Austin Bible Church
Expulsion From the Garden
“Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 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.” (Genesis 3:22-24, NASB)
Man, after sinning, did not go to the Tree of Life. If he had, he would have been perpetuated in the sinful state and there would have been no salvation issue. If he had eaten before he sinned, it would have perpetuated him in innocence, not given him eternal life. If he had eaten in his sinful state there would have been no volition issue. Volition must continue to be the issue to resolve the Angelic Conflict.
The only way to make volition the issue is to get man out of the Garden. The Tree of Life must be put out of man’s reach. The Tree of Death (Cross) must be put within man’s reach. Out of the Garden, the issue is the Cross. Salvation depends upon the work of God through grace, never on the work of man (legalism - human good).
In order to turn cursing into blessing, man must be removed from the place where he can perpetuate the curse. Cursing can be turned to blessing only by means of the Cross. As a result of regeneration at salvation, man will occupy a position higher and better than anything he possessed in innocence in the Garden.
Investigation and Judgment
Investigation: Adam blamed Eve for his decision to sin. Eve blamed the serpent for her decision to sin. Gen. 3:11-13.
“And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”“ (Genesis 3:11-13, NASB)
Judgment: When God got to the serpent, He quit questioning and cursed the serpent. Then the plan of salvation was declared. Gen. 3:14-15.
“The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”“ (Genesis 3:14-15, NASB)
God declared the plan of salvation and the future for the woman in Genesis 3:16. God declared the plan of salvation and the future for the man in Genesis 3:17-19.
“To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”“ (Genesis 3:16, NASB)
“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”“ (Genesis 3:17-19, NASB)
The plan of salvation belongs only to the man and woman. There is a separation between the serpent and mankind because Satan was not involved in the plan of salvation. He had already been judged and sentenced. Matt. 25:41.
““Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;” (Matthew 25:41, NASB)
Angels were not involved because their position had already been crystalized. They were either elect or fallen. Lower creation was not involved. The first declaration of salvation was in Genesis 3:15. Adam’s salvation was based on believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, emphasis is on the Virgin Birth. See category on Salvation.
“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”“ (Genesis 3:15, NASB)
Genesis 3:20 refers to Eve as the mother of all the living. Adam is the father of all death because in Adam all die spiritually, so spiritual death is passed upon all mankind, for all have sinned when Adam sinned. Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:22.
“Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.” (Genesis 3:20, NASB)
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—” (Romans 5:12, NASB)
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22, NASB)
The first salvation of the human race occurred in Genesis 3:21-22.
“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—” (Genesis 3:21-22, NASB)