In the last blog, we left man at his most desperate state- fallen, apart from God, and trying to cover his own sin by his own effort. In this blog, I want to take us from this low point through to the breaking forth of new light. But to do that, it will be necessary to tease out the precious gems that are in the passages that we are considering together. This practice can sometimes be difficult, but the rewards for it are definitely worth the effort.
Genesis 3:7-8 states:
"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden."
What is so precious about this passage, and where the light starts to shine forth, lies in the fact that God seeks out His fallen creation. The pattern that was established with the ruined earth is now confirmed again with the ruined man. We see in this passage the pattern that always exists... sinful, dead, and fallen man never seeks after the true God that demands obedience and offers unconditional love at the same time. We run. We hide. We try to cover our own sins. Other deities offer only a self-help form of salvation, which is no salvation at all. It matters little which religion you look at. Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, and even modern day Judaism only offer a "good works" based salvation. It is my fear that Christianity has fallen into some of the same patterns as these religions when we require people to "act like they are saved" after simple faith in Christ in order to "stay saved" or prove to others that they are saved. It is my firm belief that God does want and expect us to do good works, but I am of the equal conviction that salvation is only based upon grace through faith in the "good work" of another, namely Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-10 states:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Notice that this passage in no way says that you have to do good works to prove that you are saved or to remain saved. The Lord is very clear that our salvation is based in the work of Jesus, that this salvation is a gift to us, and that it is apart from any work that we have performed, are performing, or will perform. Grace is God's unmerited favour. Faith is trusting what God has said. When we trust in what God has done in the person of His Son Jesus Christ, He shows us unmerited favour, and we are born spiritually. We are saved. This is a once only transaction. It can't be repeated any more than our first birth from our mother's womb. It can no more be undone than that birth either. We are born again to do good works, but we still have the free-will to choose not to.
What has brought about the confusion of good works and salvation is that we really don't understand what the Bible teaches. We confuse passages that speak to our rewarding in heaven, or the offer of rulership with Christ, with being saved eternally. This happens because we don't distinguish between the spirit and the soul. Now, hopefully, we can get into this topic more in another study. For right now, let's get back to Adam, Eve, and the God Who sought them.
Notice in the passage; "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." Funny. I've never heard a voice walk. This little phrase gives us a clue to which of the members of the Godhead sought after Adam and Eve. A voice implies that there are words being spoken. So, they heard the Word of the Lord God walking. Who is the Word of God? It is none other than the Lord Jesus. In John 1:1-2 and 14 we read:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
What was this voice of the Lord God saying to Adam and Eve? What was Jesus saying to them?
"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" Genesis 3:9.
Why would God ever have to ask a question? Doesn't He know the answer? He is God, after all. God asks questions in order to get us thinking. He isn't seeking after information that He doesn't possess, because God knows everything. What is the significance of the question "Where art thou?" God wants Adam to do some self-evaluation. He wants Adam to realize his deep need for Him. He wants Adam to realize that he and God are now separated from one another because of Adam's sin. Adam had died spiritually.
"And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And He said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Has thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Genesis 3:10-12
It seems to me that God gives Adam a golden opportunity here. He could have judged his own disobedience. He could have ran to God, like a little child, and admitted his fault. What parent would reject their child, who has done wrong, when they come in honest, heartfelt repentance? Adam loses the opportunity though. He starts passing the blame. Even though the things he says are true, he doesn't own up to his part. He first lays some blame on God for giving the woman to him in the first place, and then he lays blame on the woman for him eating of the tree. It is almost as if Adam is saying that he had no fault or responsibility in the matter. Don't we do the same? We think that we can conceal from God our part in matters, but this is never the case. It is always better to come clean with God.
"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." 1 John 1:5-10
Eve was given the same opportunity that Adam was given. God gives her a chance to come clean to Him.
"And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou has done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat" Genesis 3:13
Eve had a choice to make. She chose to follow her husband's example and pass the blame, instead of coming clean with God. Men, for better or for worse, we are the leaders of our homes. We should set the example of how to respond to God. This doesn't absolve our wives of their own responsibilities. It only adds more responsibility onto us. Leaders are responsible for their own actions, and for the leadership they give to others through their actions. Women, you really don't want to have the leadership position in your home.
Because they both failed to come clean to God, their judgment becomes more harsh. But even in God's judgment, there is the promise of redemption.
