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Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh
So far we have talked about what it means to reckon ourselves dead to self and alive in
Christ. We have looked at the tension between abiding and striving, but both can only be
accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than trying to accomplishing these things
through the strength of our own will. It is because we are a new creation in Christ and have been
indwelt by Gods own Holy Spirit, that we now have the power and ability to live a Christ like
life. At the very beginning of this journey I critiqued Christian Ethics and although I pointed
out why it was a superior theory of ethics, its glaring flaw was that it was so superior and perfect
that the only one who could live up to it was Christ himself. Yet, this is the great news, Christ is
actually in you if you be His, and it is actually He who is living out the Christian life in you.
This is accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit, and if we live in the Spirit, then we should
also walk in the Spirit.
Walk in the Spirit
"16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the
flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to
the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are
not under the law." (Gal 5:16-18 KJV)
Human beings are amazing creatures, and even though we have been made in the image
of God we are bound by certain limitations. One of these limitations is that we cannot do two
things at the same time. Multitasking is actually a myth, and although some people can switch
between two or more tasks more quickly and efficiently than others, we all are limited to only
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being able to do one thing at a time. Yet, this is a good thing, especially in context of the above
verse. What this means is that you cannot simultaneously be walking in the flesh and in the
Spirit, which means that if you are walking in the Spirit you will not even be able to fulfill the
lusts of the flesh.
At this point I think it will be helpful if we define exactly what the flesh is. Confusion on
this point has created great problems philosophically and theologically. It is out of this
confusion that Gnostic heresies (the belief that the flesh was evil and the spirit was good) were
born, and it is out of this confusion that many have set up a vast array of rules and taboos to keep
us from fleshly desires. The Greeks love of philosophy led them to develop a very precise
language with which to discuss the subtleties of abstract concepts and ideas. The first Greek
word I want to discuss is the wordsoma, which is translated as body in the English language and
is used to refer to our physical form. The second Greek word I want to discuss is the wordsarx,
which is usually translated as flesh. Flesh can refer to either our physical flesh, or a nonphysical
impulse or desire, such as the desire for food, sex, sleep, shelter, or whatever pertains to the self.
Both of these words can be found in Romans 8:13, "For if ye live after the flesh (sarx), ye shall
die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body (soma), ye shall live."
The problem is, in some translations of the bible the wordsarx, in certain contexts, is
translated as sin nature. For example, "18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me,
that is, in my sinful nature (sarx). For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it
out. ... 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in
my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature (sarx) a slave to the law of sin." (Rom
7:18, 25 NIV) The NIV, New International Version, has recently changed this translation, back
to the English word, flesh, as is found in the King James, and many other versions of the Bible.
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Why is this important? It is important because, sin is not a thing. Even though the word sin can
have both a noun and a verb form, sin itself is a negation, or a negative relationship to the
commands of God. Quite simply, something is righteous or good if it measures up to Gods
standard, which is perfection. Something is unrighteous or sinful if it falls short of Gods
standard or misses the mark of Gods perfection. Everything God created was good, including
man and woman. Yet because of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life,
Adam and Eve choose to give into the desires of their flesh, rather than obeying the
commandments and will of God. This is the root of all sin and disobedience, placing self, over
God.
If we make the word flesh (sarx) synonymous with sinful, or sin nature, what do we do
with other passages in the New Testament, that tell us Christ has come in the flesh (sarx)?
"14 And the Word was made flesh (sarx), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (Jhn 1:14 KJV)
"2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh (sarx) is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh
(sarx) is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world." (1Jo 4:2-3 KJV)
"7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in
the flesh (sarx). This is a deceiver and an antichrist." (2Jo 1:7 KJV)
These passages are so important, for many of the earliest heresies (false teachings) involved the
nature of Christ. For those who believed the physical body was evil, it was inconceivable to
them that Jesus could have an actual physical form, lest he be tainted. This led to a host of false
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teachings about the nature of Christ, some claiming he was a phantom or ghost, or that the Spirit
of Christ, possessed the man Jesus, but was not tainted by the evil of human flesh. This is why
John is so clear in his epistle, that those who deny that Christ has come in the flesh are false
teachers, and antichrists.
The scriptures are quite clear, that even though Jesus came in the flesh, He had no sin.
Jesus had both a human and a divine nature, but he was not a demigod (half man, half god) like
Hercules. Jesus was fully God, and fully man. Yet in Him was found no sin.
"5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."
