Be Careful with OVER DEFINING

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 585.

Some will use terms like “Nature”, “Flesh”, “Old Man”, “Body of Sin”, etc. to refer to this condition. These are normal terms that Scripture uses. It is important that we recognize that these are metaphors and every metaphor is used to show a perspective. They may or may not be referring to the same thing and the context will help us understand exactly “HOW” the metaphor can best be used. But all metaphors break down so we must be careful in not using the metaphor to define our sinful condition more than each specific context does. They may or may not all be equivalent.

Some of the errors from this have caused people to think:

 _Only the Body is sinful (Flesh, Body of Sin, etc.)

 _The Spirit is pure but devoid of God's spirit so it's empty and waiting to be filled.

 _That the condition is a specific “part” of me that can be annihilated, removed or otherwise destroyed so that after salvation the natural bend towards sin is gone.

The terms/metaphors that refer to our corruption must be defined in their scriptural context and no further.

WHAT WE KNOW
What we can clearly say is that every person is born in a condition of corruption they have inherited from Adam. This corruption affects every part of them. They are still carrying the image of God but it has been corrupted.

GOD HAS THINGS IN PLACE TO HELP RESTRAIN THIS CORRUPTION

Romans 2:12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus

God has given the Law and the Conscience to men. These help us to clearly know that some things are right and some are wrong. The conscience has been affected by corruption so sometimes it's wrong, hardened, weak, etc. but it still causes us to be challenged and restrained to some degree.

The Law and Conscience are two ways that God helps all men to restrain their corruption.

Without God's restraint, they would probably give full freedom to their sinful corruption. However, God has spoken His commands to some of the earth and God has placed a conscience in everyone on the earth. They can choose to not give in to the passions of their corruption.

IT IS POSSIBLE TO REJECT SINFUL DESIRES

It is possible for us to say “NO” to our sinful desires. Even throughout the Old Testament God approves of Jews and the Nations who reject their sinful desires. They are corrupted but they are still held responsible.

God expects us to restrain our corruption.

They may choose to reject their sinful desires because they are selfishly motivated to avoid God's judgment. At this point, their desires are lining up with God's and thus are not sinful.

When man's selfish desire to not sin aligns with God's desire for man to not sin, then that restraint is not sin.

BUT SIN CONTINUES TO BE A STRUGGLE FOR US

Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

Some believe this passage in Romans is referring to unbelievers. If so, then we must say that the unbeliever has a will that wants to obey God. He may find that Sin is too great for him but he wants to obey God. There are some who would say that man is so corrupt that he could never want to obey God unless God regenerates him first. But this passage would contradict that view.

I personally believe this passage is talking about the experience of a believer. If so, then we can see that the corruption continues to be a problem until we are fully redeemed (1 Cor 15).

PERSONAL SIN

So at this point, we can see that we have:

Imputed Sin (Legal judgment that we are sinners.)

 _Inherited Corruption (The whole man has been corrupted by sin.)

And as a result of both of these truths, we can also say that every single person at some point WILL sin.

The actual action of sin is what we call “personal sin.”

Personal sin is the individual act of sin carried out by any one person.

Romans 3:9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

It doesn't take long in any person's life for them to begin to feel this passage describes some point of their lives. We all can relate.

All have sinned period. Everyone has acted in personal sin.

I am not saying that everyone will personally perform every sin.

Be careful that you don't read more into this passage than is really there. These passages in scripture describe actions that are taken by people on a regular basis but it is not saying that everyone does all of them.

For instance, it says that no one seeks for God. It is not saying that no one “can” seek for God. It is not describing what they can or can't do. It is describing what they actually do. There are certainly times in everyone's life when they have refused to seek God. It says that they lie and that describes a point in most people's lives but it is not a continuous action. It says that they commit murder, but again this is not a continuous action that every person carries out.

