HIDING FROM GOD
Genesis 3:6 ¶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:9 ¶ And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 ¶ And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
There is quite a vast difference between the temptation of the old man Adam and the spiritual man, the Lord Jesus Christ – the “last Adam.” The old man Adam reveals to us our carnal mindedness, born of the natural birth. While the latter manifests the new man, born of the Spirit (John 3:8), in Christ Jesus! 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
And as we see these differences manifest between the first and last Adams in these temptations, we will begin to understand the difference of these natures within our own souls. For we read In John 3:6, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. And in 1 Corinthians 15:49 we read, And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Therefore in our natural birth we bear the image of the first Adam, so we bear the image of the last Adam by our new birth in the Spirit.
For in Adam we are “earthy.” But in Christ (the last Adam), we are spiritual. 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
And these two natures are at odds with one another. Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. The “flesh,” the natural man, can never be sanctified. For in it “dwelleth no good thing!” Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
But the Holy Spirit’s dwelling in the spiritual man, sinneth not! 1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
The resulting difference is that the natural man shall die! It is his appointment! But the spiritual man has already begun to live in his eternal life, granted to him through grace, by the blood of the Lamb! Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Then let us notice that the old man had no spiritual insight. He could only see a beast – the serpent – in his temptation. He had no ability to perceive the mystery of an indwelling spirit prompting the serpent to do that which he did. The Lord Jesus plainly states that without the spiritual birth one “cannot see.” John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
And we are instructed by the Apostle Paul, with clear vision from the Holy Spirit, of how Satan blinds the minds of those who reject Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
But it is entirely different with the New Man – Christ Jesus – and therefore with His spirit within the believer. Listen to his words to his tempter: Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: He well knew the identity of the person of the tempter! The spiritual man sees clearly the invisible things! 2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. The scriptures inform us that Moses was directed to forsake Egypt in seeing him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27).
And then with the old man, Satan came to him through the “weaker vessel.” 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. The serpent, in-dwelt by Satan, deceived Eve by his cunning craftiness. And the natural man has no defense against such a powerful deceiver! Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Satan is so powerful against those who are without the Spirit’s indwelling, it is said that they are taken captive by him at his will. (1 Timothy 2:26). And it only took a tree, a piece of fruit and a serpent to do it! With only these they were “drawn away.” James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
But not so with the new man! There was nothing weak in him for Satan to gain entrance. Here are the words of the Lord Jesus concerning the approach Satan. John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. That is, he has nothing within me to tempt and cause to lust! For he, as God, cannot be successfully tempted! James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: For he was not tempted to show that he might sin! He was tempted to show that he indeed, was the very Son of God and could not sin! Hebrews 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Listen to these verses of his temptation. Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. The Lord Jesus was “led of the Spirit,” in his temptation. Almighty God was in charge! There was no “weaker vessel” involved with him!
Even his flesh was brought down to its lowest possible point of endurance with forty days of no food, in order to show that he was very God! And our relationship to him depends on his lordship over his flesh! Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
And the Apostle Paul knew of this in his own ministry. For he kept his body under subjection to the Spirit in order to maintain a proper relationship to God. 1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Also, the old man knew not of the deception until the fruit of self-exaltation was in his mouth, and the juice on his chin! It was the same with those who lusted for more than that which the Lord would provide in the wilderness. They murmured against God concerning the manna from heaven, demanding meat to eat. Listen to the results: Numbers 11:33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague. 34 And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: (that is, “the graves of lust”), because there they buried the people that lusted.
The same with Judas, the betrayer! The silver was in his hand before he confessed, “I have betrayed the innocent blood.” (Matthew 27:4).
But not so with the new man in Christ Jesus! He does not need to taste forbidden fruit to be made aware of its bitterness to his soul! Not even when Satan offered him the kingdoms of the world without having to go to the cross! He had not the Spirit by measure, and therefore knew all things! (John 3:34; 1 John 2:27). He would do nothing to displease his Father! Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
For the spiritual man, made like the last Adam is respectful of God’s holy things. He knows how to behave himself in the house of God. 1 Timothy 3:14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
For he knows that the approach to God is a very serious matter, and is most dangerous if not done through Jesus Christ! Leviticus 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
And he knows that the conveyance of God’s holy things must be done in only God’s way! 1 Chronicles 13:9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. 10 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God. 15:2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
He also knows that there must be a proper entering into the sanctuary of God only by priests ordained by the Spirit. Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
2 Chronicles 26:16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense. 17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men: 18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God. 19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. 20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
And the spiritual man in Christ Jesus seeks not the fruit of self-exaltation, but humbly seeks to but respectfully worship the Lord God, with serious mindedness as to the cost that was paid for his trespasses and sins. For he is highly aware that participation in the Lord’s Table is not just a religious ritual, or practice. But to him it is a personal opportunity to show honor and worship to the One who purchased his redemption. And a deep spiritual reminder of his absolute need to feast off the Lamb of God for his own continued spiritual life! 1 Corinthians 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
John 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Pastor Gene Breed
August 12, 2015
