Introduction

In the past two Sundays we have looked at the Biblical account of the fall of man, how sin and death entered into the world and the human race. In that fall, Adam plunge himself and all human race into great and difficult net of problems.

We do not have to be afraid to look at sin and study its origin, nature, power, extent, and consequences as long as at the same time we look at God's divine remedy for sin. And that is what we are going to do this morning - to look at sin but at the same time to look at the magnificent grace of God in providing remedy for sin.

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. 20: Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

In addition to the fourfold immediate effects of Adam's sins, namely shame, guilt, fear, and death, there are other further effects of his sin. When Adam sinned something happened to his nature. His nature was radically affected because of that fall and so is ours. The entire nature of man was affected and corrupted by sin. The mind, the will, and the affection have been radically affected because of the entrance of sin. 

The Bible clearly declares the following:

1. The Mind

The mind includes the understanding, imagination and judgment.

Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18: Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:  

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Titus 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

The mind has been darkened, blinded, and defiled.

2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Ever since Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge, and their eyes were opened, we lost our eye of understanding. Because of this blindness of the mind we are prone to make wrong choices and judgments.

2. The Will

The will has been enslaved to sin and has been bias towards sin.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

3. The Affection

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10: I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

We set our heart on things of this world which are perishable. We fix our hearts upon creature but very seldom on the Creator. Even when the heart is given to Jesus, it is prone to wander.

O to grace how great a debtor;              

Daily I'm constrained to be!                   

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,;                               

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.           

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;          

Here's my heart, O take and seal it,       

Seal it for Thy courts above.

"The problem with human nature is that through the fall, we were born with a heart that loves ourselves over and above everything else in this world, including God. In short, we are born slaves to the lust for self-gratification. That's why, if left to ourselves, we will always love those things that make us feel good about ourselves, even as we depart more and more from God and His ways. Therefore, God must intervene in our lives in order to bring salvation."

Left to ourselves there is no hope of redemption and recovery. But thank God, we have a record in the Scripture that God provided and revealed a plan of redemption and recovery from this tragic fall. This truth is clearly presented in the story of the fall of Adam and the immediate aftermath.  As God gives me freedom this morning, I would like to preach on the Unexpected Grace in the Garden.

The Father's Response to Adam's Sin

1. God Came to Them 

Genesis 3:8: And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 

Adam and Eve had broken the commandment of God and because of their disobedience, there is now a  great separation between God and man. 

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Now the very first thing that happened after the fall of man, God did something amazing. Our first parents had sinned and God had every right to stay away, but that is not what He did. In stead He came straight to them. God came looking for them. God initiated the path to reconciliation.  God took the first step. 

This is the Biblical salvation! Salvation is God's search for man. It was not Adam who sought God, but God that sought Adam. And this has been the case ever since.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Christian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace, which briefly stated means this, that before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man. - A. W. Tozer

Salvation begins with God. 

Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

As soon as Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden the Father came to them seeking and searching for them. That is grace!  Thank God for His grace!

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 

He Came to Me

Squire Parsons

The gulf that separated me from Christ, my Lord,

It was so vast the crossing I could never ford;

From where I was to His domain, it seemed so far,

I cried, "Dear Lord, I cannot come to where you are."

He came to me, O, He came to me.

When I could not come to where He was, He came to me.

That's why He died on Calvary,

When I could not come to where He was, He came to me.

2. God Called Them 

Genesis 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10: And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 

Adam heard the voice of God calling him and Adam was afraid and hid himself. This is not the voice of judgment but the voice of grace, the voice of mercy, and the voice of love. God did not come and call Adam to consign him and Eve to eternal hell though they deserved it.

Think about it, when Satan fell into sin, he and the angels that followed him were immediately condemned to eternal punishment in hell. There was no plan  of a redemption. There was no promise of a Redeemer. They were not given the opportunity to repent and be redeemed. They were all instantly sentenced to hell forever. And God could have done the same with  humanity, and it would still have been right and just. God is not obligated to redeem. He does not owe anyone mercy. He could have given humanity what it deserves and still would not have violated justice. In stead of justice Adam received mercy.

Nehemiah 9:17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

God is always ready, willing and able to forgive!

And so, God came and called Adam and asked him ...

Genesis 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 

This is the very first question given by God to mankind after man fell. God did not ask "where art thou" because He did not know. God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were. He was not asking the question for information, for there is nothing hid from Him. The purpose of this question is to help Adam. It is a question design to draw Adam out rather than to drive him further away. 

It is a question to awaken Adam's consciousness to the state of his condition. It is a question designed to convince Adam of his sin, convict him of his wrong doing, and lead him to confession of sin. 

God followed up with another question ...

Genesis 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 

Again, God is not asking these questions for information, for He knew exactly where they are and what they have done. These are questions meant to convince them of their sin and so lead them to confess and be reconciled to their Creator.

3. God Clothed Them

Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Adam and Eve made themselves aprons out of fig leaves and cover themselves but the LORD God made clothing from animal skins and clothed them. In order to procure the  garments of skins, an animal must have been slain, life must have been taken, and blood must have been shed! Here, God Himself preached the first Gospel sermon, not in words but in symbol and action. God is teaching Adam and Eve the fundamental truth we find in ...

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

By this act God is declaring to Adam and Eve that the only way sinners could approach and come to a holy God is by substitution - the innocent dying in the stead of the guilty.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

The Lord Jesus laid down His life for the sheep and God can now be just and the justifier of them which believe in Jesus. 

How beautiful and perfect illustration! It was the Lord Jesus Christ who was slain. It was the Lord Jesus Christ who shed His blood. And because He laid down His life on the cross for sinners, He can now justly forgive and cloth those who believe with the robe of righteousness.

Oh, can you sing with Isaiah ...

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Conclusion

The are many recorded questions in the Bible, and many of them are so crucial that they demand an answer. This question asked by God in Genesis 3:9 is one of them. The question in our text was asked by God nearly 6,000 years ago, and God is still asking everyone today, "Where art Thou?" 

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,

In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Are your garments spotless are they white as snow?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Lay aside your garments that are stained with sin

And be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean.

O, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Do you hear the voice of God today through His Word and by His Spirit? Don't run, don't hide. This is not a question of condemnation but a voice of mercy. It is a merciful and a gracious invitation to draw near to God.

You may be a Christian today, but the question is still, Where art thou? Where are you in your walk with God? Where are you in your prayer? Where are you in your Bible reading? Where are you in your obedience? Where are you in your family relationships? Where are you in your love for the lost?

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19: He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

AMEN!