"And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou has done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field: upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis 3:14
Isn't if funny how God doesn't even give Satan a chance to speak for himself? Satan's ultimate destiny had already been determined. There is to be no redemption for Satan and his demons. But in this proclamation, God foretells of the Redeemer Who is to come. This Redeemer is to be at war with Satan's seed, the Antichrist. This Redeemer will wound Satan's head, and will also be wounded by Satan. Jesus is the Seed of the woman. He was crucified (wounded) on the cross (Isaiah 53). Satan's head will be wounded and there will be war between Christ and Antichrist.
The warning about partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was that they would die in the day they ate of it. Did they? It appears from the text that they are still walking around and talking to God. Death, fundamentally, is separation. When we die physically, we are separated from this world, our friends and family, and our body. Spiritually speaking, man was separated from God the instant he partook of the fruit, thus the need for God to seek him out. What about physically? Did man die in the day that he ate of the fruit? Yes, he did. Adam and Eve could have lived forever in the original bodies that God fashioned for them. They could have done this because those bodies were sinless, up until the fall. When sin entered, death entered. At what age did Adam actually die? He was 930 years old (Genesis 5:5). Take into account the following when you think about Adam's age at death:
"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:8-9
God doesn't lie. What he told Adam would happen happened. Adam died spiritually, soulically, and bodily in the day that he partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The instant they ate of the tree, they were separated from God (death), and within 1000 years (1 day according to scripture) they had died. Incidentally, not one man has lived to 1000 years old. All men die within 1 day of their birth. Methuselah, the longest living man, died at 969 years old.
"Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception (thy sorrow with thy conception); in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam He said, Because thou has hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Genesis 3:16-19
Another consequence of the fall was that woman would have sorrow with conception. I'm convinced that this isn't just the physical act of birth. If you think about your parents, or any parents for that matter, which of the two feels the heartbreak of their children more? Which one is usually the "worry wart," so-to-speak? Honestly, it's often the mom. In fact, if you accidentally injured a child, which parent would you rather face - the mom or the dad? Most mothers are fiercely territorial of their families. That is a good thing, but it is also a curse, because they are often tormented by it.
Because Adam listened to his wife, and not to God, he would now have to work hard for his food, rather than having it within arm's reach. Traditionally, it has been the man's job to go into the world and bring back food for the family.
"And Adam called his wife's name Eve (life-giver); because she was the mother of all living. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them." Genesis 3:20-21
In these simple verses, we have the picture of salvation of the spirit. God had proclaimed that the seed of the woman would bruise Satan's head. In other words, there was to be a Redeemer Who was to come through the woman. Adam, in faith, names his wife Eve, or life-giver. It was a demonstration of his faith in what God had said. He believed that through Eve's seed there would be life again. In response, God gives another object lesson to Adam and Eve. He covers their nakedness with the skin of an animal. What had to happen to the animal for that to occur? It had to die. It's blood had to be shed. Had the animal done anything wrong? No. It was innocent. In this little illustration, God was showing Adam and Eve that the Redeemer would not only be bruised, but slain. His blood would be shed. He would be innocent of all sin, yet He would die in our place. Through His death our sin would be dealt with. Adam and Eve received the salvation of their spirits by grace through faith. Isn't it amazing? When we respond positively to God, He is quick to show us mercy. Adam and Eve were saved, even though they deserved to die and be eternally separated from God. Instead of remaining separated from God, God made them joined to Him spiritually again through grace by faith in the shedding of blood.
Now that they were saved, did they automatically regain their status in the garden? No. There were consequences to their disobedience. Now they would have to earn access to the tree of life through a lifetime of service to God.
"And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as One of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Genesis 3:22-24
Access to the tree of life is a promise only to those who are saved and overcome, not to those who are just saved. Revelations gives proof of this. Keep in mind that biblically speaking, you are not a part of a church unless you are saved. Consider what is said to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7:
"Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy WORKS (not faith), and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou has tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and has found them liars: And hast borne, and has patience, and for My name's sake has laboured, and has not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou are fallen, and repent, and do the first Works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Christians, Believers, Saved Ones); To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
Adam and Eve, like all of us, had to be first birthed spiritually (spirit salvation), then they were placed back in a position to qualify for rulership (access to the tree of life). But this qualification has now become much more difficult. Adam and Eve had to only reach out and eat of the tree of life for them to seal the deal for rulership. As a result of their disobedience, the way to the tree of life was barred. Access can only be given now after spirit salvation, and a life lived in obedience. Sin always has consequences. Obedience has consequences, too.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
What happened at the Fall? (Part 1)
The biblical account of the fall of mankind is rich in truth that spans the entire Bible. In the account, we are introduced to several important themes such as: the tactics of Satan, the importance of knowing the word of God, God's prescribed method of redemption, the core belief of all religions of the world (besides Christianity), and accountability to God. Before these themes can be explored, it is good to remember a couple of established truths from previous scriptures:
1.) God is the One who seeks to restore a fallen creation. The creation doesn't redeem itself.
