The Fall and the Promise of a Savior

1. The Fall and the Promise of a Savior

2. Ideas to think about as we go through Salvation History

3. Foundations of Salvation • Creation • God as our Father • Salvation in Divine Sonship • Covenants • Church

4. God as our Father • He is not just a Creator • To know God really we must begin understanding Him as Father • What the Trinity reveals about God • A family that is eternal and perfect

5. Divine Sonship • Galatians 4:6 • Salvation is more than: • Seeking Forgiveness • Escaping hell fire • Enjoying Heaven • Salvation is sharing the very life of God

6. The Covenants • They are the overarching theme of the Bible • The unifying principles of Scripture • Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ • St. Jerome • Ignorance of the Covenants is ignorance of the Bible

7. The Covenants The Covenants Their significances Martial Family Tribal National National Kingdom Universal (Catholic) • Adam • Noah • Abraham • Moses • David • Jesus Christ

8. The Covenants • Martin Luther: • Saw covenant as a courthouse • God as judge • Sinners as the guilty • Acquitted by Christ • Catholic Church: • The Covenants are between a Father and His children • The Covenants are a sacred family bond.

9. The Church • The culmination of the first three principles • The Church is the family of God • Flowing from God who is the Father • Flowing from reality of the Divine Sonship • Sonship: Salvation that we experience in the Covenants

10. Activity Questions • What was the greatest challenge? • Who was frustrated? • How did the first few people feel? • How did the last few people feel? • How did the people with a harder task feel? • How does this activity relate to sin and the Fall and Salvation: • With our relationship with God? • With our relationship with ourselves? • With our relationship with others?

11. Our Father’s Plan

12. Our Father’s Plan • Family • It starts with Adam (1) • On the sixth day (2) • This Family is created from God • Human being’s relationship is ordered to God (3) • Sin that has destroyed this order • Causing alienation (4) • Innocence is lost (5)

13. Our Father’s Plan • We are given from God is Hope, and Mercy is introduced (6) • This Hope is a Savior (7) • This Savior will come from a woman • The seed of a woman (8) • Genealogies should not be ignored • They represent humanity seeking God (9) • We follow the Covenants by these genealogies.

14. Our Father’s Plan • Two lines (10) • One good • One bad • Eventually this two lines came together causing: • Corruption (11) • Noah’s Ark • Chapter nine-The table of nations. (12) • Shem (Semite)

15. Our Father’s Plan • Tower of Babel (13) • Genesis Chapter 11 ends with (14): • Shem • Terah • The Rest of Genesis after chapter eleven is focused on the seed of Abraham (15)

16. Our Father’s Plan • The base of life is Fatherhood (16) • Without it there is not motherhood • There is no sonship

17. Our Father’s Plan Contract Covenant Exchange of persons I am yours, and you are mine Sacred Kinship which permanent Unbreakable Oath Calling the name of God Ritualized • Exchange of property • This is yours this is mine • Temporary partnership • Breakable • Promise • Words • Signature • Name

18. Our Father’s Plan • A covenant is: • A sacred bond of kinship • A family bond • The family does proceed the state (19) • Original cell of social life (CCC. 2207) • A theological reality because a family is an image of God

19. Our Father’s Plan • When Did Christ use the word Covenant (20) • The Last Supper • What are the three forms of the first three days (21): • Time • Space • Life • Three theological principals in the creation story (22): • Made in the image and likeness of God • Exercise dominion • The day of rest

20. The Fall and the Promise of a Savior

21. The Story of the Fall • The account of the fall in Gen. 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives use the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents (CCC, 390)

22. The Story of the Fall • We are not required to understand Genesis 3 literally • But we must understand that there was a real historical event • Why? • Sin exists • “Of all the Church teachings we can argue Sin is not one of them.” • Chesterton

23. Original Holiness and Justice • The Trinity is a family • Humanity is created in the image of this Trinity • Humanity is created to be a family • God created everything in six days and it was good • On the seventh day God rests • The seventh day is blessed and sanctified • It is revealed in the seventh day that we are called to participate in the Divine • We are not made just to work but to worship • We are made to be in heaven

24. Original Holiness and Justice • Everything that God had created was good • Including Humanity • Original Justice and Holiness (pg. 18) • We share in God’s own life

25. Original Holiness and Justice • God makes a covenant with Adam • This covenant tells us that: • God has a relationship with His creation • Humanity is called to be with God • Because Humanity is set apart from all other creation to share in the life of God.

26. Temptation Leads to Original Sin • Adam is tested • To see if he truly loves him and has faith in him • Why? • Love must be a free choice • Without this choice it cannot be real love • God puts the tree of knowledge of good and evil • The fruit symbolizes knowledge only God should have

27. Temptation Leads to Original Sin • The serpent is the symbol of seduction • Who is this serpent? • Satan (adversary)-pg. 33 • Satan is the first sinner • “By the envy of the Devil, death came into the world” • Wisdom 2:24 • “I rather rule in Hell then to serve in Heaven” • Thomas Milton, “Paradise Lost”

28. Temptation Leads to Original Sin The serpent was the most cunning (Gen 3:1) • There is a play on words in Hebrew • Cunning sounds like nakedness • Satan came to expose the weakness of Adam and Eve • Who does Satan come to first? • Eve • The Dialogue between Satan and Eve • Why does Satan come to Eve first?

