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Living Hope SDA Church

Christian Martin

Crushing the Serpent’s Head: Victory in Christ

Thank you that you've called us to come together.

The reason we're here is because your grace has led us this far.

And Lord, as we open your word, we pray that the message of the cross, the message of the gospel would truly penetrate our deepest heart and mind.

We love you and we thank you in Jesus name, Amen.

You know the word gospel comes from the Old English words meaning good and story or news.

And that's precisely what the word gospel means, good news.

And if I had to select 1 verse in the Bible that would depict this transaction between a merciful God and sinful fallen human beings, it would be the verse found in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21.

So open your Bibles with me, come with me to the Scriptures.

Here we find Paul's letter to the Corinthians.

And in this single verse, he writes the eternal transaction that would take place between a God who would come to earth to redeem mankind and the implications that this would mean for mankind receiving what he had to offer.

Look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21.

It says, For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Now that is some good news, wouldn't you say?

What good news, especially as sinful human beings.

The message today I want to share with you is called, Crushing the Serpent's Head, Victory in Christ.

You know, it's known as the very first gospel promise.

And the gospel promise was not given after God created the form in the first 3 days of creation and then He filled it in the next 3 days as mentioned in Genesis chapter 1.

No, the first gospel message did not come soon after creation.

There was no need for the gospel yet because God calls the creation Good.

So at this point, the earth does not call, does not call cry out for some good news because it is good.

Furthermore, the first gospel promise was not given at the time when Adam and Eve were created.

Because the Bible records that their creation was very good.

So again, there was no need for the gospel yet.

The time would come, sure enough, but not yet.

Instead, the very gospel, the very first gospel promise was given to us, mankind, when we needed it the most.

That thought alone should speak to us, should speak to our hearts, because aren't you glad today as we have breath, aren't you glad that the God of the Bible is a God who gives us good news when we need it the most.

We need good news when the doctor diagnoses us with the serious illness.

We need Good news when we suffer the loss of a loved 1.

We need good news when our relationships break down.

Who doesn't need good news when the financial hardships come our way?

We need good news when we get into legal trouble.

We need good news when there's family conflicts.

We need good news in the midst of political unrest.

We need good news When we are betrayed by someone close to our hearts, we need good news.

We all need good news, if only Because we are all guilty sinners.

You know, as I discover more and more about God, from the very beginning we're introduced to a character, a character unlike any other.

God is so good that he gives the very first gospel promise to Adam and Eve when they were feeling shame and hurt, fear and loneliness for the very first time in their emotional history.

He came in response to their greatest need.

Precisely when they needed him the most in their life, God shows up with the promise.

This promise is found in Genesis chapter 3.

We're about to reflect, to ponder on, to meditate on The very first gospel promise, which millenniums later brings us together to remember why it was given to us in the first place.

Genesis chapter 3, the book of beginnings, verse 15.

The gospel promise is declared and stated this way.

And I will, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed, he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.

Now what's the immediate context to this gospel promise?

Both Adam and Eve, God's creation, have made a choice.

They gave ground to the enemy for the first time in their existence.

Adam and Eve, creatures created in the image of God who were given a mind To think for themselves, to choose, to serve God for themselves.

And because they gave ground, the enemy stole their power.

See, that's the only time, that's the only time the enemy has any power in our lives.

It's when we give ground to the enemy by believing his lies.

And now the enemy claims them as his very own.

They have chosen to forfeit their standing before God as His children, His creation, and now they rightfully belong to me.

And furthermore, there's absolutely nothing, nothing that Adam and Eve can do on their own apart from Christ, the Creator, to break free from this dreadful condition.

They are in a condition in which they themselves cannot change apart from the Creator.

And so as you can only imagine, they find themselves in a state of hopelessness, in a dreadful condition.

And so the Creator, The Creator has to do something Himself.

Otherwise, there is no change, no hope, no difference that can be done for them.

So the Creator had to miraculously intervene, for he alone could recreate a relationship.

See, the creator who created life into existence with just a word and just with the touch, the creator alone could do anything to recreate that relationship, to make something new again.

And he declares to Satan, I will put enmity between you, Satan, and the woman whom you claim as your own.

Now I want us to think about that word enmity.

The New King James it says, I will put enmity between you and the woman.

In fact, I will make you complete opposites.

That's the meaning behind that word enmity.

I will make you complete opposites because The opposite of enmity is unity.

And the devil, in claiming Eve as his own, was taking her as it were and making her his own.

But Jesus, or the Creator, steps in and he makes them completely opposite.

You see, you have claimed ownership of a rebellious heart, for heart is now like yours.

But, God says, I will intervene and make you and her complete opposites.

I don't know where you are today in your life right now, But I know that there's stories today, right here, painful stories.

Stories in which the enemy has come and he has brought into our life.

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Crushing the Serpent’s Head: Victory in Christ

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