HOW I RECEIVED MY HUMAN NATURE & GOD’S DIVINE NATURE

GOD

Adam / Eve God’s Character as defined by Scripture Jesus (2nd Adam)

Perfect, Holy, Sovereign, Loving,
Faithful, Can do no wrong,
Cannot lie, Totally trustworthy
Just, Never changes

Satan’s strategy is to distort God’s character Holy Spirit

spirit spirit

soul Christian soul

Holy
Spirit
body body

possessions God’s Sinless possessions

Divine Nature
Holy (Spiritual)
Sinful Human Spirit
Luke 4:1-12
Nature (Natural)
test God (understanding)
make bread (body)
Gen. 3:6 spirit kingdoms (possess)
to gain wisdom (understanding)
good for food (body) soul
pleasing to eye (possess)
(Problem of humanity) body Jesus chose to
Adam & Eve chose to seek to be “dependent”
satisfy their “perceived” needs on God’s care”
independent of God

1-5 Jan 3, 2005 Page 1 © Copyright 1997, 2004 Art Barkley, Discipler Training Int’l; Box 71312;
Reno, NV 89570-1312; www.disciplers.org; Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances without the author's consent.
 ORIGIN OF THE TWO NATURES - GUIDE

The main purpose of this lesson is to help clarify the

events which have led to our present condition as a believer Satan’s strategy --- is to persuade people that God is not
having two natures. A number of foundational Biblical trustworthy, by undermining their confidence in God’s
principles will be introduced which should help us to more easily character. Example: In Genesis 3:1-5 he sought to instill doubt,
understand other truths as they are presented in subsequent insinuating that God is a liar, suggesting that God did not have
lessons. their best interest at heart, and implying that He was withholding
that which in some way would be good for them. If God did not
The Character of God --- It is important to understand the love them, how then could He be trusted?
significance of Biblical terms that describe His attributes. As we Gen. 3:1-5 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast
allow the Holy Spirit to speak through His written Word, His of the field which the Lord God had made. And he
attributes will be reinforced. Important: The main purpose of said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall
presenting God’s attributes is to demonstrate how reasonable not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman
it is to trust Him. Reason out that if God’s character is as said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the
portrayed in the Bible, then it is very logical to trust Him garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which
completely, and very illogical to not trust Him. There is no is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall
reasonable logic for a resistance to yielding to Him. The not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The
corrupted human nature is rebellious to God and will always serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!
oppose Him. A major reason for distrusting God is our tendency “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your
to impute to God our character. If God were like us then it would eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
be quite reasonable to distrust Him. knowing good and evil.”
Deut. 32:3-4 ... Ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock!
When Adam and Eve were created they were made perfect,
His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of
as was all creation. They were complete and totally satisfied, not
faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and
lacking in any way. Everything they did was in total harmony
upright is He.
with God’s character. Death did not exist before that time.
Job 34:10 “… far be it from God to do wickedness, and
Rom. 5:12 … just as through one man sin entered into the
from the Almighty to do wrong.
world, and death through sin, and so death spread to
Heb. 6:18 ... it is impossible for God to lie, ...
all men, because all sinned—
1 John 4:16 ... God is love, …
1 Cor. 15:21-22 For since by a man came death, … in
Malachi 3:6 “For I, the Lord, do not change; …
Adam all die, …

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 Jesus was tempted in the same three areas as Adam, but
Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie about God’s character Jesus chose to entrust Himself into God’s care instead of believing
and ate the fruit, choosing to pursue self-satisfaction Satan’s enticement to seek to live independent of God.
“independent” of God. The choice to live independent from God
was evident in three areas - (1) the human understanding (to Upon believing, the new believer is born into the spiritual
gain wisdom), (2) the appetites of the body (good for food), and race, and receives the divine nature in the Person of the Holy
(3) possessions (pleasing to the eye). (Temptations also fall into Spirit. Important: The sinful human nature can never be
one of these three areas.) It is important to see this improved. (See Gal. 5:17 below)
“predisposition toward independence” as the “root” problem John 3:3,6 Jesus answered … “Truly, truly, I say to you,
of humanity and one of the driving forces behind the global and unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of
individual resistance to God. God.” … “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
Gen. 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the Rom. 7:14-25 … For I know that nothing good dwells in
tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its me, that is, in my flesh; … I find then the principle
fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do
her, and he ate. good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the
inner man, but I see a different law in the members of
Every person born into the human race inherits the sinful my body, waging war against the law of my mind and
human nature (pictured as a dark tree) of Adam, through their making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my
father. Every human from birth is at odds with God’s character. members. ... So then, on the one hand I myself with
Gen. 5:3 … Adam … became the father of a son in his own my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other,
likeness, according to his image, … with my flesh the law of sin.
Gal. 5:16-23 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not
Jesus was born into the human race, but without a sinful carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its
human father. As the second Adam, He was born with the same desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
sinless human nature that Adam had before he fell. The righteous flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, ...
character of Jesus, as seen in His life, is what God had originally Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
intended for Adam. immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,
1 Cor. 15:45-46 … “The first man, Adam, became a living enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,
soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. … dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing,
Rom. 5:19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the and things like these, … But the fruit of the Spirit is
many were made sinners, even so through the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;

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