2.) God judges sin. Sin brings about death and destruction.
3.) Satan is the ruler of this world under God's authority.
4.) Man was created by God to replace Satan as ruler of this world.
5.) An incumbent ruler can't be replaced until the new ruler is on the scene and ready to take control.
6.) Man was created as a trinity: spirit, soul, and body.
7.) When God speaks, His words are powerful and truthful, and they should be heeded.
Genesis 2 and 3 give the account of man's fall. In Genesis 2, we are told that God made man (Adam) and placed him in the Garden of Eden. He was given the responsibility of taking care of the garden. In this garden were all manner of trees, which included both the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gave to man one prohibition:
Genesis 2:15-17:
"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
A couple of questions come to mind when I read this. Why was man placed in the garden in the first place? Why put man in a place where he could fall by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? The answer to those questions are in the concept of being ready to rule and reign. God could have very easily made man some kind of robot, whereby every command would be followed without fail, and without hesitation. God didn't desire that type of servant. God desired a servant who would, of their own free will, choose to serve and love Him. The Garden of Eden was meant to be our testing ground, and we failed the test miserably. The Garden of Eden was our stepping stone to ruling the earth, and in my opinion, the earth was then to be our stepping stone to the universe. Instead, we messed it up right off the bat.
How long it took before Satan pounced on our first parents is unknown, but it must not have been too long of a time. Because there was another tree in the garden of vital importance to man, Satan would have to move quickly. The tree of life is the only other tree mentioned by name. This certainly brings to light its importance. Besides being mention in Genesis 2 and 3, the tree of life is mentioned seven other times in scripture (Proverbs 3:18, 11:30, 13:12, 15:4, Revelations 2:7, and 22:2, 7). From these scriptures, we can glean the truth about the nature of this tree. The tree of life is associated with wisdom and with rulership. Wisdom is different than knowledge. Wisdom is the correct application of knowledge. All that the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil could do was give knowledge. It couldn't provide a person with the ability to properly apply that knowledge. Besides that, the tree had been prohibited by God. In regards to the tree of Life, God had encouraged mankind to partake of this tree.
Proverbs 3:13-18, and 35 states:
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise (what you gain from) of it is better than the merchandise (what you gain from) of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools."
What is glory? Let's let the Bible define the term. In Genesis 45:13, Joseph is speaking to his brothers about the glory he had in Egypt. His glory had to do with his position of rulership as second in command in the country.
"And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither."
If you remember the story, Joseph gained all his glory by wisdom. In the New Testament this theme is continued. In Matthew 19:27-30 we read:
"Then answered Peter and said unto Him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed (not just believed, but followed) Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first."
In short, the tree of life would give to man true, godly wisdom. This type of wisdom enables a person to inherit glory. Glory is an aspect of ruling and reigning. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil promised knowledge. When it was partook from without the permission of God it gave "wisdom not of God." The knowledge it gave them couldn't be properly applied, because that knowledge was gained through their own power and self will.
The tactics that Satan used to bring about the fall of Adam and Eve are a recurrent theme. In Genesis 3:1 we see the Devil's first tactic: Bring the word of God into question.
"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"
In this simple statement, Satan does two things: 1.) he questions the word of God's validity and 2.) more subtlety, he implies that God is denying to man something he should enjoy. Satan is very good at his job. He knows just how to get to us. How many times has that same tactic been used on every one of us? Countless times I am sure.
Even in this, Eve has a chance to resist Satan's innuendo, but she fails. She correctly tries to use the word of God to combat Satan, but she misquotes the word, adds to it, makes it too strict, and makes God's judgment seem uncertain. Genesis 3:2-3 states:
"And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."
