Four Degrees of Separation

Story by Randy Grathen.

I was reading about Cain and Able when I received what I think was an amazing revelation.

“First Separation.“

The bible talks about the first ever “Original Sin” being committed by Adam and Eve. But there was an even earlier transgression committed against God. It was not the sin of Disobedience, but the sin of Pride.

“The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16-5.

The “First Separation” happened between God and the angel Lucifer. Because of Lucifer’s pride, thinking he could become a God himself, he was banished from heaven along with his followers. Imagine, the ‘created being’ thinking he could become greater than the Creator who made him?!?

The Fall of Lucifer. Isaiah, chapter 14, verses 12 thru 14.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O’ Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground. You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation. On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

The angel Lucifer now becomes Satan. https://davidjeremiah.blog/who-is-lucifer/

Satan “HATES” us. He “HATES” us to death! He does not what us to enjoy the rewards of heaven that we are graciously and undeservingly entitled to through Jesus Christ.

The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; but I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full. John, chapter 10, verse 10.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1st Peter chapter 5, verse 8.

“Looking or Seeking someone to devour” means he won’t indiscriminately attack. Like any predator he will attack the lone or weakest prey, not the strong.

“Second Separation.”

In the Garden of Eden, God provided Adam and Eve with EVERYTHING they could ever possibly need or want, including immortality.

Genesis chapter 1, verse 28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

God gave them just two commandments. DO NOT eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and, to be fruitful, and multiply. It didn’t take long before they broke the first commandment. Now that Lucifer had been evicted from heaven, he did not want any of us to enjoy what was rightly taken away from him. So, he goes after Adam and Eve. If he can take them down, he can prevent all humanity from ever seeing heaven. It didn’t take long to implement his plan.

Genesis chapter 3, verses 1 thru 3. Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat.” And they did.

In Genesis chapter 2, verse 7, God creates Adam. In chapter 2, verses 21 & 22 God creates Eve. In Genesis chapter 3, verses 1 thru 3, they disobey God, ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and by the end of Genesis chapter 3 verse 24, they have already been kicked out of Paradise!

Genesis chapter 3, verses 23 & 24. So the LORD God banished him (Adam) from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man (and Eve) out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Because Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and sinned against God, he banished them from the Garden and into the world. Their physical condition changed as a result of their eating the forbidden fruit. As God had promised, they became mortal, and they would surely die as God warned. But before God evicted Adam and Eve from the garden, God killed animals to clothe them. God shed the blood of animals to cover Adam and Eve’s sin. This was the first blood sacrifice for sin.

“Third Separation.”

Adam and Eve had two sons. Cain, the firstborn, became a farmer, and his brother Abel, a shepherd. At the appointed time Abel brought offerings to the Lord – “the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock.” Abel’s offering was an animal, blood sacrifice. A symbol of Christ’s death on the Cross to be fulfilled centuries later. Able understood he had done nothing to produce the lambs. All he could do was to watch over them and care for & protect them. He knew God was responsible for all that he had, so with humility and gratitude he offered back to God a portion of what was rightfully God’s to begin with. Abel’s offering was acceptable to the lord.

Cain’s offering was “some of his crops.” It was a bloodless sacrifice. Cain could have traded some of his harvest for a lamb, but did not.

He toiled in the field to produce his crops, although without the rain God provided, he would have had nothing. In his pride and by the “sweat of his brow,” Cain brought some of his crops as an offering to the Lord, which the Lord said his offering was unacceptable. This angered Cain.

1st Samuel, chapter 16, verse 7.“… For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, the Lord looks on the heart.”

Genesis chapter 4, verses 6 & 7. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” The sin, crouching at Cain’s door, was Satan. Cain went from Pride, to Rejection, to Jealousy of his brother, and angry enough to murder him.

“Fourth Separation.”

And that is where we find ourselves today. Satan has provoked men against each other since the days of Cain and Able. From kings conquering their neighbors in bloody battles, men dueling in the streets at high noon, and World Wars, men have been killing each other without end ever since.

When conquering other nations, and dueling in the streets became unacceptable behavior, men switched to “One Upmanship.” The bigger house, bigger office, bigger boat, most expensive car, bigger paycheck, trophy wife, (sorry ladies), anything to put themselves above or ahead of their peers. It’s all about Pride. The oldest sin in the books. Satan has never changed tactics.

He has provoked us and turned us against each other on every level. Satan loves a good fight. If we are fighting each other, our attention is diverted from the real enemy, the one who goes after our wives and children. And he has plenty of help in today’s world.

Satan succeeded in driving a wedge between man and God, then between man, and man. But God repaired the rift with the perfect blood sacrifice through Jesus’ birth, death on the cross, and resurrection. Satan’s goal of separation and alienation from God has been defeated. The separation has been repaired if we choose to swallow our pride and accept God’s peace offering.

Until we understand who the real enemy is, Satan will have his way with humanity. However, if we stop fighting each other, turn our hearts and families over to God’s care, and mount a counterattack against Satan, we can once again make our families and our country One Nation Under God.

“First Separation” Lucifer is separated from God because of his sin of pride.

“Second Separation” Lucifer gets mankind separated from God because of Adam & Eve’s sin. They are evicted from the garden.

“Third Separation” Lucifer turns brother against brother. Cain went from Pride, to Rejection, to Jealousy then Anger and finally Hatred. Hating enough to murder his own brother.

“Fourth Separation” Lucifer drives a wedge between men throughout the ages pitting them against each other while he picks off our families.

Ponder that.