<Read Verse 2:25>
 
The fact that they were both naked but still felt no shame was because before the fall, man was in a righteous relationship, righteous state with God, with each other, with nature. All beings exist based on relationships, our existence does not have any meaning if we're all alone in this universe. It is to exist together that makes us who we are. And faithfully fulfilling our responsibilities towards each other  , and therefore being in the right state with other beings is called "righteousness". 
 
(Draw Diagram)
 
So a righteous person is one who faithfully lives out the life that God asks of him, in obedience and in living out a life that glorifies God. At the same time the righteous person is one who subdues and maintains nature the way God's order has created it, and in dealings with each other treats the other as "I" and "I" as the other. And in dealings with the "self " is to protect itself from the harm of falling out of the order of God's creation and love himself. This is the righteous person - not someone who does kind acts.
 
Before the fall, even though they possessed the potential to sin, they were for a short time in this righteous state of being in perfect accordance with all other beings. Which is why they weren't shameful in front of God, and they weren't shameful in front of each other. 
 
But when God took away His grace and allowed the man to sin, all those relationships were broken --> That's the state of "unrighteousness". They effectively became enemies with God, enemies with each other and enemies with nature. They had shame in front of all the other beings and that's why they started to hide. And mankind from that moment on started to use all it's mind and strength, do everything in it's power to cover up their shame.
 
What is the first thing man did after they discovered their shame? Cover up with fig leaves.
 
<Read Gen3:1-10>

The fig leaves that man uses to cover up their shame here is symbolic, and representative of all things mankind have done over history and keep doing to cover up their shame, cover up their shortcomings, and fill up their emptiness as a fallen, broken creature. This includes all human acts like science, philosophy, religion, academia, education etc.
 
But the essential thing about fig leaves is that in a short period of time they dry up and blow away. Which is why man can never rest. That's why all those human acts may give temporary satisfaction and peace, but they will never completely fill up man's emptiness and cover up their endless shame. Money, fame, philosophy, religion, education --> these things will never quench our thirst and never cover up our shame!
 
This is the reason why our lives are so endlessly troublesome and painful. We thought when we get those things it would be fine, but we're still thirsty and still shameful so we keep going and keep going. So we can never rest, cos we have to keep covering ourselves. That shame and emptiness can only be given in front of the cross --> where a whole has been left by God leaving, can only be filled by God coming.
 
This is why our Lord said "come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest".
 
The "rest" here is not saying I'll give you enough money so you can rest. No, it's saying "you no longer have to keep trying to cover up your shame with all your useless efforts. I will cover you completely". That's the gospel message. 
 
So our fall, our sin has made us into these workhorses that never stop working… in order to appear shameless and blameless and righteous in front of people, to cover up our true selves that are full of shame.
 
Another result of the fall, of the original sin, is that not only mankind are trying to cover up their shame with futile efforts… the way they do this is by attacking other beings that threaten the cover up. Not only with each other, but even the creator God himself.
 
<Read Verse 11-12> 
 
You can see him attacking, blaming God there. Blaming and attacking are the same things. You are taking the arrow that is pointing towards yourself, and you're pointing it back at the person, or some other person. You are shifting the focus of the blame to the other and trying to make them shameful, trying to attack their cover up.
 
This is the nature of the fallen, sinful man. The jealousy, envy, division, gossiping, war, hatred and all those things within us are a results of the fall.
 
Even God --> the cross, where mankind would even kill God to protect itself from accusations.
 
We are the same - we would be ready to kill if there were no consequences. Just this way, we are by very nature, murderers.
 
Why…?
 
God wants to show us through our fall, how horrendous the effects of sin are, how futile and useless the efforts and diligence of man are. He wants us to know that our emptiness and our shame can ONLY be filled and covered by the grace of God.
 
Which means… all this is done to let us know that we NEED God. That's the point of the history on this earth. You are a being, that cannot exist, that cannot be at peace, cannot be happy, without God. That's what He's trying to tell us through history.
 
This is why God shows us His method of covering our shame:
 
<Read Verse 21>
 
God pulls away the fig leaves --> throws away our acts, our efforts… and covers us up with the clothes of grace that He Himself has prepared. This is the gospel! To man that had no chance of covering up their shame with all their efforts, He provides that permanent cover himself, to give us rest.
 
