# Fallen Condition Focus in Gen 15: 4-6 ....



## sitdownicantsee (Oct 2, 2012)

Hi all, I was hoping my reformed friends could help me with this as but I am a babe in Christ. In Genesis 15:4-6 I was trying to determine the fallen condition focus; I couldn't determine one based on those three, so I had to back up to verse 1, and read from 1-6. The only FCF I could come up with was that Abram was wanting treasures (descendants) here on earth, in this fleshly life, instead of wanting to store up treasures in Heaven. Short-term gratification vs. divine reward? Any help is greatly appreciated -- 
Always, In Christ


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## chuckd (Oct 2, 2012)

what is fallen condition focus?


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## KMK (Oct 2, 2012)

I think he is referring to this Bryan Chapel book: Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon: Bryan Chapell: 9780801027987: Amazon.com: Books


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## Jack K (Oct 2, 2012)

It'll help to consider the context of 15:4-6, which by itself is a fairly small bit of Scripture. The immediate context has it as the start of a larger passage that runs through chapter 17, at least, and includes the big themes of covenant-making and the promise of Isaac. Keeping that in mind, we can see several "fallen conditions" that God is targeting for redemption.

1. Fallen man is out of covenant with God. We are adrift, struggling to know him, serve him or receive blessings from him. But God comes to Abraham, beginning in chapter 15, and sets up a covenant relationship with him. By the time those chapters are done, Abraham will have all the blessings of a covenant relationship (kind of like a marriage) bound to him by God's oath.

2. Fallen man needs a worthwhile future. At the start of chapter 15, Abraham sees no point in the blessings he's amassed because they disappear once he dies. He's looking for a son who'll bear his name to provide some sort of future for him—some way he will live on and matter after he dies. God does him one better. He not only promises him a son, but as we consider the number of stars in the sky we cannot help but think of the great number of spiritual descendants of Abraham, the multitude from every nation, who will gather around the throne of God. Do you want to matter after you die? Do you want a real future that makes a difference in the cosmic scheme of things? God provides this for us when we are in Christ.

3. Fallen man needs a way to be righteous. Abraham has shown a mix of godly and ungodly behaviors in the preceding chapters. That's hardly satisfying. His works will never be good enough for God. But here, remarkably, Abraham believes God's promise and God counts it to him as righteousness. Faith in God is a path out of the condemnation of sin. It accomplishes what we, by our works, cannot do. Romans 4 and Galatians 3, which quote this passage, explain in more detail our fallen condition of condemnation and the faith that triumphs over it. And chapter 15 of Genesis goes on to describe a covenant that, in it's opening installment, includes nothing for Abraham to do or to promise except for the faith he's already shown. What a glorious escape from the condemnation of sin!

There are more, but those are a few that occur to me right away. Hope it helps.


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