29. Temptation Leads to Original Sin • Why is Adam silent? • He is immortal but here is a life threat • He has dominion over the beasts but this creature could over power him • Why cannot I not eat from this tree when the tree is good? • Adam’s Faith and Love is tested right here • Faith in God (Trusting in God) • Love for his wife (Protecting his wife) • Why does he eat the fruit? • Fear of suffering

30. The Adams Adam The New Adam Without sin Garden of Gethsemane Tempted Goes to the tree Suffers Christ sweats blood, doing the will of God and gives his life to His bride (the Church) • Without sin • Garden of Eden • Tempted • Goes to the tree • Suffers • From his inability to suffer he denies God and is unable to protect his wife

31. Original Sin • The devil tempts Adam and Eve but the devil is not the source of sin • Nothing else than his own will make’s man mind the slave of his desire • St. Augustine • This choice affected human nature • Sin is “contracted” and not “committed”– a state and not an act • Sin is transmitted to all ages

32. Original Sin • Original sin does not have the character of a personal fault • "In those days people will no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.’” • Jeremiah 31:29 • Deprivation of original holiness and justice • Human nature is wounded but not completely corrupted • Ignorance • Suffering • Death • Concupiscence (inclination to sin)

33. Original Sin • The punishments: • Adam: Dominion • Eve: Relationship

34. Sin in General • Genesis is a story that portrays the reality of sin and its essential features: • Outward act of disobedience • Expresses the inner act of rebellion • Adam is suspicious of God’s love • Frustration of their limitations • The act harms Adam • Alienated: • God • One another • Themselves

35. Sin in General • The Old Testament teaches that sin is rooted in human freedom and consists in an abuse of God’s gift of free choice • Sir 15:1-20 • The Old Testament has three words to describe sin: • Hatta: Missing the mark-Rejecting God’s will • Pesha: Rebellion-Rejecting God’s love • Awon: Guilt-Sin twists and distorts internally

36. Sin in General Have mercy on me, O God,    according to your unfailing love;according to your great compassion    blot out my transgressions (pesha).Wash away all my iniquity (awon)    and cleanse me from my sin (hatta). For I know my transgressions (pesha),    and my sin (hatta) is always before me.Against you, you only, have I sinned (hatta)    and done what is evil in your sight Psalm 51 “Miserere”

37. The Protoevangelium • God did not abandon Adam and Eve • The plan of salvation was revealed • The plan that would conquer evil and death • This plan is found in the covenants made by God.

38. The Covenants • Noah • Abraham • Moses • David • New Covenant (pg. 42)

39. Cain, Noah, Babel • Family Covenant • We see in the beginning what sin does to family • Cain and Abel • Cain kills his brother Abel (fratricide) • “God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living…” (Wisdom 1:13-14 • God reminds Cain of his freedom from evil • “Its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7) • Murder is a violation of the “spiritual” kinship • “We should love one another, and not be like Cain…” (1 John 3:11-12)

40. Cain, Noah, Babel • What we get from this story ultimately is: • Sin must be punished • Sin causes us to move farther away from God • Cain is banished and condemned to a life of wandering • The Great Flood • There are many symbolic elements but it may be rooted in a real natural catastrophe that gives us certain ideas to remember: • God loves humanity and he wants to preserve it • Family needs to be saved

41. Cain, Noah, Babel • The tower of Babel reveals that: • That humanity wants to remove God and form its own nation • Humanity further alienates itself from God • The punishment however causes separation among humanity

42. Covenant with Abraham • Abraham • “Father of a multitude of nations” • Abraham shows us the virtue of faith • Hearing God’s call and doing it • Provisions of the covenant with Abraham are: • A great nation would descend from him • Abraham and his family would be given a land • Abraham would be blessed • The entire world would ultimately be blessed from him

43. Covenant with Moses • It was foretold by God to Abraham that his people would suffer: • “…reduced them to cruel slavery, making life bitter for them with hard work” (Ex 1:12-13) • Moses is chosen to lead the Israelites out of slavery—Exodus (Greek for departure) • In the desert God makes His covenant • The Law (Decalogue pg. 44) • The promise of the Savior

44. Covenant with David • Up to this point the Covenants have: • Formed a people • Been given the Law • Taught us how to worship, and live in truth and love • David is chosen as king by God and to make Jerusalem the religious capital • The key to God’s Covenant with David is: • Israel would be a royal dynasty • Messiah (anointed one) • 2 Sm 7:11-12

45. Prophets Preach • Prosperity came with David’s reign but it was short lived • Sin again took over the hearts of Israel • But God never abandon His people • He never took back His promise • He sent prophets to remind His people of the hope promised • Jeremiah comes and tells of the Covenant to come • Jer 31:31, 33-34

46. Prophets Preach • Isaiah prophesied: • “The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel (God is with us).” (Is 7:14) • “Salvation may reach the ends of the earth” (Is 49:6) • “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.” (Is 56:7)

47. The Coming of the Messiah

48. The Mystery of Evil • There is no possible source of evil except good • St. Augustine