Bev Najt

THE ORIGINAL COMMISSION

Key Scriptures: Psalm 8:3-6; Ephesians 1:4-5; Genesis 1:26-28; Romans 8:29-30

Learning Objectives

To recognize that God originally created man with the potential for both authority (the right to rule) and
holiness (the disposition to worship and serve the Creator)

1. You understand the rebellion that existed in heaven even before the creation of man and can explain
the results of Lucifer’s rebellion.
2. You understand why God created man and what His intended purpose was.
3. You can explain man’s original commission: what he was to conquer and subdue, and why.
4. You understand and can explain Satan’s strategy in Eden to gain control over the earth.
5. You understand and can explain the process that led to Adam’s sin.
6. You can explain the existence of two kingdoms on earth today.

Introduction

What did the early believers have that we don’t often have?

1. They knew who they were and why.

2. They knew what they could do and why.

Key Points:

I. In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God
in the beginning (John 1:1-2).

A. The Eternal God, Yahweh, always existed. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. No
other being, and no other reality, came before God.

1. When nothing of our universe existed, He began to create; and the first thing He created was the
heavens - our universe and atmosphere - and the earth.

2. Remember that the seat of God’s throne in heaven is the source from which all the resources of the
earth (and the rest of the universe) are found, since God’s will be for heaven to come to earth and to be
duplicated here.

B. God’s Kingdom - His rule, reign, and Sovereignty - is a limitless kingdom. It is an ever-expanding reign. It has
always existed, it exists now, and it will continue to expand throughout eternity in ways we cannot now know or
imagine.

II. In heaven, even before the creation of Adam & Eve, a rebellion began. The Scriptures give us a clue to a
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warfare taking place in the heavens, one that continues to exist to this day.
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A. Notice the account of creation in Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2

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Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Gen. 1:2 “The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was
hovering over the surface of the waters.”

1. God by His nature doesn't create anything that is without form and is void or is dark.
2. Many theologians believe that these two verses refer to something cataclysmic or catastrophic that
happened.

Read: Jeremiah 4:23-26

B. There was a time when God's anger was fierce. The light, the people, and the animals were gone. (Read
Ezekiel 28:11-20 and Isaiah 14: 12-20)

1. From these scriptures, we gain many insights about Lucifer and the condition of the earth between
Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.
2. Lucifer was the anointed cherub. He had the seal of perfection. He was full of wisdom and perfect
beauty.
 He was in Eden, the garden of God and on the holy mountain of God.
 He was a created being - blameless in his ways, until wickedness was found in him.
 He ruled second to God.
 He was lifted in pride.

C. Lucifer, God's anointed cherub, who led a rebellion against God, was cast down out of heaven and driven
from the Garden (not the same one as the one Adam & Eve were in).

1. Satan rebelled against God's authority.

2. Some scholars say Satan took with him a third of the angels (see Rev. 1:20; Rev. 12:4) - "angels" - "stars"
(now demons)

3. The fate of the devil and his angels was sealed the day they sinned. There's no redemption for them. God
prepared a lake of fire for them.

D. God’s plan for expanding His Kingdom is an eternal purpose, and God’s plan has been in effect since before
the beginning of creation.

1. “I AM” (Exodus 3: 14) is more than a simple statement of identity. It is a declaration of the divine control
of all things.

2. God is self-existent. He does not depend on anyone or anything else to exist.

3. The name “I AM” encompasses each aspect of God’s nature, as well as all the other names by which He
is called in His Word.

E. Since Lucifer had been cast down to earth, his kingdom of darkness and destruction was in operation.
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Genesis 1: 2 says that “the earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters,” meaning that
the earth was in chaos and darkness because Satan had seized it; the presence of his kingdom always results in
such disorder and destruction.

F. Even amid the darkness, God’s power to create was present, because the territory of earth did not belong to
Satan. He was a usurper. God, the great I AM, entered the darkness and expelled it. He created the heavens, the
earth and the seas and He populated them.

III. After reforming the earth, populating it, and driving out the darkness with light, God created man, the crown
of His creation. Genesis 1:26-31

A. He made them male and female: male + female = "man" or "Adam"

1. He made them like Himself. The “I AM” took man from His substance. We could also say that He
reproduced Himself in man.

