Central Truth: Human sinfulness defiles God's creation, but He will make it new again.

Focus: Assess and acknowledge the far-reaching consequences of our sin on Creation and live wholly for God.

Evangelism Emphasis: Jesus came to reconcile sinful people to God.

Key Scripture (Colossians 1:20): Having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

• Adam and Eve didn't know the far-reaching effect of their action.
• The fall affected men and women as well as marred creation.

Key Scripture (Genesis 3:17-19): To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

• God turned His attention to Adam's punishment
• God made no allowances for the thought that the woman was responsible for their sin
• Their punishment extended to the entire human race
• Because of Adam, even the ground came under God's judgment

Key Scripture (Isaiah 24:5-6; Hosea 4:1-3): The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.

Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. 2 There is only cursing,[a] lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away.

• The entire Earth will face the consequences of their sin
• "The everlasting covenant" is likely a reference to the Noachian covenant
• Three charges are handed down; unfaithfulness, lack of love, and a failure to acknowledge God
• There can be no true fellowship between people and God as long as such lack of faithfulness exists
• They showed no love for man or God
• They failed to acknowledge God

Q: How is creation currently being impacted by the sins of people? 

Key Scripture (Romans 8:18-22): I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

• Paul calls us to think about and contrast the suffering we face in this life with the glory that will be revealed to us in the world to come
• Paul was caught up into paradise and given a glimpse of the eternal glory Heaven offers
• A better, brighter day is coming for the whole creation

Q: What is different between the suffering of believers and the suffering of unbelievers?

Key Scripture (Romans 8:23-25): Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

• The Holy Spirit is within us
• His presence within is a foretaste of the future glory we will enjoy
• We see something better than anything we have now by the grace of God

Key Scripture (Colossians 1:15-20): The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

• Jesus came into the world to make known to us what the Father is like
• All the character traits of God are seen in Christ
• The hierarch of heavenly beings were created by Christ
• Jesus is the head of the body, the church
• Christ is the source of reconciliation between God and man

Key Scripture (2 Peter 3:10-13): But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

• The "last days" began with the birth of the Messiah
• The "day of the Lord" references end-time events that will transpire after the rapture of the Church
• Christ will come as a "thief in the night"
• His return will be unexpected
• The last days will end with the dawning of the Day of God

• All of creation suffered because of sin
• God provided a remedy through the shed blood of Jesus Christ
• Through Jesus, we're reconciled
• The whole creation will be restored to its rightful place

M - Warning of Sin's Consequence (Genesis 2:15-17) 

T - God's Judgment on Wickedness (Genesis 6:5-13)

W - Sinful Actions Confessed (Psalm 51:1-10)

T - The Plan to Redeem (John 1:1-12)

F - All People Sin (Romans 3:10-18)

S - Examples of Sin's Consequences (Hebrews 6:4-9)