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Dispensation of Innocence

  • The Antediluvian Age (the first of the three Ages) extends from the Creation of the earth, Gen. 1:3, to the flood.
  • In this Age are 2 of the Seven Dispensations - The Dispensation of Innocence and The Dispensation of Conscience.

The Dispensation of Innocence or Edenic Dispensation extends from the creation of Man to the expulsion from the Garden. Its duration is unknown.

  1. Man was created by God. Gen. 2:7; Isa. 42:5; Isa. 45:12
  2. Man was created in Innocence. Gen. 1:27; Gen. 2:25
  3. Man was blessed and commanded by God to do something. 1:28
  4. Man was placed in a perfect environment. Eden in the Hebrew means “a delight” Gen. 2:8-15
  5. God planted the Garden. Gen. 2:8 God commanded man to “dress it and keep it.” Gen. 2:15
  6. Man was given one test of obedience. Gen. 2:16-17

The meaning of the term “free moral agent”: the right to choose. Created in the image of God, Adam had gone against his own nature when he sinned and lost his liberty in choosing sin. Choosing righteousness brings liberty, but choosing sin brings bondage. Under sin, even the free moral agency of man is taken hostage for in sin man is a slave to sin. (Romans 7:14-17; 2 Timothy 2:26) Man’s free moral agency is only completely intact when he chooses to serve Christ. 8. The Temptation, Test Gen. 3:1-5 (1) Satan was the source of the temptation. Gen. 3:1 James 1:12-15 God allowed the temptation but did not bring it. (2) Satan has the power to tempt, but he cannot force to fail. Gen. 3:6 (3) Satan who is the father of lies uses lies to deceive. Gen. 3:4

(4) There were three areas of temptation. a. “The lust of the flesh;” “The tree was good for food.” Gen. 3:6 b. “The lust of the eye;” “It was pleasant to the eyes.” “Delight” c. “The pride of life;” “Desired to make one wise.” Jesus was tempted in all points without sin. Matt. 4:1-11 How did Jesus overcome the temptation? -By the written Word - vs. 4,7,10 How does the believer overcome? –

Rev. 12:11—And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 2Cor. 6:7—By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

(5) Satan’s purpose in the temptation was to spoil God’s purpose in the creation of man to repopulate the earth with a holy race. (6) In yielding to the temptation and to disobedience it destroyed their innocence and put fear in their heart and broke fellowship with God. This took them from the state of innocence to self-consciousness. Now man knows what sin is and he hides from the presence of the Lord 9. Innocence is one step from righteousness but it cannot become righteousness until tested. Adam and Eve failed the test and the one step from innocence became the one step to sin, and self-consciousness. 10. There was no opportunity for justification for the serpent. vs. 14

  1. The First Dispensation (Innocence) ended in judgment and expulsion. The Edenic Dispensation was unique. Characterized by the absence of sin - the presence of God.

Men claim that innocence and a perfect environment are enough of a safe-guard to prevent sin but Eden proves this is not true. Man sinned while enjoying a state of utter innocence and a perfect environment. Man can only overcome sin through the grace of God.

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