2. He gave them authority to rule and to reproduce. Man is meant to be on earth as God is in heaven.

B. God created man to be holy and blameless in His sight and to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 1:4-5)

Holiness – “to be consecrated," "to be dedicated"

Authority - Gk. "exousia" - the basic idea is the freedom of choice, thus the right to act.

C. God the Father desired a large family like His Son Jesus through whom He could reveal and express Himself.
(Romans 8:29-30)

IV. The First Adam

A. If we could have watched Adam in action, we would have seen a perfect image of God expressing His nature
and character through a man.

1. The crown of creation is Man!

2. Thus, God made man unique among the animals of the entire world through his physical, mental, moral,
and spiritual characteristics.

3. Adam was the pattern of the one to come. (1 Cor. 15:45-49)

B. The breath of the Spirit ignited life in Adam in three distinct ways:

1. in the invisible spirit of man, which, being made in the image of God, is eternal;
2. in the soul of man—meaning the total human consciousness of his mind, will, and emotions;
3. in his physical body, which became a living vessel housing the spirit and soul.
4. Man’s soul and body gave him an awareness of his earthly environment, while the Spirit of God,
dwelling within man’s spirit, gave him a consciousness of his Creator-King and the ability to
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communicate directly with the heavenly government.

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C. Adam was essentially perfect with a perfect endless life.

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1. He was neither mortal, meaning he was doomed to death, nor was he immortal, meaning he was unable
to die.
2. He was created with a spirit to worship God and to have fellowship with Him.
3. He had a sharp mind - his intellect was not darkened by sin.
4. His will was not bound; therefore, he had the power of choice.
5. His emotions were balanced and appropriate.
6. Physically, he was healthy and beautiful; there were no flaws or disease in his body.

D. The intent of the Creator-King was to express his nature through humanity. That nature was to be
communicated through man’s spirit and manifested through his soul—mind, will, and emotions—eventually
finding expression through his physical body. In this way, God created human beings to live from the “inside
out.”

V. God commissioned Adam and Eve to extend His Kingdom rule on earth throughout the whole earth, ruling it
as God rules heaven.

A. In this way, God gave human beings dominion not only over the natural world and everything in it, but also
over the enemy, who was still present on the earth.

B. Man was to expand His kingdom throughout the earth as His representatives and ambassadors:

1. God invested human beings with His power and authority (the right to rule) so they could have
dominion in three primary areas:
 rulership over creation;
 power to perform the works of God
 authority over Satan, demons, and any other spirits

2. Human beings were to rule over creation— over nature, space, time, and matter.

3. They were to be kings over creation— under God. In line with this, they were given power to perform all
the works God called them to do.

4. Man is destined to rule and reign with the divine Lord; therefore, he must be trained, educated,
equipped, and prepared for that wondrous role.

VI. Before God created man, He fashioned a physical world that would be a perfect environment for him to fulfill
his purpose and destiny. He formed their physical bodies from the same material as the earth.

A. Man is a triune being just like his Creator. We reflect His image even in our composition.

1. Man is a spirit being after the nature and essence of his source, Father God.
2. He lives in a body, which is his earth suit that allows him to relate to the physical environment.
3. He possesses a soul, which is his intellect, will, and emotional faculties.
4. Man was suited for the earth as perfectly as God is suited for Heaven.

B. After creating Adam, God put him into the environment of His presence. The Garden of Eden. The word
“Eden” means “pleasure” or “delight.” The word “garden” signifies “enclosure” or a “fenced” place.
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1. The Garden of Eden was the base of operations, or starting point, that God gave human beings,
because they were always meant to have His glory as their habitation.

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2. From this point forward, they were to expand God’s rule throughout the earth, bringing that glory with
them.

C. One Bible scholar has concluded that Eden was not a physical location on earth since it is not mentioned in
Scripture again and can’t be found in other history or on a map.

1. This scholar proposes that Eden was an open door, or entryway, into heaven.
2. It was an environment that was a “gate” or “portal” to heaven because God manifested His glory there.
3. Adam moved wherever the glory or presence of God moved.
4. We do see such an experience that Jacob had. (Read Genesis 28:10-17).

D. The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend (work) and watch over it. Gen. 2:15

1. The word “work” here implies management, administration, orderly development, and making fruitful.
Thus, one of the principal motives for the creation of man was to provide a manager, administrator, and
ruler of the planet earth.