Within this verse is also a foreshadow of the way God was going to show and reveal His grace, love and mercy. In order to cover up the sin and the shame of Adam and Eve, a sinless being had to become the sacrificial offering, a price of death paid on behalf of Adam and Eve. So from the very beginning God is prophesying the death of Jesus Christ to complete the work of God's salvation through grace.
 
The picture you see of the skin garment wrapped around Adam and Eve, is the crucified (the dead) Jesus wrapping himself around Adam and Eve to be the cover. Jesus becomes the shameful and becomes naked and dies on the cross - so he's died for Adam and Eve. So through His death, He gives us the white clothing of righteousness.
 
All this is within today's passage, and all this is contained in Genesis 3:15
 
<Read 3:15>
 
Serpent here is Satan --> Revelations 12:9, 20:2 "The ancient serpent".
 
Says there will be "enmity" between Satan and the woman.
 
The woman here represents the church - God's people. Throughout the bible the "woman" represents the church, and Jesus is the groom. We are the "bride". God will put enmity between the devil and God's people.
 
But also the "offspring of the woman" foreshadows  the virgin birth --> Jesus was conceived without any contribution from the man. Jesus comes as the offspring of the woman, conceived by the Holy Spirit.
 
By saying there will be enmity between them, God is promising that one of them will be mine and the other my enemy.
 
<Read Revelations 20:10>
 
What is the destiny of the devil? Lake of burning sulfur. Then who is God saying will be on His side?

… The woman, the people of God, the church.
 
Through Gen 3:15 God is promising that by grace He will rescue mankind, who is like dead dust with no choice but to eat from the tree of good and evil and be doomed. And He's also saying that those who have left God's grace like Satan and his offspring will live as enemies of God, and enemies of Jesus Christ who will crush his head.
 
Who are the offspring of the devil?
 
<Read John8:44>
 
"Your father the devil" --> Who are the offspring of the devil? The word "Desire" is in there. The devil's children are ALL PEOPLE who, just like Satan, live lives centred around their desires, and their kingship, as the Lord of their lives, who are prepared to walk over God to protect their thrones. He calls these the enemies of Jesus Christ in 3:15, and by saying so He is promising that for His chosen people, he will undoubtedly rescue them from the place of His enemies.
 
How?
 
The serpent will strike the heel of the offspring of the woman and the offspring of the woman will crush the head of the serpent.
 
On the cross the serpent strikes the heel of the offspring of the woman. The devil and the devil's children striked Jesus's heels by putting him to death on the cross, but through Jesus' death, Jesus destroyed the power of the devil.
 
<Read Hebrews 2:14>
 
The devil's very act of putting Jesus' death was suicide!! That's the same thing with unbelievers, they disobey God, they deny God, they murder God, thinking their own Lordship will lead to life - but they don't understand that very denial is what is leading them to death - suicide.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------
 
One thing important to understand here --> God and Satan are not at war. Few weeks ago I gave the example of the role play - this history is a role play in which God wants to teach, discipline and mould his ALREADY CHOSEN people, of the evil of sin, evil of wanting to be independent of God, the pain and suffering and stupidity of pride and greed --> and to fall face down in front of God and confess your need for grace and his mercy. And to worship him and praise him and love him.
 
Satan is used by God as an instrument of the evil of God.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 
Then, if God saves us from the life of disobedience of God, life of constantly trying to cover up our shame with our own efforts like fig leaves, and living for our own glory and self-worship --
 
<Draw>:
 
Disobedience
Cover up shame (effort and attack)
Own glory and self-worship
 
Then what should a life that has been saved from this look like?
 
Acknowledge that God is God, He exists as the absolute owner and master of the universe, make Him the Lord of my life and living a life of obedience to the demands and commands of the Lord!
 
<Draw>:
 
Disobedience --> Make Him Lord!
Cover up shame (effort and attack) --> Seek and rely on grace
Own glory and self-worship --> My nothingness, His glory
 
<Read Acts2:36>
 
"Both Lord and Messiah"
 
Jesus is our messiah - in Greek, Christ. We know Jesus as our Christ, our messiah, our saviour. We've heard this especially so much in Darakbang, "Jesus is the Christ, the solution to all problems".
 
But - the bible says "both Lord and Christ!" The original word used here for "Lord " is one who is the highest, who has the highest authority.
 