The fact that everyone will sin does not mean that everyone continuously carries out every act of sin

In fact, we find in Acts 17 that Paul says God scattered people around the earth for the very purpose of causing them to “seek” Him. We know today that there are people living in tragic conditions all over the earth who are looking for a God or something “outside the box” to help them find freedom. They are “seeking” God. In fact, the people in Athens had a statue to the “unknown god” showing that they were looking for the Gods. Paul used that to explain the Creator God to them.

There are times in every person's life when they will not seek God.

Yet God does desire them to seek Him.

God has acted to specifically cause people to need help and thus to seek Him.

Acts 17:22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said:

“Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.

WHEN MAN AND SIN MEET!

SIN IN THE GARDEN

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden it was a unique time and event. To compare and contrast it to our current struggles is helpful and worthy of consideration.

PROHIBITION (Запрет)

Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die

God clearly told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam was given a law. He was told what he could do and what he could not do.

Adam had one “Law” – Not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.

Adam understood right and wrong

Adam knew that it was ok to eat of the other trees. I think sometimes we see this naïve guy who faces this one time choice to decide if he will sin or not. He doesn't really understand because he has not yet eaten of the tree that will give him the knowledge of good and evil.

I think we sometimes set this up as a one-time choice that will determine the fate of humanity.

This was not a one moment “test” but God desired that at each meal Adam would choose to depend on God.

In reality, Adam probably spent many days enjoying food from many other trees. He enjoyed the good fellowship with God and enjoyed the animals and garden. He meets Eve and enjoys fellowship with Eve and God. They are eating from the other trees on a regular basis and regularly choosing not to eat from the prohibited tree.

Adam “understood” the consequences.(последствия)

He didn't need to face a one-time test, win and thus save all humanity. Instead, he could eat of the other trees as long as he wanted (centuries or more) but the moment he decides to eat of the prohibited tree – on that day he would die. This wasn't so much a test as it was a warning and opportunity to enjoy full dependence on God.

One choice, at any time, to not depend on God would bring the curse.

ADAM HAD FREE CHOICE

Adam had a free choice. He wasn't naïve. He knew what GOD's desire was. He knew GOD's glory and he knew GOD's character. He knew the consequence of choosing to eat the prohibited fruit. Adam was created in GOD's image and still was able to make an individual choice.

These are foundational thoughts that need to be understood clearly:

 _Adam had the opportunity to choose to fellowship with God through dependence on God.

 _Adam knew the difference between right and wrong.

 _Adam was created in God's image and could make a free individual choice.

Be careful in studying this section that you do not attempt to “read” back into the story from our experiences. Adam was innocent, uncorrupted, inexperienced moral free agent (he could make a free choice). We can learn from his experience but we don't want to project from our time into his.

TEMPTATION (Enticement) / ИСКУШЕНИЕ (обольщения)

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' ”

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths

As we consider this temptation, it is important to note several things that take place. Some of these continue to be common today.

 _Satan came as an agent of creation rather than as a direct spiritual agent.

 _Satan started by questioning God.

 _Satan then directly contradicted God.

 _Eve did not respond with complete truth (instead she exaggerated.)

 _Eve considered the immediate results more than long term consequences.

o Knowledge

o Be like God

o Pleasing Appearance

 _Eve focused on the prohibition more than what is lawful.

Eve spent time listening to Satan and focusing on the prohibition because it seemed to be best for her. It was not best for her or God (marred his image) and broke their fellowship. She was able to desire something opposed to God even before she and Adam became corrupt.

Enticement begins by focusing on what seems immediately best for us.

Proverbs 7 describes how a young man is enticed by a harlot. It starts by stopping and listening to her, then thinking through the immediate benefits. Eventually, the ability to make a good judgment is completely compromised and a wrong decision is carried out.

This is the primary way most of us sin. When we continue in it long enough the guilt will make us bitter, angry at God (sometimes blaming God) and hardened to where we may go seeking more sin rather than becoming enticed.

James 1:14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Instead if we focus on what God offers and the fellowship we enjoy with Him we can avoid deception.

James 1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

DEFIES THE IMAGE OF GOD

After Adam and Eve sinned, there were immediate results. Corruption occurred and manifests itself in several ways.