God had said in Genesis 1:16-17:
"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Eve messed up by not knowing which of the two trees in the midst of the garden was prohibited. This is important because not knowing what God had actually prohibited robbed her of the blessing afforded by the tree of life. Eve then adds to the word of God by saying that they couldn't even touch the tree that was prohibited. God had never said this. Eve had started to follow Satan's thought that God was being too restrictive. Finally, Eve says that disobedience might bring about death. Again, God had not said this either. God said that they would surely die, without a doubt, and in the day they partook. Because Eve didn't know the word of God for herself, she fell into Satan's trap. That is the same with all of us. When we don't study the word of God, understand the word of God, and apply the word of God, we fall into Satan's trap as well.
Satan then pounces on Eve. He openly calls God a liar and plays upon his suggestion that God was denying man something that was his for the taking. He says in Genesis 3:4-5:
"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
He left out the bad part. He left out the part that they would die because of their disobedience. He left out the part that they would immediately be disqualified for rulership. It is also interesting to note that the temptation that caused man to fall was the same that caused Satan to fall. Recall Isaiah 14:14:
"I (Satan) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
Satan's temptation of Eve was that she could be more than what she was, and that she could only attain it through her self will and her efforts apart from God. Satan had bought into the same lie before his own downfall. All sin is of that nature.
Genesis 3:6-7 states:
"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons"
Upon partaking of the fruit, what happened? Their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked. They had gained knowledge, but not wisdom. All men know in the core of their beings that they are naked. They know that there is something that is lacking. They are uncovered, so they go about trying to cover their nakedness. Some do it by dulling their senses to their own sin. Others do it by religious activity. In the end, it is the same thing - men sewing together "fig leaves" to cover themselves. Their own efforts to cover themselves will never be enough. It is unacceptable to God. All false religions (all religions except Christianity) are works based. They are an attempt to work for salvation. Good works are important, but they are no substitute for the shed blood of Jesus that doesn't just cover sin, it takes it completely away as if it never existed (1 John 3:5). Our good works (or the lack of them) don't save us and they don't prove that we are saved.
1.) God is the One who seeks to restore a fallen creation. The creation doesn't redeem itself.
2.) God judges sin. Sin brings about death and destruction.
3.) Satan is the ruler of this world under God's authority.
4.) Man was created by God to replace Satan as ruler of this world.
5.) An incumbent ruler can't be replaced until the new ruler is on the scene and ready to take control.
6.) Man was created as a trinity: spirit, soul, and body.
7.) When God speaks, His words are powerful and truthful, and they should be heeded.
Genesis 2 and 3 give the account of man's fall. In Genesis 2, we are told that God made man (Adam) and placed him in the Garden of Eden. He was given the responsibility of taking care of the garden. In this garden were all manner of trees, which included both the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gave to man one prohibition:
Genesis 2:15-17:
"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
A couple of questions come to mind when I read this. Why was man placed in the garden in the first place? Why put man in a place where he could fall by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? The answer to those questions are in the concept of being ready to rule and reign. God could have very easily made man some kind of robot, whereby every command would be followed without fail, and without hesitation. God didn't desire that type of servant. God desired a servant who would, of their own free will, choose to serve and love Him. The Garden of Eden was meant to be our testing ground, and we failed the test miserably. The Garden of Eden was our stepping stone to ruling the earth, and in my opinion, the earth was then to be our stepping stone to the universe. Instead, we messed it up right off the bat.
How long it took before Satan pounced on our first parents is unknown, but it must not have been too long of a time. Because there was another tree in the garden of vital importance to man, Satan would have to move quickly. The tree of life is the only other tree mentioned by name. This certainly brings to light its importance. Besides being mention in Genesis 2 and 3, the tree of life is mentioned seven other times in scripture (Proverbs 3:18, 11:30, 13:12, 15:4, Revelations 2:7, and 22:2, 7). From these scriptures, we can glean the truth about the nature of this tree. The tree of life is associated with wisdom and with rulership. Wisdom is different than knowledge. Wisdom is the correct application of knowledge. All that the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil could do was give knowledge. It couldn't provide a person with the ability to properly apply that knowledge. Besides that, the tree had been prohibited by God. In regards to the tree of Life, God had encouraged mankind to partake of this tree.
Proverbs 3:13-18, and 35 states:
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise (what you gain from) of it is better than the merchandise (what you gain from) of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools."
