SCRIPTURE: Ecclesiastes 7:29 "...God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions."
PROPOSITION: to show through this text and others that man in his original state was created holy and happy but because he was given a FREE WILL he had the power to chose to rebel against his Creator, and by doing so he plummeted the human race into a depravity and ruin that only God could save him from by an act of FREE GRACE.
1.) How did God created the first man Adam? "God hath made man upright"
A. In a holy state because he was created in a state of innocence.
B. In a mutable state because he was given a free will so that he could obey God or disobey God.
C. In a happy state, because he did not want for anything, he had God, he had a companion, and his mansion was a perfect garden, and God made him Lord of the lower world, He put "all things under his feet"
D. In a tranquil state, his heart had nothing to reproach him with, and his conscience was free of guilt, so that both his conscience and heart approved of all his actions. There was nothing from within or without that annoyed Adam, his life was a pure delight and his fellowship with his Creator was an unspeakable pleasure.
E. In a unique state, because he was made in God's image, not even the angels were made in Gods image. God created man, as body, soul, and spirit, Adam was also created with mind, emotion, and will,
Angels seem to be close to God's image because they have mind, emotion and will but only man is said to possess that image.
2.) Adam who was created, holy, and happy, and in the image of God, but choose to disobey God, by an act of his free will. What did Adams decision do to him, and his posterity?
A. All are born with a sin nature, because of Adams sin.You don't have to teach a child to be selfish its in their nature. 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:"
B. We are all born into this world spiritually dead, and we all die physically because of Adams sin.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
If we die physically, while we are dead spiritually, we will die eternally, "and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever"
3.) What kind of inventions have sinners sought out?
A. They have attempted to elevate themselves, by their own schemes. Luke 14:11 "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
B. They have attempted to appease their guilty conscience by justifying their sin. Luke 16:15 "And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."
C. They have attempted to enter heaven as a theif or a robber. John 10:1 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."
4.) What man's free will destroyed by his foolish decisions, Free grace has repaired for all those who come to Christ.
1. 1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." There must be "repentance toward God and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ" There is nothing meritorious about repentance, it is a gift, there is nothing meritorious about faith, it is a gift. All merit is in the Lord Jesus Christ and because of his attoning work, God can remit sin, impute righteousness, and justify the sinner without compromising the honor of his Justice.
CONCLUSION: God "hath made man upright" but because man was given freedom of choice, he disobeyed God and plunged himself and his posterity into a depravity that only Christ could pull him out of, by his suffering, shed blood and death. Sinners can be saved from "the wrath to come" by the free grace of God, so what free will destroyed through man's foolishness, free grace repaired through an act of love. Romans 5:19 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