(1Jo 3:5 KJV)
"15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin." (Heb 4:15 KJV)
"22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled
not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth
righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (1Pe 2:22-24 KJV)
"19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's
stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2Co 5:19-21 KJV)
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Did you catch that last verse? He who knew no sin, was made sin for us, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. This is one of the most amazing verses in the bible,
and is at the heart of the gospel. Christ accomplished in the flesh, what we could never do
through the strength of our own will. We see this tension in the book of Romans chapter 7. Paul
wants to do what is right and pleasing to God, but he finds another principle working in his flesh.
Flesh wants what flesh wants, and if it is not checked by the higher part of man, i.e. our
nous/logos (mind) then it will run rampant, and pursue natural desires in an unlawful manner.
The flesh wants what is pleasing to it, comfort, shelter, food, drink, medication, sex, and
ultimately its own way. Yet if these desires have no restraint, the desire for pleasure will lead to
hedonism (pleasure is the highest good), the desire for shelter will lead us to covet the shelter of
our neighbor, the desire for food will lead to gluttony, the desire for drink will lead to
drunkenness, the desire for medication will lead to addiction, the desire for sex will lead to all
manner of sexual immorality, and the desire for satisfying the ego will bring about envy, wrath,
anger, jealousy and malice towards all those who thwart our egocentric desires. Unfortunately
our mind is not able to keep our fleshly desires in check. We may do well for a season, but the
flesh is relentless and overtime wears away at our will until the lower aspects of our soul,
overcome the higher aspects of our mind.
Paul acknowledges that in his flesh there is no good thing, so with his flesh he serves the
law of sin which brings about death, but with his mind he serves the law of God. What a horrible
position to live in, having the desire to do that which is right in one part of our soul, yet seeing
our baser part constantly thwart our efforts.
"21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the
law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the
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law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O
wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the
flesh the law of sin." (Rom 7:21-25 KJV)
Thank God this is not where the story ends, but Paul continues in Romans 8 and shows us the
hope and deliverance that can be found in Christ.
"1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in
the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to
be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for
it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh
cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ
[be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. 11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ
from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
(Rom 8:1-11 KJV)
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I would like to focus a bit on verse 3 of the above passage. For what the law could not
do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: The law rather than providing us a way to be righteous
before God, actually incited the flesh all the more and showed us how sinful we actually are.
Even those without the Law of Moses, could not live up to the law in their own conscience.
(Romans 1) The law was never meant to redeem us, rather it was given to show us our desperate
need for a redeemer. Unfortunately, many who come to Christ with great joy for their
justification, then turn to the strength of their flesh to try and live out a Christ like life. Or they
then try and keep the law through the power of their own will, thinking that they must keep the
law to be pleasing to God. What foolish madness, and this is what Paul tried to convey to the
Galatians, if you have been saved by grace through faith, why then would you try to seek
perfection through the law? Romans 8:3 tells us clearly, God sent his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, to condemn sin in the flesh. What the law could not do because of the weakness of
our flesh, Christ was able to fulfill, for even though He lived as a man in the flesh, He walked
continuously, by the power and Spirit of God.
This is the same power and Spirit that is available to everyone who is in Christ Jesus.
The power our flesh had over us is broken, and what our own mind, or strength of will could not
accomplish, has already been accomplished in Christ. Stop trying to live out a Christian life by
the strength of your own effort and will. Reckon yourself dead to the old man, to the power of
the flesh, abide in Christ, and walk in the Spirit. Jesus made it clear, "34 Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the
house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall
be free indeed." (Jhn 8:34-36 KJV)
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"20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law
[is] the knowledge of sin." (Rom 3:20 KJV)
"6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ... 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield
yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or
of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye
have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. ... 20 For when ye
were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. ... 23 For the wages of sin [is] death;
but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 6:6, 16-17, 20, 23 KJV)
"2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death." (Rom 8:2 KJV)
How do we know we are walking in the Spirit and that we are not just justifying our fleshly
desires?
The idea of reckoning, abiding, and walking in the Spirit may sound very appealing to
you. What incredible freedom, compared to living by a set of rules let alone the law of God.
Yet, you know the heart is desperately wicked, who can know it? You may be afraid that you
will think you are walking in the Spirit, but in reality, you are only using the Spirit as a
justification for living out your own carnal desires. I cant tell you how many times people have
told me it was Gods will for them to do a certain activity, which to me was so obviously not of
God, and I freely admit that I myself am not beyond self-deception. So how can we really tell if
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our life is being lived by the power and Spirit of God, or have we simply found a new
sophisticated, and incredibly pious way to justify our own desires?