What is glory? Let's let the Bible define the term. In Genesis 45:13, Joseph is speaking to his brothers about the glory he had in Egypt. His glory had to do with his position of rulership as second in command in the country.
"And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither."
If you remember the story, Joseph gained all his glory by wisdom. In the New Testament this theme is continued. In Matthew 19:27-30 we read:
"Then answered Peter and said unto Him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed (not just believed, but followed) Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first."
In short, the tree of life would give to man true, godly wisdom. This type of wisdom enables a person to inherit glory. Glory is an aspect of ruling and reigning. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil promised knowledge. When it was partook from without the permission of God it gave "wisdom not of God." The knowledge it gave them couldn't be properly applied, because that knowledge was gained through their own power and self will.
The tactics that Satan used to bring about the fall of Adam and Eve are a recurrent theme. In Genesis 3:1 we see the Devil's first tactic: Bring the word of God into question.
"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"
In this simple statement, Satan does two things: 1.) he questions the word of God's validity and 2.) more subtlety, he implies that God is denying to man something he should enjoy. Satan is very good at his job. He knows just how to get to us. How many times has that same tactic been used on every one of us? Countless times I am sure.
Even in this, Eve has a chance to resist Satan's innuendo, but she fails. She correctly tries to use the word of God to combat Satan, but she misquotes the word, adds to it, makes it too strict, and makes God's judgment seem uncertain. Genesis 3:2-3 states:
"And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."
God had said in Genesis 1:16-17:
"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Eve messed up by not knowing which of the two trees in the midst of the garden was prohibited. This is important because not knowing what God had actually prohibited robbed her of the blessing afforded by the tree of life. Eve then adds to the word of God by saying that they couldn't even touch the tree that was prohibited. God had never said this. Eve had started to follow Satan's thought that God was being too restrictive. Finally, Eve says that disobedience might bring about death. Again, God had not said this either. God said that they would surely die, without a doubt, and in the day they partook. Because Eve didn't know the word of God for herself, she fell into Satan's trap. That is the same with all of us. When we don't study the word of God, understand the word of God, and apply the word of God, we fall into Satan's trap as well.
Satan then pounces on Eve. He openly calls God a liar and plays upon his suggestion that God was denying man something that was his for the taking. He says in Genesis 3:4-5:
"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
He left out the bad part. He left out the part that they would die because of their disobedience. He left out the part that they would immediately be disqualified for rulership. It is also interesting to note that the temptation that caused man to fall was the same that caused Satan to fall. Recall Isaiah 14:14:
"I (Satan) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
Satan's temptation of Eve was that she could be more than what she was, and that she could only attain it through her self will and her efforts apart from God. Satan had bought into the same lie before his own downfall. All sin is of that nature.
Genesis 3:6-7 states:
"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons"
Upon partaking of the fruit, what happened? Their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked. They had gained knowledge, but not wisdom. All men know in the core of their beings that they are naked. They know that there is something that is lacking. They are uncovered, so they go about trying to cover their nakedness. Some do it by dulling their senses to their own sin. Others do it by religious activity. In the end, it is the same thing - men sewing together "fig leaves" to cover themselves. Their own efforts to cover themselves will never be enough. It is unacceptable to God. All false religions (all religions except Christianity) are works based. They are an attempt to work for salvation. Good works are important, but they are no substitute for the shed blood of Jesus that doesn't just cover sin, it takes it completely away as if it never existed (1 John 3:5). Our good works (or the lack of them) don't save us and they don't prove that we are saved.
TO BE CONTINUED
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Why was man created?
Genesis 1:26 - 28 states:
"And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His Own image; male and female created He them. 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."
Mankind was created by God with the expressed purpose of having dominion over the earth and over every living creature upon it. We were supposed to rule over the entire planet and over all the creatures in the sea, in the air, and on the land. I know that often we are taught that the purpose of our creation is to glorify God and to love Him and serve Him. These thoughts aren't necessarily in conflict with having dominion. The problems I see so often in Christian circles is that the dominion part is left out, or misapplied, or even misunderstood completely.
The primary reason for these problems is our enemy - the one we were created to replace. In his point of view, denying us the true attainment of what we have been created for suits his own ambitions. To understand his motivation, it is important for us to know what Satan was and currently is.
