:4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not {mere} men? The term "mere men" indicates something less that what a fully human man would be. These are sub-human. They are causing strife, they manifest jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envyings and things like these. But some will say these things are just the works of the flesh. That is true but these things came into being in man when he fell from being fully human to becoming sub-human. The "flesh" is much less than what God created man to be. God created man to be "image and likeness". When man fell from that he became flesh, therefore the works of the flesh are what are manifested.

If Jesus was fully human, then all who are less that what He is, is sub-human. After pastoring and ministering for 26 years I have discovered much inhumanity in the church. Both in myself and in others. It seems to be a giant step from being sub-human to becoming fully human. It then appears to be a short and quick step from being fully human to becoming spiritual. Our disappointment comes when we attempt to get born-again sub-humans to become spiritual without first getting them to become human.

Another disappointment comes when we see ministers who are still sub-human. JUD 1:4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. JUD 1:10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. JUD 1:11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. JUD 1:12 These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; JUD 1:13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. JUD 1:16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their {own} lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of {gaining an} advantage.

2PE 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2PE 2:2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 2PE 2:3 and in {their} greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

2PE 2:17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. 2PE 2:18 For speaking out arrogant {words} of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 2PE 2:19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 2PE 2:20 For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

Sub-human families are always in trouble. Sub-human marriages are always a shock when we see how husbands and wives treat each other. Sub-human churches treat their pastors in scandalous ways. Sub-human pastors are a disaster in the church and out.

Fully human pastors should be a delight in most all congregations but are still expected to be also spiritual. Fully human pastors are generally criticized for not being fully spiritual with no defects but are expected to shepherd sub-humans. Sub-humans should be content to be ministered to by human pastors because they can still help sub-humans to become human. In most places that I go I see that as the most pressing issue for the ministry. Just to get sub-humans to become human.