The apostle Paul himself, thought he was doing the will of God by persecuting the early
church. The battle cry of the crusades was Deus Volt (God wills it). Manifest destiny was the
justification in America, to either kill or confine the native populations so that Gods chosen
people (the Christian Americans) could rule from sea to shining sea. In the antebellum South,
God fearing men and women justified owning slaves believing that God created some people as
masters, and others as servants, and to violate this order would be a direct rebellion against God.
This later was applied to the idea that interracial marriages were against Gods plan, since God
divided the races at the tower of Babel. (What God actually divided at Babel was language, but I
have never yet, heard anyone say, that learning another language was an act of rebellion against
God). I have heard men and women justify premarital sex, or divorcing their spouses because it
was Gods will for them to be happy. Or people involved in homosexual relationships claiming,
how could it be wrong, if God made me this way? After all this work and effort, is ethics and
morality really just relative and subjective after all? If everyone has a different understanding of
what Gods will is, how can we tell what is coming from God and what is just a result of our
upbringing, enculturation, personal preference or bias, let alone our flesh trying to rise from the
dead, and affect us as though it was still our master?
Know Thyself
Fortunately, even with all of these objections, it is not as difficult as it may at first appear.
To begin with, we must know ourselves. We have to be honest, and know what is coming from
our own hearts and desires. Im not even talking about the desires of the old man, but simple
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human desires. We still desire self-preservation, comfort, pleasure, exaltation, and our own way.
Yet, once we understand what the self, the ego desires, it becomes easier to contrast this with the
desire of the Holy Spirit. Who is the final authority in your life? Is it you, or the Holy Spirit?
"24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth
alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that
hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow
me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my] Father
honour." (Jhn 12:24-26 KJV) We love to talk about our new life in Christ, but often we forget
that it comes at a great cost. I am not just talking about the cost Christ paid, but the cost is your
own former life. "19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which
is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1Co 6:19-20 KJV)
Love and Obedience
Second and thirdly, love and obedience to God are indications that we are walking in the
Spirit. Obedience to God cannot be accomplished through the strength of our own will, for if it
could, then there would have been no need for Christ to die. Jesus tells us in John 15, If you
love me, keep my commandments. What are Jesus commandments? To love one another. If
you want a law, or rule to follow this is it, the Law of the Spirit, is the Law of Love. When Jesus
was confronted by the Sadducees and the Pharisees, a lawyer among them asked, "36 Master,
which [is] the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and
great commandment. 39 And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Mat 22:36-40 KJV)
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Once again to be very clear, you cannot obey either of these commandments through the strength
of your will, the old man only truly loves himself, so the love of God or of others, is only done
out of self-interest. Once we have died to the old man, and have been made alive in Christ, the
very Spirit of God in us is able to perfectly love God, and to perfectly love others. This is how
we, and others will know that we are true believers and disciples, if we love one another. Even
though I really like theprovocative title of this book, The Dead Have No Need of Ethics, it
could have just as easily been called, An Ethic of Love, or Holy Spirit Ethics. The apostle
John makes it brutally clear in his epistle that love and obedience are the great indicators of
whether or not we are in Christ.
Love
"7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God,
and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he
loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us,
we ought also to love one another." (1Jo 4:7-11 KJV)
Obedience
"4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever
abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little
children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is
righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For
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this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin,
because he is born of God." (1Jo 3:4-9 KJV)
John here hits us with a one, two, punch of love and obedience. The love part sounds so
good, warm and cozy, but then he tells us that whoever is born of God does not commit sin.
How can this be!?! In the first chapter of Johns epistle he tells us that all have sinned, which we
can easily affirm, but what is going on in chapter 3 where he is now telling us, that whoever
abides in Jesus does not sin? Now some translations render these verses as, do not continue in
sin, or make a practice of sinning,etc. But let us ask ourselves, do we just accidently sin on
occasion, or is sin crouching daily at our door? Do we still have besetting sins, or habits that
have continued to plague us, even though the old man has been put to death? Do we put
ourselves above others, even above Jesus on a daily basis? That sounds like continuing in sin to
me. This passage should lead us to some serious soul searching. If we still sin, are we really
saved, and even a Christian? Some preachers and theologians will attempt to explain this by
saying, as long as you have a physical body you are going to sin, and until we have a glorified
body in heaven, sin will always be a part of our earthly existence.