In the past, before the restoration of the earth and Satan's fall, Satan was the angel of God who ruled over this earth. He was beautiful, powerful, and wise. But Satan allowed himself to be caught up in his pride, and he sought to be independent from God. He rebelled against God's authority, and not only that, he sought to overthrow God as the ultimate power in the Universe. This ambition lead to his fall. The good angel Lucifer became the bad demon Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-15 states:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars 0f God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."
Ezekiel 28:12-17 states:
"Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou has been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day thou was created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou has walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee."
A principle of biblical authority that is seen over and again is that an incumbent ruler stays in power until their replacement is on the scene and ready to take possession of the reigns of power (think of King Saul and King David). We are familiar with this concept in America because we follow the same principle. We elect a President in November of one year, but they don't take power until the following January. The incumbent remains in power until his successor is ready to take over.
Now, with this in your mind, what is the next thing that happens in scripture after Satan's fall and the earth becoming desolate? The restoration of the earth and the creation of mankind. What is the expressed command of God to man right after his creation? "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 restored the earth in order to replace the rebellious Satan with a new creation- mankind. Mankind was to take Satan's place as ruler of this world.
The question is: "Did we replace Satan?" Many people point to our absolute numbers and our wholesale plundering of our natural resources as evidence of our dominance over the earth and its inhabitants. If we have dominion over this world, then why are people killed every year by earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, tidal waves, droughts, floods, etc. If we have dominion, then why don't we routinely swim unprotected with Great White Sharks, or go up and pet adult male African lions? The answer is easy. We don't have dominion over these things. Imagine for a moment trying to command a tornado to stop its destruction, or to command a bull to stop charging. It is ridiculous to think that we have taken dominion of this world or its inhabitants.
Why don't we have dominion over these things? Because we were disqualified by the fall. Satan still holds the reigns of power over this earth. We are not ready to take control. Consider two passages that support the idea that he has power of the earth:
Ephesians 2:1-2 states:
"And you (Christians) hath He (God) quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world (world system not the planet earth), according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"
Ephesians 6:10-12 states:
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (magistrates), against powers (the power of rule or government), against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Mankind hasn't taken the place of rulership, because we have yet to qualify for it. So, as a result, Satan retains power over this earth. Mankind will rule this world in the future. It is one of the reasons that Christ had to become a man, live a perfect sinless life on the earth, die in our place, and be raised up the third day. Jesus has qualified to take the reigns of this world away from Satan. Now He is inviting us to join with Him, and through His power, qualify to attain a position as a ruler over this world. It is truly amazing what our Lord has done for us, is doing for us, and will do for us.
"And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His Own image; male and female created He them. 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."
Mankind was created by God with the expressed purpose of having dominion over the earth and over every living creature upon it. We were supposed to rule over the entire planet and over all the creatures in the sea, in the air, and on the land. I know that often we are taught that the purpose of our creation is to glorify God and to love Him and serve Him. These thoughts aren't necessarily in conflict with having dominion. The problems I see so often in Christian circles is that the dominion part is left out, or misapplied, or even misunderstood completely.
The primary reason for these problems is our enemy - the one we were created to replace. In his point of view, denying us the true attainment of what we have been created for suits his own ambitions. To understand his motivation, it is important for us to know what Satan was and currently is.
In the past, before the restoration of the earth and Satan's fall, Satan was the angel of God who ruled over this earth. He was beautiful, powerful, and wise. But Satan allowed himself to be caught up in his pride, and he sought to be independent from God. He rebelled against God's authority, and not only that, he sought to overthrow God as the ultimate power in the Universe. This ambition lead to his fall. The good angel Lucifer became the bad demon Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-15 states:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars 0f God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."
Ezekiel 28:12-17 states:
"Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou has been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day thou was created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou has walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee."
The evidence that Satan ruled this world can be found in the fact that after his fall, the world became chaotic and dead. This world was affected by his rebellion. God judged Satan, and as a result, what Satan had authority over became desolate.
A principle of biblical authority that is seen over and again is that an incumbent ruler stays in power until their replacement is on the scene and ready to take possession of the reigns of power (think of King Saul and King David). We are familiar with this concept in America because we follow the same principle. We elect a President in November of one year, but they don't take power until the following January. The incumbent remains in power until his successor is ready to take over.
Now, with this in your mind, what is the next thing that happens in scripture after Satan's fall and the earth becoming desolate? The restoration of the earth and the creation of mankind. What is the expressed command of God to man right after his creation? "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 restored the earth in order to replace the rebellious Satan with a new creation- mankind. Mankind was to take Satan's place as ruler of this world.
