Man’s Spiritual Condition
Man was created a spiritual being, but because of sin, he is spiritually dead, there is void which he tries to fill with things of the world.
Man's moral order has always been defective because of his own faulty reasoning, and his own supposed moral order, which is dependent upon circumstances, and is often subjective. I.e. constantly shifting no standard in which to line up against.
In decorating we use a plumline to ensure that the paper is straight going onto the wall, once we know the first piece is correctly aligned, we have confidence that all other pieces will be correct. If we leave God out of our lives then our moral standards are based on faulty reasoning.
The reasons for this go right back to Adam in the O.T
Let's review the account of how sin and death entered into the world Genesis Ch. 2.
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to till it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat;
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:15-17).
Please note the concluding words, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." In spite of that explicit warning, Adam and Eve disobeyed God. They ate the forbidden fruit. And they died—both spiritually and physically.
Bible tells us, ".. . The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). And because "in Adam all die" (1 Cor. 15:22), and "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23), every one of us is under the penalty of death—both physical and spiritual.
The Lord takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Therefore, in His infinite wisdom and grace He has devised a plan of redemption. Through it His righteousness and just demands can find fulfilment, and His love and mercy can be satisfied.
God’s Remedy
By providing a qualified substitute to pay the price for man's sin, the Lord can now offer forgiveness and deliverance from its deadly wages to the very ones who are guilty and who deserve its punishment. Perhaps the apostle Paul explained it the most clearly in Romans 5.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die.
Man was made for authority; he was created and fashioned for dominion, which was based on Gods laws, and to live within God's boundaries.
Blessed is the Man vs 1-3
"Blessed is the man, who walketh not in the council of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Page 4 The Destiny of Life
A man who has found the way verus A man who has lost his way
From Scripture we learn that each one of us is on a journey
"The journey of Life"
The Psalmist in Psalm one tells us about two ways & two destinations
Throughout the Bible the estrangement between man & God is repeatedly set forth. God is a moral ruler, man; His natural subject has violated His laws. Man morally speaking has gone away from God. Read Psalm Ch1 v1-6
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in this law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in its season.”
When Adam sinned he forfeited that relationship he had with God, when he took control of his life; he abdicated his God given position and became a slave to sin.
By man came death so by man brings victory, through the cross the blood was shed the ransom paid.
This ensures that those who believe upon Him and His gift of freedom from sin. They are brought out the state where sin and its consequences reign, and into a realm onto which neither death nor judgement can enter.
Rom. 6 :6. Says - Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
V9. Says-- Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more death hath No more dominion over him.
Through the cross man's sin is destroyed.
The old man typifies Adam both morally and judicially, corrupt in human nature and had an inborn tendency to evil
Through the old nature we were Spiritually dead, through Christ Jesus we are made Spiritually alive, we have become partakers of the Divine nature.
Eph..2: 1-3 reminds us - And you hath he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins; In which times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. Among whom also we had our manner of life in times past in the lusts of our flesh.
Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath.
"The ungodly are like the chaff which the wind driveth away". V4-6
Being driven by desires which will never bring satisfaction.
But the way of the ungodly shall perish. v6
Matt.7 :13 describes this way as,
"Broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in that way.”
Every Life’s Journey Has a Conclusion
The bible reminds us that there will come a day when our Life's journey will come to a conclusion, every journey has a conclusion, each one us will be brought before an Holy and just God, to give an account of our life. There will be no clever lawyer to plead our case, no just reason to be found not guilty. It will be too late
Where will Life’s Journey take you ?
Will it be a man who has found the way that leads to righteous living? Or will it be like a man who has lost his way and is heading for eternal judgement
There are only two roads, it is described as the narrow way that lead to life
And
the broad way that leads to destruction.
The Destiny of Life - Two men, Two ways, Two destinies