What a curious thing to say, and it reeks of gnostic heresy, making our physical bodies
the problem and culpable for our sin. Yes, our bodies are under the curse, but our physical
bodies (soma) do not cause us to sin. Jesus had a physical body, but he also had no sin. Does
your fist just randomly strike someone, or do your genitals force you to have illicit sex? Does
your mouth cause you to curse, or your hand cause you to steal? What foolish non-sense.
One of my nephews who came to live with me when he was 11, was listening to a famous
radio evangelist with me on the way to school one morning. This preachers text for the day was
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1 John chapter 3. After he read the above passage, he had to pause for a commercial break.
When he came back from the break, he was chuckling mildly to himself, and in his old timey
country voice he said, beloved, I bet that passage had you worried, but dont worry, you will
continue to go on sinning as long as you have a body. I was so startled by what I had just heard
that I almost crashed the car. Instead I immediately reached out with my right hand and began to
choke my young nephew by throttling his neck. I asked him, Whos choking you? Me or my
hand! In a gasping voice he rasped, You are uncle, at which point I released him and said, and
dont ever forget this. Our bodiescan do nothing without our consent. Even though I have a
great deal of appreciation and respect for this radio preacher, I thought that his understanding on
this topic was quite dangerous and I didnt want my nephew to let this teaching take root in his
life.
"16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do not ye yet understand, that
whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But
those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false
witness, blasphemies: 20 These are [the things] which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen
hands defileth not a man." (Mat 15:16-20 KJV)
"1 From whence [come] wars and fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your
lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot
obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because
ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know
ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend
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of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that
dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?" (Jas 4:1-5 KJV)
"17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary
the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." (Gal 5:17 KJV)
All of the above sins are not the result of our body (soma), but come from our flesh
(sarx). "5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after
the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually
minded [is] life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please
God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ [be] in you, the
body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit
of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead
shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Rom 8:5-11 KJV)
I know I am being redundant, but I want so badly for you to understand what is
happening here. The very flesh that made it impossible for us to keep the law of God, the
likeness of which, was taken on by Jesus, and he put to death sin in the flesh. Now when we sin,
in a very real sense it is no longer us who are doing it, rather it is sin that dwells within us.
"20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
(Rom 7:20 KJV)
Havent you experienced this phenomenon? You know you love God, and you have been
redeemed, but then you find yourself participating in the vilest acts, of lust, anger, covetousness,
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etc. Yet, then when it has passed, it is almost as if you have awakened and are back in your right
mind and wonder what that was all about. It is almost like the psychological condition called a
fugue state, in which an individual will actually take on mannerisms and a countenance of
someone else, and dont even realize they are doing it until it is over. I call it spiritual zombie
land, where our old man, who has been crucified is animated and walking around, trying to take
control of our life, even though he has already been put to death on the cross of Christ. Just like
a corpse the old man is a stinking rotting mess, and when we are back in the mind of Christ, we
cant even believe that that putrefied flesh held any appeal to us, and we are repulsed and confess
our sin. Fortunately he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. The issue here once again comes back to identity. Who are you? If you are in
Christ, you are a new creation, if you abide in Christ, it is impossible for you to sin, if you walk
in the Spirit you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. If, however, you walk in the flesh, you are
capable of the most horrific acts imaginable. A life in the flesh brings death, but a life in the
Spirit brings life. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1Jo 3:4-9 KJV) Whos seed remains in you?
The very seed of God, but I will talk more of this in the next section when I discuss theosis (the
deification of the believer).
The Fruit of the Spirit
The fourth way we can know if we are walking in the Spirit, is by the fruit that is being
produced in our lives. Jesus tells us, "33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else
make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit. ... 35 A good man
out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil
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treasure bringeth forth evil things." (Mat 12:33, 35 KJV) When we look at the fruit that is being
produced in our lives it is clear whether this fruit is coming from the flesh or from the Spirit.
The works of the flesh
"19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I
tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal 5:19-21 KJV)
The fruit of the Spirit
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have
crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the
Spirit." (Gal 5:22-25 KJV)
"3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in
his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psa 1:3 KJV)
"5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same
bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (Jhn 15:5 KJV)
"22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Rom 6:22 KJV)
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The Transformation of our mind
The very part of our mind that was separated from God by the fall, is now being renewed
by the power of the Holy Spirit. We actually begin to reason from a new perspective, and we
have access to the very mind of Christ. That which once seemed like foolishness to us, we see as
the power and mercy of God. We no longer are limited to a human perspective, but through
Christ we have access to a divine point of view. Our judgments and values are no longer based
on our own self-interest, or bias, but we now have access to Gods own heart and desire.
