LESSON 4 - THOU SHALT SURELY DIE

A PERFECT CREATION

Genesis 1:31

And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

After completing the remarkable feat of creation, God surveyed all He had made and deemed it "good." God's assessment, labeling all things as "good" signified that they aligned with His standards and were capable of functioning as intended. This inherent quality of God—creating all things as good, perfect, and without sin—is unchanging. It is crucial to note that Adam and Eve were formed within this span of six days, thus sharing in this goodness, perfection, and sinlessness.

As it pertains to man, an essential aspect of this "goodness" was the gift of free will. God wanted man to have the liberty to do whatsoever they desired to. While Adam's purpose was to serve and worship, God desired this devotion to stem from genuine love rather than coercion. Consequently, alongside the gift of free will, He presented Adam with an alternative to Himself—a choice he could make instead of choosing God.

As stated in Genesis 2:16-17:

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden to serve as the aforementioned alternative. He forbade Adam from eating from it or even touching it. With the tree now serving as an alternative option, Adam demonstrated his love for God by consciously avoiding it altogether. Thus, obedience to God is a manifestation of love because one chooses to honor God despite the availability of other options.

In this state, Adam was considered “innocent” because he had not yet experienced sin and all that accompanies it. Additionally, there were no hindrances preventing his body, soul, and spirit from operating as intended by God. Therefore, Adam exercised his free will to love, worship, and serve God by refraining from the forbidden tree and diligently tending to his responsibilities. However, this did not last, as Adam and his wife eventually exercised their free will to disobey God (Genesis 3:6).

THE FUNCTION OF ANGELS IN RELATION TO GOD’S WORD

I want you to consider that God is the creator of all things—the heavens, the earth, and everything within them. While many believe in a rivalry between God and the devil, it's important to note that the devil was originally an angel of the Lord named Lucifer. This serves as a reminder that creation does not hold power over the creator.

God is not intimidated by the devil or his actions. In fact, nothing can occur without God's allowance. His wisdom enables Him to utilize all things, even the evil within the devil's heart, and repurpose it for His eternal plan.

When God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden, He not only forbade Adam and Eve from interacting with it, but He also pronounced the consequence for doing so, saying, "thou shalt surely die." This is profoundly significant because it helps us understand that it was not the devil who determined that death would overtake humanity if they sinned, but rather God Himself. Thus, through this very statement to Adam, the Word of God established death as the consequence for sin.

Psalm 103:19-21

19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

Angels were created to carry out the will of God, serving as guardians or protectors of His purpose. In essence, when God speaks a Word, it is the angels' role to ensure its fulfillment on earth. Therefore, when God uttered the words "thou shalt surely die," an angel was responsible to bring about this outcome. Lucifer, who had now become the devil, was the angel tasked with ensuring death was executed.

DID YOU KNOW: In Ephesians 2:2, the devil is referred to as a prince? In this context, a prince or principality denotes an angelic being with significant authority.

Activity 4.1 - The scriptures below demonstrate that the devil and his kingdom cannot act without God's authorization. However, the situations described are not aligned with the correct Bible verse. After reading each scripture, match it with its corresponding description using its letter and the relevant number.

Table 1. Scriptural Proof of God’s Authority over the Devil and his Kingdom

Reference Scriptures

Description of Situations

1. Job 1:8-12

1. As a form of judgment upon King Ahab, God required him to be persuaded to engage in a war where he would meet his demise. A lying spirit volunteered to deceive Ahab through false prophets.

1. 2 Corinthians 12:7

2. All things and all created beings were made by God to serve God and His purpose.

(C) 1 Kings 22:20-23

3. God allowed an angel of the devil to bring suffering to Paul to keep him humble.

(D) Colossians 1:16-17

4. God determined the extent of suffering the devil was allowed to bring upon one of his holy servants.

(E) 1 Corinthians 10:13

5. God will not allow the devil to tempt you beyond what you can handle.

Match: A = [ ] B =[ ] C = [ ] D = [ ] E = [ ]

Hebrews 2:14

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Although the devil possesses the power of death, it was bestowed upon him by God's decree in the garden of Eden. He was chosen as the angel tasked with ensuring that humanity faced the consequences promised for disobedience. Thus, when the human race fell to death, God's plan of salvation is not merely a battle against the devil; it is a means to navigate around the very judgement He pronounced in the Garden.

DEATH

Let us now discuss how the devil executed death upon man. When many consider the consequences Adam and Eve faced in the garden, they often focus on their banishment from the garden of Eden and the denial of access to the tree of life (a tree that would cause them to live forever). However, the repercussions of their disobedience extend beyond physical death.

In the scriptures, three distinct forms of death are mentioned:

1. Spiritual Death: This refers to the state of being separated from God due to exposure to sin.
2. Physical Death: This occurs when the soul departs from a person’s body, rendering it lifeless.
3. Death as an Eternal Prison: Death is also depicted as a place within the earth's depths, serving as a holding area for souls.

Activity 4.2 - Complete the table below using scriptures that speak about Physical Death, Spiritual Death and Death the Holding Place.

Table 2. Forms of Death

SPIRITUAL DEATH

PHYSICAL DEATH

DEATH (& HELL)

Matthew 8:22

Revelations 20:14

Psalm 9:13

SPIRITUAL DEATH

To execute death, the devil stealthily took control over man, by entering Adam and Eve’s bodies; overpowering their soul and spirit.

Ephesians 2:2

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

The devil is the spirit of iniquity that now works within the unblievers. The scripture above reveals that the devil works from within those who do not have the Holy Spirit. This causes us to understand that the devil’s influence is not just external for them but internal. His presence changed the very nature of man from innocent to sinful. Let us consider how the devil overtook body, soul and spirit to execute spiritual death upon mankind.