2. The logical conclusion one can derive from this scenario is:
 Government is God’s idea;
 The absence or lack of correct government will always lead to chaos and disorder;
 Wherever there is chaos, disorder, or lack of productivity, the answer is correct government.

3. What is government?
 Government is about order, influence, administration, distribution, protection, maintenance,
accountability, responsibility. and productivity.
 Technically speaking, government is the person, group, or organization that executes the functions
of governing.
 This is manifested in the exercise of authority and jurisdiction over territory and a citizenry.

4. Government was first established by the command and mandate of God to Adam and incorporates the
need to order, work, oversee, guard, and protect.

5. Both authority and power must be in balance for government to be successful.

 Authority has to do with responsibility while power has to do with ability.
 Authority has to do with empowerment; power focuses on exercising authority.
 Authority gives power its legality. Power without legitimate authority is dictatorship and inevitably
results in abuse, oppression, and destruction. Authority gives power its rights.

6. In kingdoms, however, authority is inherent and is a product of the rights of ownership. This concept is
crucial in understanding the nature of kingdoms. God’s authority as King is inherent. He owns
everything!
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E. Even though Adam was master of his domain, his authority was delegated; i.e. entrusted to him by God.
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Therefore, Adam was required to submit to the One who has all authority.

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1. They were given one restriction. They were not to eat of the tree with the fruit of the knowledge of
good and evil.
2. The fruit was a tangible symbol placed amid the garden by the Lord as a test of man's obedience and as
a sign of his dependence on Him.
3. In contrast, the tree of life signifies the life of God, the uncreated life of God. It represents "trust".

VII. Man had become the custodian of God's life and joy, but he had to exercise authority, his God-delegated
right to rule. We cannot talk about the meaning of the kingdom of God without including the subjugation of
Satan and his works.

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue
it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Genesis 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Gen. 1:28 - "subdue" - Heb. kabash - "to tread down, conquer, or subjugate"

Gen. 2:15 - Heb. shanar – “to guard, to protect, to hedge in"

A. Adam was responsible to conquer and tread down any opposition to his authority to keep what God had
entrusted to him.

B. Now, Adam has been given authority to rule over all the works of God's hands. Remember - Lucifer was a
created being.

1. God’s original intention was for human beings to be the agents that would carry out heaven’s laws on
earth.
2. Adam was to conquer the attacks and temptations of Satan and to guard the Garden against him. They
were to subdue Satan and his kingdom— to bring him under control by spiritual force.

VIII. Satan had his own plan.

A. The devil desired to shroud the earth in darkness once again. To do this, he had to recover his rule by taking
the territory away from man.

B. God had granted man authority over the earth; therefore, the only legal way Satan could regain it was if Adam
and Eve gave it to him.

C. Satan’s plan was to make human beings fall from the glory of God by means of rebellion and disobedience —
the same way by which he had fallen. (Genesis 3:1-7)

1. He thought that if he could gain control over the King’s own children, he could insult the King, thwart
the purposes of the heavenly kingdom, and usurp the colony.

2. As he always does, he looks for an opportunity. (1 Peter 5:8)

3. He presents himself as something different than what he is to deceive. (2 Corinthians 11:14b)
4. He distorts the Word of God.
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God had said: “… You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

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Satan said: “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing good and evil.”

 He questioned God's Word, "Did God really say…?” Verse 1

 He questioned God's integrity. Verse 4
 He created doubt. Verse 5

D. The serpent appealed to Eve's senses and reasoning (Gen. 3:6; 1 Jn. 2:16; Luke 4)

1. Eve was deceived. She gave to Adam and he disobeyed.

2. When Adam sinned, he became guilty of the same sin as Lucifer – disobedience and rebellion.
3. The act of sinning was not the cause of Satan's fall; that act was but the product of his rebellion against
authority. Satan violated God's authority while trespassing against God's holiness.
4. When Adam sinned, he relinquished the territory and his authority to rule to Satan.
5. Now there are two principles in the universe: God's authority and Satan's rebellion. And there are two
kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world.

IX. In reading about the fall of man, we read it as one event that took place, but that does not follow the pattern
of sin. On closer examination, we might discover four phases that happened over time:

A. Adam was aware of his coexistence with evil. (Gen. 2:9)

1. When Adam was placed in the garden, he was aware of the presence of the enemy’s kingdom.

2. While God bestowed dominion on Adam, He gave him instructions about what to do with evil. These
instructions were to subjugate and rule it.

