We noticed last month that when Adam and his wife had eaten of the forbidden fruit they received a conscience, but sad to say, because of their sin, it was a guilty conscience. They tried fig leaf aprons, then hiding from. God, and last of all they tried to place the blame on others, but none of these things removed their guilty conscience in the presence of a holy God. What a sad condition they were in, and there was nothing, absolutely nothing they could do to remove their guilt, or give their consciences peace before God. They were ruined sinners and they must die as God had said.
Although we know that a purged. conscience could never be known before the cross, let us look at God’s provision for Adam and his wife as a type of the believer’s place now. How wonderful were the words which fell upon their ears telling that the Seed of the woman was to bruise the serpent’s head. What did it mean? They had tried in vain to hide their guilt by their own works, but now God said that He was going to come in and bruise the serpent’s head through the woman’s Seed. They could not understand it, but they believed it. As yet they had no children, but God had promised the Seed and so that settled it. They had listened to the serpent before but now they believed God. Therefore Adam called his wife’s name “Eve” which means “The mother of all living.” He knew that God was going to fulfill His word and give the promised Seed. He had faith in God.
Then God undertook their whole case. Some little animals were killed, their blood was shed, and then God clothed Adam and Eve with coats of skins. Now they could stand before Him in a covering which He Himself had provided. Their doubts were gone; God had provided the covering; He was satisfied and so were they.
How beautifully this shadows forth. the place of the believer now. There was, of course, no real value in the blood of these animals which were killed to make the coats of skins for Adam and Eve. Nor was there any real value in the blood of the many sacrifices which were offered from that time onward, except that they pointed on to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was He, the promised Seed of the woman, who came to undo the works of the devil. Never in Old Testament times could they have a conscience purged of all guilt, because the true Sacrifice, the One whose blood alone can put away sin, had not come; but now the work has been forever completed. All the majesty and holiness of God’s throne has been fully upheld and the precious blood of Christ is of such infinite value that the one who is cleansed in it has no more conscience of sins. What a glorious truth, and every believer should he in the enjoyment of it! It is our place by virtue of the finished work of Christ.
The believer is not merely looked upon as a forgiven sinner, but he is in a new standing entirely. Just as Adam and Eve’s nakedness was no longer seen because they were clothed with the skin of the victim who had died in their stead, so the believer is made the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).) God sees him in all the perfection of His own beloved Son, as to his standing, and since he has the life of Christ he is looked at as though he had never sinned at all. (Col. 3:3, 43For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:3‑4).) We have died in the death of Christ out of our position of condemnation, and are NOW “perfected forever” through His finished work. May we rejoice and praise Him more for it!
ML 03/26/1950