THINGS FIRST AND SECOND
Writer’s note. This is the first of a new series which have
been given to me and which it is hoped will urge the unsaved to seek salvation
and the saints to deeper consecration.
God willing, the subsequent writings will be issued at intervals of not
more than seven days. If the Rapture
prevents the completion of the series then we shall have much cause for
rejoicing. Lift up your hearts! JESUS
WILL SOON BE HERE!
Text: The first man is of the earth, earthy: the
second Man is the Lord from Heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:47
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When God created Adam He was well aware of the
forthcoming tragedy in
Adam was created of the dust of the earth, a
creature of God’s spoken creation. Into
his nostrils was breathed the breath of life whereby man became a living
soul. God did not create the first Adam
immortal. Be that clearly
understood. Adam was made in the
likeness of the Eternal God, but mortal.
He was not subject to death except he sinned, yet when he did sin death
took hold of his members and all his offspring are likewise tainted, made
subject unto death. The first Adam was
of the earth – earthy. He had earthly instincts
– earthly affections – earthly dominion.
Though he knew God and communed with Him, at no time prior to the Fall
did his aspirations tend Heavenward. He
was in a garden of beautiful perfection.
The ground brought forth abundantly, the fruit was plentiful and tasty;
there were no parasites and all creation owned his lordship. Truly he had all that human heart should have
desired with a helpmeet built from his own body. And I believe Adam was well-satisfied. He had no need to aspire to greater things
for all he surveyed he controlled and he had communion with God his Creator.
All this, Satan knew. Satan HAD aspirations. He had lived in Heaven – seen the Glory of
the Most High – the splendour if His Court – the homage creation paid Him. He saw the majesty of the Almighty and the
honour that God exacted of all that ever was created. And he envied God. He envied God’s dominion. For this reason he planned to overthrow God
and take His Place. But never could the
creature be greater than its Creator and Satan was cast down because of his
pride and presumption. The measure of
honour he had known was completely forfeited.
Instead of commanding greater power he fell to lower realms and was cast
out of Heaven with all who shared his evil purpose, and thus ordained to
eternal damnation. Now Satan KNEW there
was something better than earthly things.
He knew the splendour and glory of Heaven, because he had seen and
enjoyed it. And he determined to overthrow, if possible, God's creation on
earth. To do this he must make man
revolt, but man would not revolt against so beneficient a Creator as God. Adam had no cause for complaint. He had life, and peace, and plenty; he was
undisputed lord of creation; he had freedom from all that offends. What, then, could Satan do to make Adam
revolt? If Eve were taken from him,
would that do the trick? Satan decided to try.
He approached Eve one day in the guise of a friendly serpent and engaged
her in conversation. She was not lord
and master of the scene, she was subject to her husband. She could aspire. And Satan tempted her to seek for greater
things – the very sin he himself had committed to his own downfall. And Eve, deceived by the Tempter’s subtle
snare, sinned against God and was automatically sentenced to death. Now the hidden temptation – the real and
ulterior motive in the temptation – started in motion. Would Adam fall? Would he revolt against God for in the
challenge which followed he made no murmur when the Lord God pronounced His
judgement. But he sinned. Not because he rebelled but because he was
earthy and the tie of the earthly was greater than the tie Heavenward. He know not the pull of the Heavenly things
for he was only of the earth. Eve held
all his affections: she was his bone, his flesh, his own. He loved her.
He could only measure what the loss of her would mean to him, but could
not measure the loss he would sustain by things unknown. And because he was made of the earth, earthy
the earthly bond had to prevail. So Adam
fell because he was earthly. For his
love’s sake he disobeyed God’s holy commandment, and for Eve’s sake he
died. God’s first man fulfilled God’s
purpose and made way for the second – the Man God had planned from the
beginning – the Last Adam Who would not fail.
Four thousand years had passed away. Satan had played havoc with the children of
men. At every step he had countered
God’s operations, scheming always for God’s overthrow. He saw how the nations increased upon earth;
he saw the selection of Abram, the Friend of God, and he planned to overthrow
the children of Abram, even to destroy the Israelites from off the face of the
earth. He tried to persuade God that no
man was worthy of the least of His mercies and did all his evil genius could
devise to make men grow more wicked with each succeeding generation. And his vile plan has surely surpassed his
highest expectations. But he did not
count sufficiently on God’s Almighty Power.
The very steps that Satan took to thwart God’s purpose were actually
working out to the fulfilment of God’s eternal plan. He purposed that men should see their own
utter wickedness and helplessness to overcome evil, that they might turn to Him
for aid. It is only when a man realises
his sinfulness that he will seek to God for deliverance, but they who consider
themselves void of offence will never look God-ward for help. Wherefore, in making men sin Satan has simply
played into God’s Hands by creating in man a state compelling him to turn to
God if he would be saved. And this was
God’s ultimate purpose – that men should turn to Him for salvation that He by
Grace and faith might save them, to the intent that His Wisdom and Power and
Glory may be revealed to principalities and powers in heavenly places and the
Satanic fury exposed for the evil thing it really is. And through Jesus Christ our Lord God’s ultimate
and eternal plan has been fulfilled
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In the town of
And in process of time
Jesus grew into manhood. The time had
come when He must begin to proclaim His work on earth. The way was prepared. John the Baptist had announced His Coming and
by the banks of
………………………………………
Now I want you to notice why Eve, and so Adam failed
and how Christ Jesus overcame for by knowing this you will learn the way of
triumph over sin and Satan in your own life, thus to enjoy the blessed Victory
of Christ. Eve was built from a rib taken
out of Adam. That is why she was called
Woman. Adam was of the earth, earthy and
earthly affections were most powerful factors in his make-up. When Satan tempted Eve – so that he could
cause Adam to transgress – he works through the flesh, then the soul to the
spirit. The fruit of the forbidden tree
was good for food – it appealed to the flesh, it was pleasant to the eyes –
appealing to the soul; and it would make her wise – hence, appealing to her
spirit. The tri-une nature succumbed to
the wicked suggestion and sin and bondage followed. That was Eve dealt with by Satan. Adam’s affections were stayed on Eve. She had aspired – as Satan previously had
done, and fallen. Adam’s affections
decided his actions and the earthly affections prevailed. But with Jesus the position was different –
except from the Tempter’s method of approach.
As Satan approached Eve so he approached Jesus. But the decisive factor, the element
essential to Satan’s strategy, was missing.
Our Lord was not of the earth, earthy, He is the Lord from Heaven. When, therefore, Satan tempted Jesus on the
lines so successfully developed through the ages he found himself
defeated. Our Lord’s affections were not
of the earth, earthy, but were altogether Heavenly. Do you see the subtle presentation of the
temptations in the wilderness? Do you
see how the Tempter tried first through the flesh and then through the soul and
thus to the spirit ever keeping the earthly element to the
forefront? The bread he bid our Lord to
make would satisfy the flesh lusts. The
miraculous preservation when leaping from the spire would have won acclamation
from the multitudes; and finally, was he not offered All the earth?
Yet Jesus prevailed. What greater test
could Satan present? None whatever! Why?
Because Jesus had no earthly aspirations; His affections were not on things of
the earth but on the things above! He
was God-conscious, God-minded – heavenly-minded indeed! He came not to do His Own Will but the Will
of His Father IN HEAVEN. He did not seek
an earthly Kingdom, he did not seek for earthly power. He was set for things above. That is why He prevailed.. And Paul has written – “If ye then be
risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on
the right hand of God. SET YOUR
AFFECTIONS ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with
Christ in God. “Col.3: 1-3. And
they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts”
Gal.
17.10.40 Leslie
Barrowcliff