So the confession that "you are my Lord and my saviour", must absolutely contain your faith and will that "You as the absolute, the sovereign, the almighty Lord have saved me through your grace. So I will receive you as my Lord and live being obedient to your will and your commands."
 
To accept him only as Christ is most selfish faith. To believe Jesus as Christ but not Lord in reality (though you may sad "Lord"), is a "half faith" a "fake faith".
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 Then if He is our Lord, what is His will for us? What is His good desire for us?
 
<Read Luke 10:25-28>
 
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and "love your neighbour as yourself".
 
The expert in the law answers perfectly to Jesus' question about the greatest command, the summary of all commands.
 
"Who is my neighbour" he asks.
 
Jesus answers with the Good Samaritan story, where people of law do not stop and help but the Samaritan does. The expert in the law asks "who is my neighbour that I must love? What is the boundary?" But Jesus answers, "don't worry about who your neighbour is that you must love, but you become the good neighbour to everyone!"
 
In other words, we don't pick and choose the levels of boundaries of closeness that we must love, and it's not a matter of people who we like, but we must love  even our enemies. Which is why Jesus deliberately chose a Samaritan, who the Jews absolutely despised! He's saying "think about what this Samaritan, who is your enemy, has done". This is what those who have eternal life will do!
 
Who is our neighbour? Everyone including our enemies. They are all subjects of our love.
 
But to the fallen man who has had their shame exposed and go to the lengths of attacking everyone including God to deflect and cover up their shame, absolutely cannot love.
 
Which is why Jesus came down to this earth and died for us, and he put our old selves to death with him….  to give us new life . To make us into new creation, which has His spirit, the Holy Spirit living inside of us.
 
Because now through His grace, we have come down from the throne of our lives and put Him in the throne as our Lord. He is the one who is Lord of our lives, not us. So what He demands from us, now He fulfils it through us because He is living our lives for us.
 
Also, because now we came off the seat of the throne, we don't have to stamp on each other and attack and kill each other to stay on the throne - so we can love.
 
Where pride has left, love can begin to grow.
 
Which is why Jesus says this is the evidence (not optional), this is the requirement of a believer. This must begin to happen in our lives. He's not saying "Do this" forcefully even though it's not --> He's describing what must rightfully happen through the work of His grace and spirit. He's describing what He Himself will lead us towards.
 
Do you know what the evidence is that you love God? Not giving tons of offerings, or doing charity work or anything like that. The evidence that we you love God is that you love others.
 
<Read James 2:8; Galatians 5:13-14>
 
Why have these disciples of Jesus left out "love your God?" --> because it's useless. We cannot love others unless we love God. Only when we understand the need for grace, will we be able to love God, and have the ability to love.
 
<Read 1John 4:7-12>
 
We must be witnesses of God. What kind of witness? We must show God. How does the text say? We cannot show God, without loving one another.
 
-------------------------------------------------------
 
But there's a problem -- we cannot love! I want to love, I want to forgive but my emotions do not allow it!
 
This is because we misunderstand the love that God is asking of us. 
 
Love is will and choice, before emotion. The emotional preference or heart towards another is better described by "Like", not "Love". Like and love are two different things. Of course, within love, there is a component of emotion for sure, but there is a bigger aspect of will and choice.
 
Let's use God as an example.
 
Does God love or hate sin? He absolutely hates sin. We are all sinners - all of us. He HAS to hate us. But he CHOSE to jump over that hatred, he activated his WILL to love us through the cross.
 
Liking Dog
Loving dog without liking
Liking and loving dog - like your child. --> Of course, this is the ideal form of love, but not possible for us fallen man to love our enemies in this way.
 
The love that God demands from us is to love with our choice and will - if he commanded us to "like" our enemies we would be in trouble. But he did not. He commanded us to "love" our enemies.
 
But when we choose and activate our will to love them, even though we do not emotionally like them, soon enough we will come to truly love them.
 
CS Lewis quote:
 
Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone you will presently come to love him."
 
God expects this of His people, that He is moulding and He is shaping. We will likely try and fail and try and fail but grow within that through His grace. When we fail we must break in front of him and pray with a mourning heart "please give us grace Lord".
 
In this way He will teach us what love is, and show us what love is - to not only help us understand His amazing love for us, but also to make us into godly beings that are worthy of His Kingdom.