For God so loved the world...   John 3:16

GOD'S TRUTH

So what does it all mean?
Who is God?

Who is Man?

GOD said: Let us make Man….(Genesis 1:26)

Formed in the likeness of GOD

If you looked at Adam, you could see what GOD is like.
Adam was not GOD. He was created by GOD and He had a free will.

We can see the BODY so we understand it.
The heart of man is his SOUL – where he lives – the REAL you.

But the thing that makes us different from animals is our SPIRIT. That part of us that is from GOD. His likeness; after His image.
Our SPIRIT lies within our SOUL and is GOD'S avenue by which He is active in our SOUL which is noticeable in our BODY.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:7

The LAW of GOD

GOD set down His will: A boundary in which MAN can operate as MAN.
Only in GOD can MAN be MAN. In this state MAN enjoyed complete freedom and had fellowship with and in GOD.

And the LORD GOD commanded the man, ”You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16 & 17 NIV)

THE FALL

But the serpent said “You will not surely die…For GOD knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like GOD, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4 & 5)

The temptation of Satan was ”To be like GOD”. MAN desiring to move UP!

He transgressed GOD’S LAW (His will). Trans means across and gress means to step; So to transgress is to step across. Step across what? Adam thought he could he could become like GOD. But the TRUTH is: There is only ONE GOD! Thus the fall of MAN! Instead of moving UP, he moved DOWN, stepping across the line and becoming less than MAN, becoming SUB-MAN.

Who is Sub-Man?

GOD said that the day you eat the fruit, in that day, you will die!

What happened to MAN to make him less than the MAN he was? How did he die? His BODY didn’t die: Opposite as far as Adam was concerned. He became aware of it! (Genesis 3:7)His SOUL didn’t die: Adam lived and made decisions for 930 years! (Genesis 5:5)

His SPIRIT died: That part of MAN, which is GOD’S avenue into the life of MAN, in order to make man MAN, ceased to function and MAN became less than MAN. He became SUB-MAN, still capable of making decisions in the SOUL which is noticeable in the BODY, but not in the likeness of GOD. GOD and Man became separated because of the transgression of the will of GOD (SIN)

Adam…had a son in his own likeness, after his image (Genesis 5:3)

Ever since the fall, man has lived in a SUB-MAN existence. (Rom 3:23)

What is the state of Sub-Man?

SUB-MAN has done everything possible to get right with GOD,
but it is impossible to move up to MAN. We always fall short. (Romans 3:23

)This is our “Point of Distress” when the TRUTH (Realization) is known.
There is no way that we can get back to MAN's position on our own.

The Law was given not for men to be made right with GOD, but rather to show men they were not right with Him.

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law;
rather through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:20 NIV)

Man, in his SUB-MAN state, thinks he can reach MAN'S state or still is MAN through his good works, religion, philosophy, or knowledge, etc.
But the TRUTH is, our ways are not GOD’s ways. (Isaiah 55:8) We still fall short. (Romans 3:23)

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (Proverbs 16:25 NIV)

Point of Distress:
There is no way we can get back to being MAN as GOD intended us to be
(to cross the line) within ourselves. We can not save ourselves by our own effort!

Who can save me?

I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior (Isaiah 43:11 NIV)

GOD, knowing that we can not save ourselves by our own effort,
and loving us the way He does (John3:16) , provided the perfect sacrifice that would pay the price(wage) of our sin. HIMSELF!
A part of GOD (THE WORD) humbled Himself to the point of becoming man in order to be the means
by which man could be put right with GOD.( Philippians 2: 5-8)

Immanuel - God in the flesh.

And you shall call his name JESUS, for He will save his people (Matt1:21)
The name JESUS in Hebrew is YESHUA and it means SALVATION!!

Who is JESUS?

Born of a virgin, JESUS had no earthly father and therefore was not born in the image of man (SUB-MAN).
He was born of GOD and therefore He was born in the image of GOD. (Matt 1:20)

GOD operated fully in JESUS.
Through His SPIRIT unto His SOUL.
And it was noticeable in His BODY.
JESUS lived a perfect life in order to a die perfect death.

IT IS FINISHED.

JESUS, the perfect (Righteous) MAN took our place (took our sin on Himself) and died in our place.
JESUS experienced separation from the Father (Spiritual Death)
when He didn’t earn it himself and therefore paid the price of our sin in full!!

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:9

What is Grace?

For by GRACE are you saved….and not of yourselves (Eph 2:8)

GRACE is unmerited favor. A FREE GIFT from GOD
Note: It is free to us, but it wasn’t free to GOD. It cost Him the greatest sacrifice of all – His only begotten Son

What does it mean to be "Born Again"?

If we can’t cross the line, how are we to become MAN as MAN is meant to be?

You must be born again!

Flesh gives birth to Flesh- Natural Birth
But Spirit gives birth to Spirit – Supernatural Birth (John 3:6)

We become children of GOD when we allow GOD to do His work of redemption , through JESUS, in us.
By Acknowledging what we are (sinners) and believing (trusting in, clinging to and relying on) the work of JESUS to save us,
we are BORN AGAIN (BORN ANEW)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Eph 2:8&9)

What is our New Life?

We are born of GOD!
It is not Re-Born (to be born over), but rather it is Born Again
(A second time), which means there is still the first existing.

Nature is the fundamental qualities or characteristics which describes the person.
You now have a choice in your decision making (your will). You can follow after the old nature or follow after the new nature.
The old nature never pleases GOD and the new nature always pleases GOD.

Therefore let the Spirit (the NEW-MAN) direct your life.
And do not satisfy the desires of the old nature. (the SUB-MAN (Gal 5:16)

Germination not Termination

To be born of GOD is the beginning not the end. So beware lest you fall from your secure position (II Peter 3:17)
So put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge
in the image of its Creator.(Colossians 3:10 NIV)

The life that we now live is a Life of Faith