Christian Foundations: Consequences of the Fall of Man

Part II – Realizing the Consequences of the Fall

IV. Creation Order Perverted

The wondrous order God designed in creation was corrupted through sin. Scripture describes a world now marked by frustration and deep longing:

Romans 8:19-22 (NIV):

"For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."

What Happened in Man at the Fall? (Three-Part Being)

A. The Spirit of Man

• Created for Communion: The human spirit was meant to govern our being and fellowship intimately with God.

• At the Fall:

  • Divine order was shattered; man’s spirit became dead—not “soul-dead,” but cut off from God’s life.

  • The spirit was corrupted and condemned, powerless over sinful desires, and unable to receive revelation or hope from God.

• Spirit “Breathed” In & Out:

  • Genesis 2:7 (NIV):

    “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

  • Luke 23:46 (NIV):

    “Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.”

  • John 20:22 (NIV):

    “And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

  • “Spirit,” “wind,” and “breath” come from the same root words in Greek and Hebrew, showing the deep link between breath and spiritual reality.

  • Receiving or expelling breath can symbolize receiving the Holy Spirit or casting out evil spirits (Mark 1:39: “So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.” )

B. The Soul of Man

• Soul = Mind, Emotions, Desires: After the fall, the soul usurped the place of the spirit as man’s leader—becoming the “rebel soul.”

• Consequences:

  • Selfish desires and emotions became dominant.

  • Mind became limited, wounded, and prone to impurity, fears, and demonic influence.

  • The New Testament often calls this sinful nature the “flesh.”

  • This condition is passed down to all humanity:

    • Genesis 5:3 (NIV):

      “When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.”

• Scriptural Descriptions:

  • Isaiah 53:6 (NIV):

    “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

  • John 1:12-13 (NIV):

    “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.”

  • John 6:63 (NIV):

    "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life."

  • Romans 8:8 (NIV):

    "Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."

  • Romans 13:14 (NIV):

    "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh."

  • Galatians 6:8 (NIV):

    "Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

  • Galatians 5:16-21 (selected, NIV):

    "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh...The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity...hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage...I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

  
  

• Here, confession and repentance are encouraged. Naming specific sins brings healing and restoration in Christ.

C. The Body of Man

• Now Subject to:

  • Weakness, aging, sickness, and death.

  • The five senses—once designed to enjoy creation and relationships—can now become driven by lust and addiction.

• Body became the servant of a fallen soul and flesh, sometimes even a dwelling place for demons.

• Out of Order: Instead of spirit-led living, man became enslaved to bodily and soulish desires.

D. The Chain of Authority Broken

• God’s design: Holy Spirit > our spirit > soul > body

• After the fall: God is removed from this chain—the dead spirit cannot lead, and the rebel soul rules both mind and body.

• Result: Humanity is “dead in transgressions and sins,” separated from God and without hope—yet still deeply loved and pursued by Him.

Summary

• Sin shattered God’s created order in every part of humanity: spirit, soul, and body.

• The spirit became dead to God, the soul became the ruling force, and the body became the servant to sinful desires.

• The ramifications are seen not just in individuals, but all of creation, longing for redemption and restoration.

• Confession and spiritual rebirth through Christ begin to restore God’s order within us.