"17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles
walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from
the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19
Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness
with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and
have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in
the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness." (Eph 4:17-24 KJV)
2 Corinthians 2
"1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom,
declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you,
save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much
trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man's wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom
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of men, but in the power of God. 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet
not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before
the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known
[it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man,
save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit
of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not
in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing
spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually
discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of
Christ." (1Co 2:1-16 KJV)
The carnal mind cannot understand the things of God, and it is foolishness to those who
have not been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Part of how we know that we are in Christ, is that
what we once could not understand through the strength of our own reason, or through the
recollection of our personal experiences, has been made know to us by God himself. When we
were spiritually dead, we could not know the things of God because they can only be spiritually
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discerned. Once Christ quickened our spirits, and united us with His own, we no longer were left
to lean on our own understanding, but with our new life, God gave us the very mind of Christ.
The Testimony of Gods Spirit to our Spirit
The same way we can know that we are walking in the Spirit, is the same way we can
know that we are saved, and are in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit,
that we are the sons and daughters of God.
"12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live
after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall
live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children
of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we
suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together." (Rom 8:12-17 KJV)
"23 And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.
... 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for
as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered." (Rom 8:23, 26 KJV)
"22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (2Co 1:22 KJV)
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"5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the
earnest of the Spirit." (2Co 5:5 KJV)
"13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise," (Eph 1:13
KJV)
"13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit."
(1Jo 4:13 KJV)
When people ask me how I know what I believe in is true, I dont talk about, reason, or
evidence, or even quote the bible at them. I look them straight in the eye and tell them. I know
that God is real, and that Jesus His son came to reconcile me to Himself through His own
precious blood, and I know this not because of some fabulously devised tales, or iron age
mythologies, or even wishful thinking. I know this because I have Gods own Holy Spirit within
me, and His Spirit bears witness with my Spirit that I am His and He is mine. I do believe it is
possible to grieve the Holy Spirit, but I do not believe He will ever leave us or forsake us.
People who may be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but are not walking in the, but after the flesh,
may not have the kind of assurance I am talking about. Im not saying they are not saved or have
lost their salvation, but they have lost that fellowship, which could so easily assure them of their
new identity in Christ. Yet, thank God we are his workmanship. Our new lives may involve us,
but they are not dependent on us. for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that
he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)
[This section I want to develop more fully, but wanted you to see where I am headed. I plan on
giving examples of how this not only provides assurance of our salvation, but also practical
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wisdom on how we should then live. The Spirit removes fear and provides boldness, when we
walk in the Spirit and not in our own strength, we are walking in the very power of God. I also
want to provide examples of what this looks like in daily living, and in sharing the gospel, or
giving an answer to others when they ask the reason of the hope that is within us.]
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[Below I have a section, that I think is important, but I didnt quiteknow where to put it in the
book. Please let me know if you think this is worth keeping or if it should be incorporated into
previous sections of the text. I included it hear because I alluded to it earlier, and some of you
asked for me to elaborate on what I had said about Adam and Eve in regards to the fall of man]
The Knowledge of Good and Evil
Along with the universal human principle of moral failure as mentioned in Romans 1, is
another universal principle that directly relates to the study of ethics and morality. This human
universal pertains to the knowledge of Good and Evil. According to the scriptures, humans were
originally created in the image of God, yet not all of Gods knowledge or power was invested
upon human beings. A notable exception of being made in Gods image was the absence, in
Adam and Eve, of the knowledge of Good and Evil. It was this very lack of knowledge that the
serpent used to entice Eve into eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the
only fruit in the entire Garden of Eden that was forbidden to Adam and Eve.
Genesis 2:7-9, 15-17 KJV
7 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.
8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had
formed.
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9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and
good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good
and evil.
15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely
eat:
17
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.
It is hard to imagine what it would be like not having the knowledge of Good and Evil. In
many ways it seems like pre-fall humans would have been very similar to animals at least in the
area of ethics and morality. Humans would have lived lives based on instincts seeking that
which brought pleasure and avoiding what brought pain. Humans would have had their senses
and could distinguish between soft and hard, bitter and sweet, warm and cool, etc. Yet these
sensations would have been taken as is without thought or introspection into their value or worth,
let alone assigning some ethical groundwork for these impulses or feelings. They would have
slept when they were tired, had sex when they were aroused, ate when they were hungry and for
all intents and purposes lived like the animals which were placed under their dominion. All of
creation was given the command to be fruitful and multiply, but Adam was given the additional
privilege of naming the animals that were brought before him, and to dress and keep the
garden in which God had placed him. Man was the only creature made in the image God.
