LESSON ONE

LESSON ONE: THE NEED FOR GRACE

To fully understand the grace of God, it is of the utmost importance that we study the spiritual condition of man. Is man a good creature? Is he utterly evil and corrupt? Or, is he somewhere in between? Many false teachings have become popular in churches today due to a misunderstanding of where man stands in relationship to God. This is what we shall examine in lesson one.

I. Part One: The Fall of Man

Adam's Sin

1. Read Genesis 2: 16,17

a. What did God command Adam? (v. 17) _______________________________

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b. What would happen the day Adam disobeyed? (v. 17) _____________________

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2. Read Genesis 3: 6-19

a. Did Adam obey God's command? (v. 6) _______________________________

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b. After Adam sinned, did he lose his innocence? __________________________

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c. How do you know? (v. 7) ___________________________________________

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d. Did he still desire fellowship with God? ________________________________

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e. How do you know? (v. 10) __________________________________________

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f. Did Adam die physically that day? ____________________________________

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g. In what way did Adam die? _________________________________________

c. Does man have to learn to be sinful, or is he born with it? __________________

d. Is it biblical to teach that babies are innocent? ___________________________

When God created Adam, He made him perfect and free from all sin. Adam was a servant and friend of God, having fellowship with him and enjoying his presence. When Adam chose to disobey God by eating of the forbidden fruit, his relationship to God changed drastically. He was separated from God and died spiritually (and later physically). We can see the evidence of his spiritual death by the following:

Adam, being the representative for all mankind, plunged the entire human race into sin.

His sin was imputed to us and therefore, we are born separated from God and in a spiritually dead condition.

c. Is it biblical to teach that man is basically good at heart? _________________

Since the fall of Adam, mankind has been at total enmity against God. We are born with our minds corrupted, our hearts hardened and our wills in bondage to sin. We cannot come to God nor do we want to come. The Bible speaks of us as being servants (slaves) to sin and to the devil. This does not mean that man is as sinful or as wicked as he could possibly be, but that he is sinful in all of his being. Man cannot change his evil desires.

5. Did Lazarus come forth to receive life or did he receive life so that he could come

6. What would have happened if Jesus would have left the decision up to Lazarus? _

The historical account of Lazarus in John 11 is teaching us an important spiritual truth. Lazarus was dead. He was totally and completely unable to help himself in any way. He did not ask for life nor did he "accept" an offer for life. He was made alive by the power of Christ alone. As it was with Lazarus physically, so it is with mankind spiritually.