Purple Book Biblical Foundations for Building Strong Disciples

Purple Book Copyright © 2006 Rice Brooks and Steve Murrell Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 ISBN-10: 0-310-93600-4 ISBN-13: 978-0-310-93600-8 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other - except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Interior design by Rob Monacelli Printed in the United States of America 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 - 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 C H A P T E R O N E SIN & SALVATION In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made...all things have been created by him and for him. - Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16 (TNIV) The earth, humanity-all that we see around us had a beginning. God declared each phase of creation "good"-until he created the first man Adam and said it was "not good" for him to be alone. So Eve, the first woman, was created, and the original couple was given everything to enjoy. They were only forbidden to eat the fruit of one tree: the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil." The fatal decision that followed and its tragic results have affected all of human history. Humanity would pass down this fatal flaw, this inner corruption from generation to generation. The power of evil and darkness would have prevailed...except for God's intervention. His plan of salvation deliverance from evil's power began to unfold in that very garden of Eden. This is the primary story of the entire Bible. 1. What was creation like in the beginning? Genesis 1 v. 10 v. 12 v. 18 v. 21 v. 25 2. How many commands did God give Adam and Eve? Genesis 2:17 3. What was God's command to the first human beings? Genesis 2:16-17 Read Genesis 3:1-13 to find out what happened next. 4. How did Adam and Eve respond to God's command? 5. In light of this, do you think you would have responded any differently? Think about what God attempted to shield Adam and Eve from: the knowledge of evil. What loving parent today doesn't do everything they can to protect their children from dangerous material-on television, on the Internet or anywhere else? 6. Who tempted Eve? Who is the serpent? None other than the devil himself, also known as Satan. Satan is not God's equal or exact opposite; he is a created being who rebelled against God. In Genesis 3, he brings down Adam and Eve as part of his continued rebellion. Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 specifically refer to Satan as the "ancient serpent." Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit-in essence saying to God, "We don't need you or your rules." They disobeyed God. They sinned. 7. How did Adam and Eve react after their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked? v. 7 v. 8 v. 10 8. Why do you think they reacted this way? 9. How did God respond to Adam and Eve's sin? v. 8-9 Notice the two very different responses to humanity's sin: - Humanity covered up and hid from God. - God sought humanity. Things have not changed much since the beginning. After thousands of years and billions of people, human beings still hide from God... and God still seeks. This is the starting point for understanding salvation. Personal Reflection What did you learn from this lesson? How will you apply it to your life? WBroocks, Rice is the author of 'Purple Book Biblical Foundations for Building Strong Disciples', published 2006 under ISBN 9780310936008 and ISBN 0310936004.