3. Adam had the ability to resist and conquer Satan and his kingdom when confronted with temptation,
because he had not yet sinned.

4. Since he was aligned with God and His Spirit, evil had to submit to his rule. Adam’s job was to place
Satan underfoot and force him to submit, to dominate him, and bring him under subjection.

5. This was because Adam’s purpose was to carry out God’s will by governing, protecting, and spreading
His kingdom on the planet.

B. Adam began to tolerate evil. (Genesis 3:4-5)

1. To coexist with evil does not mean you must tolerate it.
2. By dwelling on Satan’s statements, Adam gave the evil one the right to touch his life and to encroach on
his relationship with God.
3. A person’s disobedience is the devil’s legal authorization to attack him.
4. The strategy of the deceiver is to wear us out mentally, emotionally, and physically until we finally give
in and fall.
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C. Adam lost the fear, or reverence, of the Lord. (Proverbs 8:13a)

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1. To fear the Lord is to reverence, honor, and respect Him. It means to be in awe of Him.

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2. Losing the fear of the Lord leads to a loss of sensitivity to evil; we no longer see its dangers and
consequences, and we compromise the truth.
3. God’s Word tells us that if we fear the Lord, we will hate evil— not allow it to influence us!

D. Adam finally sinned (Genesis 3:6). He and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.

1. Here we see the final stage in Adam’s descent. He went from coexisting with evil to tolerating it to losing
the fear of the Lord to falling from God’s glory into the curse of sin.
2. In this way, human beings lost their dominion and their life in the presence of God. What is more, they
lost the territory He had given them, and they entered Satan’s bondage.
3. In essence, Adam gave the enemy the keys to his life, and that is how Satan took over the rulership of
the earth.
4. Jesus called the devil “the ruler of this world” and Paul echoed this description by referring to him as
“the god of this world.” (John 12:31; John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4a)

“The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.”

X. Man's First Sin

A. Sin has but one principle behind itself! Self!

B. Adam's sin was following his own will.

C. Adam's sin was the sin of doing nothing when his authority was challenged (Eve was deceived).

D. It was God's intention that the beings He created should accept His authority; yet both kinds of created
beings rejected it.

1. When Adam sinned, independent “self” began to rule man rather than God.

 He rejected God's rule.

 He became "a little god" unto himself.
 "I will" became the basis of all sin.
 Satan became man's accuser to hurt God.
 Man became depraved and hopeless.
 Adam died spiritually.

2. Sin, sickness, and selfishness entered.

3. Spiritual death and the nature of Satan, like a hideous dictator, seized the control, sovereignty, and
dominion over creation.
4. Adam underwent a complete change and had the nature of Satan.
5. True revelation knowledge was lost when man's senses became dominant.
6. They became self-conscious as soon as their eyes were opened; they were ashamed.
7. They were fearful and ran from God.
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8. They blamed each other – and God!

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9. He who was crowned lord of the earth became a coward and a liar.

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10. Man was alienated from God with the conscience darkened (Eph. 4:18; 2 Cor. 4:4).

E. The results of Adam’s sin were catastrophic. Man went from being God’s governor on earth to being ruled,
manipulated, and controlled by the enemy of his soul.

1. Mankind’s failure through disobedience to his Creator resulted in the loss of his dominion over the
earth.
2. When Adam mismanaged his assignment, God took it away from him. The same thing happens to every
one of us. Whatever we mismanage, we lose.
3. Adam was evicted from the garden of Eden for not ruling when he was supposed to. They were
banished from the exceptional home that had been provided for them because they no longer had the
nature necessary to live there and were no longer able to care for it properly.
4. Adam should have exercised his God-given authority and dominion over Satan!

Satan, you don’t exist in heaven; you are not to exist here. This is my garden. You are here illegally. I forbid you
to establish roots here! God has declared that wherever the soles of my feet tread, God has given it to me. I bind
you to the Word of God that declares that I have authority over you. Be gone!

F. Now the controversy of the universe is centered on who shall have the authority.

Thank God! He had already designed a plan of redemption through the blood of the perfect Lamb, who would
pay the price for our sin and restore us to dominion over the enemy and his kingdom of darkness (Genesis 3:15)!

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