HUMAN MAKE UP

FUNCTION

SATAN’S CAPTIVITY

BODY

The outer vessel that was created to serve the soul by allowing it access to the earth via the 5 senses.

Satan could now experience the Earth through man, using the body to fulfill his will. In doing so, he usurps the authority that the soul should have over its own vessel. (John 8:44)

SOUL

The real person. Generates preferences, desires, and emotions.

Satan suppresses the freedom of the soul by exposing it to overpowering evil emotions, making it captive and forcing it to serve his will. (Rom 7:7-8, Rom 7:14-24)

SPIRIT

The discerner of good and evil, designed to judge the desires and intentions of the soul.

Satan desensitizes the conscience, allowing one to sin without experiencing much conviction. (Heb 9:14)

The internal control Satan exercises over the body, soul and spirit is called captivity. When the devil entered he subtly began producing sinful emotions and attitudes to bring the soul into his will. He did this in such a manner, where neither Adam, Eve or any that followed could recognize. He was now secretly present in all mankind, bringing them into captivity and separation from God.

As long as the devil resided in man, it ensured that they would never again please God. With humanity's descent into evil, the communion once shared with God was shattered. Adam and Eve were banished from the garden, severing the fellowship they once enjoyed with God.

PHYSICAL DEATH

Since man was now consumed by sin, God expelled them from the garden; however, He exposed his reason for doing so.

Genesis 3:22-23

22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Eating of the tree of life would have caused Adam and Eve to live forever, in the sinful state they were now in. This was the devil’s tactic to circumvent his own judgements pronounced over him when he fell (Isaiah 14:12-15). Seeing that the devil now resided in man, as long as man had access to the tree of life, he would be able to continue to exist in man, ensuring that their penalty was carried out.

Therefore, God banished them from the garden, ensuring they would eventually die physically. When physical death occurs, the soul leaves the body, as does the spirit of iniquity (Satan).

DEATH - THE ETERNAL PRISON

After spiritual death, the next step is for the soul to be held in the lower parts of the earth, eternally separated from God. Thus, each aspect of death involves some form of separation. Physical death separates the soul from the body, spiritual death severs the fellowship between God and humanity, and finally, death as an eternal prison signifies the separation of the soul from the earthly realm.

Activity 4.3 - Below are a list of scriptures, select words from each scripture that depict the separation of man from God and from each other.

Separated, Hid

Isaiah 59:2 - But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,

and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Hid

Isaiah 57:17 - For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth,

and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

Alienated, Enemies

Colossians 1:21 - And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

Ephesians 2:12 - That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Ephesians 2:13 - But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:19 - Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Ephesians 2:15 - Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Romans 5:10 - For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

THE NEED FOR SALVATION

Romans 5:12

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The scripture is very deliberate. Notice it does not say, “by one man’s sin,” but rather it says “by one man sin”. This causes us to know that sin is more than just an action but also a being - the devil. We will discuss this more in the second course in this series, nevertheless, the scripture above reveals that death did not only concern Adam and Eve, rather, it was passed on to every human being.

Genesis 1:11

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

The law of seed states that every seed must produce after its own kind. This principle extends beyond animals to include humans, who were also endowed with seed. Therefore, with Satan inhabiting man, even the seed became corrupted, resulting in death passing unto all men (Psalm 51:5).

Thus, all who are born from Adam’s lineage are born in sin, and are captives of the enemy. Man was a dire need of restoration and salvation. However, all hope is not lost, God, from the beginning, had already designed a plan of redemption. A plan to rescue his man from the power of the enemy, and restore the fellowship between God and man, this plan is salvation.

As mentioned in the previous lesson, God placed within the conscience of man the knowledge of the gospel, but he placed it in such a way that man could not uncover the mystery of the gospel on his own. He needed to do this, because if man could, then the knowledge of the plan would not only be exposed to man, but also to their captor within - the devil. The devil being ignorant of the plan played a big part in its success.

1 Corinthians 2:7-8

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

However, now that Jesus has been crucified, the gospel can be freely preached. The knowledge of the mystery comes alive in the heart when an anointed preacher preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ, leading them to salvation.

CONCLUSION

In short, Adam’s sin caused the whole world to fall into degradation (Psalm 82:5). The devil who had now taken over man, stole Adam’s dominion and wrought death in the air, affecting even the animal and plant kingdoms. This dominion is why the scripture now calls Satan the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:3). By his power, he to this day seeks to lead all humanity to hell as a final destination. For this reason, the gospel must be preached that men might be redeemed from the punishment of hell.

Romans 7:24-25

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Praise the Lord that salvation has come to us by way of Jesus Christ. If you receive Him in your heart, He will rescue you from the captivity of the devil and give you new life.

• END OF LESSON

LESSON 4 - MAIN POINTS

Here are some key points to remember from this lesson:

1. A Perfect Creation: God created everything, including Adam and Eve, as inherently good and without sin. Adam, formed within this perfection, was given free will, which he exercised by choosing to obey God's command regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
2. The Function of Angels in Relation to God's Word: Angels, including Lucifer who later became the devil, were created to carry out God's commands. When God pronounced death as the consequence for sin, it was the devil who was tasked with ensuring its execution.
3. Death: There are three forms of death discussed—spiritual death (separation from God), physical death (separation of the soul from the body), and death as an eternal prison (separation of the soul from the earthly realm). These consequences were the result of Adam and Eve's disobedience and the devil's influence.
4. The Need for Salvation: All of humanity inherited sin and its consequences from Adam. Salvation, provided through Jesus Christ, is the means by which individuals can be rescued from the power of the devil and restored to fellowship with God.