The question is: "Did we replace Satan?" Many people point to our absolute numbers and our wholesale plundering of our natural resources as evidence of our dominance over the earth and its inhabitants. If we have dominion over this world, then why are people killed every year by earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, tidal waves, droughts, floods, etc. If we have dominion, then why don't we routinely swim unprotected with Great White Sharks, or go up and pet adult male African lions? The answer is easy. We don't have dominion over these things. Imagine for a moment trying to command a tornado to stop its destruction, or to command a bull to stop charging. It is ridiculous to think that we have taken dominion of this world or its inhabitants.
Why don't we have dominion over these things? Because we were disqualified by the fall. Satan still holds the reigns of power over this earth. We are not ready to take control. Consider two passages that support the idea that he has power of the earth:
Ephesians 2:1-2 states:
"And you (Christians) hath He (God) quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world (world system not the planet earth), according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"
Ephesians 6:10-12 states:
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (magistrates), against powers (the power of rule or government), against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Mankind hasn't taken the place of rulership, because we have yet to qualify for it. So, as a result, Satan retains power over this earth. Mankind will rule this world in the future. It is one of the reasons that Christ had to become a man, live a perfect sinless life on the earth, die in our place, and be raised up the third day. Jesus has qualified to take the reigns of this world away from Satan. Now He is inviting us to join with Him, and through His power, qualify to attain a position as a ruler over this world. It is truly amazing what our Lord has done for us, is doing for us, and will do for us.
Friday, June 4, 2010
What does it mean to be created in the image of God?
What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Many people believe that our ability to reason, or our ability to be spiritual, affords us the image of God. Careful consideration of the Bible will show that isn't really what is meant by the phrase. For example, our ability to reason, our intelligence, and our emotions all originate from a specific part of our make-up that we actually share with the animals. Men and animals both have souls. Now before you cry foul, let's look at what the Bible has to say about the matter.
Genesis 1:21 states:
"And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good."
Genesis 2:7 states:
"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
In both passages the blue word is the same. It is the word nephesh which means "soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, or passion." The soul is the seat of our appetites, our minds, our emotions, and our will. Anyone that has owned a dog or a cat knows that they are capable of love and hate. It is also common knowledge that gorillas and chimpanzees have both been taught to use sign language. Their abilities are more than just mimicry. They truly know what they are saying. This is because these creatures are more than bodies with electrical impulses swirling around them. They have a soul (a mind) and a body.
Well, that leaves the other argument that people are created in the image of God because of their ability to be spiritual.
Hebrews 1:13 - 14 states:
"But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make thine enemies Thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"
The word "spirit" is the word pneuma which means "breath." The Hebrew equivalent, neshamah, is found in Genesis 2:7 and is translated "the breath." It is obvious from these two passages that men and angels both possess spirits. The spirit is lacking in animals, but present in both creatures that have the ability to commune with God. It is the spirit that imparts this ability to both men and angels.
Then what distinguishes men from both animals and angels? Animals have a soul and a body. Angels have a spirit and sometimes a body. They are both dualities. Men are trinities, just like God. Men consist of spirit, soul, and body. To further the point, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 states:
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ."
Why would God distinguish between spirit and soul in this passage if they were the same thing? Again, in Hebrews 4:12 we read:
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
One of the old time theologians, Clarence Larkin, came up with the following diagram to show the trinity found in man. It is as good an illustration as I have seen on the subject. This illustration is from Larkin's book Dispensational Truth.
Genesis 1:26 states:
"And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
The word for God in this passage is Eloyhim, which is a plural word. Does this not, along with the words Us and Our in the passage, suggest the Trinity, the one God consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Man is a trinity, and God is the Trinity. God made men in His likeness by imparting to him a three-part unity. Each part of the man is fully him, just like each part of the God-head is fully God.
One of the biggest mistakes that is made in biblical interpretation is equating the spirit and the soul of man. It leads to major problems in interpreting passages concerning salvation, eternal security, and rewards. Later studies will help us see the importance of making a distinction between the two.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Random Quote
"I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross...In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God Who is immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside His immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of His. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross which symbolizes divine suffering. 'The cross of Christ... is God's only self-justification in such a world as ours.' J. R. W. Stott The Cross of Christ p. 335 - 336
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