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God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created
he them. (Gen.1:27) Man was placed as the head and steward of Gods creation, but was also
given a prohibition not to eat of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. If other aspects of
Gods created order were given divine commands we are not told about them in the scriptures,
other than perhaps the waters being given boundaries and the celestial bodies being for times and
seasons, plants being designated as food, and for living beings to reproduce and fill the earth. For
whatever purpose, God had placed a special prohibition on man, yet within the prohibition itself
was implied mans ability to choose to comply or to disobey. From the opening chapters of
Genesis, man is only given two commands, to tend the garden and procreate, and one
prohibition, to not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God did not give reasons for
these commands or prohibitions, but He did give the consequences for disobedience. The
penalty for noncompliance, at least with His prohibition, would be death.
Without our current knowledge of good and evil, cause and effect, and death, its hard to
even imagine what this divine prohibition would have meant to Adam. In many ways it seems
like telling a dog that he can eat anything he finds on the floor, but not to eat off of the table.
The dog understands the difference between the floor and the table and the command to eat or
not eat, but telling the dog it will die the day it eats off of the table seems like it would be beyond
its comprehension. I understand that Adam and Eve were not dogs, but as far as we know from
scripture they had no understanding of death or even the notion of obedience or disobedience.
Animals can be trained to practice certain activities and avoid others through behavior
modification training, but Adam and Even were basically just given the rules and left to their
own inclinations. It is in this context that we have the deceiving and enticement of Eve, the
compliance of Adam, the fall of man and the curse that would extend to all of creation.
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Genesis 3 KJV
1 Now the serpent was more subtil 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?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 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.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid
myself.
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11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I
commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I
did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman
said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast 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:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou
shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast 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;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast
thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
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22 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 forever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from
whence he was taken.
24 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 chapter three is one of the most tragic passages in the entire Bible. There are a
few interesting things I want to point out in the serpents dialog with Eve. The first observation
is that the serpent found Eve alone in the garden and apparently near enough to the tree of
knowledge of good and evil that she was able to see it. The serpent begins by questioning Eve
about what God had commanded and intentionally exaggerates Gods prohibition in his question
to make it sound ridiculous and unreasonable. Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of
the garden? In Eves response she also exaggerates Gods prohibition, by saying, 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. Now perhaps
Adam told her not to touch it, but at least from what we know of Gods prohibition from
scripture, the command was to not eat the fruit, not looking at it or touching it were probably
good ideas, but were additions to Gods prohibition. When we add to or take away from Gods
prohibitions or commands it can lead to all sorts of problems, which range from libertinism to
legalism. The serpents response to Eve is the firstrecorded lie in scripture. 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. Due to this lie
many biblical scholars have seen the serpent as being Satan himself, or as a beast of the field that
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has allowed Satan to possess and speak through it. (http://creation.com/who-was-the-serpent)
The serpent also matches the description of Satan portrayed by Jesus, Ye are of your father the
devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode
not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44) This lie is one of the greatest ever told and
makes a devilish template for all subsequent lies. Part of why this lie works so well is that it
contains a great deal of truth. Satanbegins with the lie, thou shalt not surely die, which was
even a partial truth, for the death that will occur on the day the fruit is eaten will not be physical
but spiritual. Then the serpent implies that God is trying to withhold something from them,
something that will make them gods themselves. In a sense, the devils work was done, he had
planted the seed of doubt concerning Gods intentions and Eve took it from there. 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. Eve sets the pattern that will distinguish the way of the world
to come. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (I John 2:16)
Satans lie led to the fall and death of the human race. How true that he is a murderer and
liar from the beginning. Yet, not all of what he told Eve was a lie, for with the eating of the
forbidden fruit, she and Adam had acquired the knowledge of something that God had withheld
from them. Humans now knew for the first time the meaning of good and evil, and its immediate
existential effect on them was fear and shame. Adam and Eve would also soon learn about cause
and effect and the cost of disobedience. When God confronted Adam and asked him if he had
eaten of the tree that was prohibited to him, Adam responds by blaming Eve and in a subtle way
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even blaming God Himself. The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the
tree, and I did eat. Then Eve blames the serpent, and the serpent is left with no one to blame.
The first curse goes to the serpent, the second curse to Eve and the third curse to Adam and by
default all of creation. Disobedience to God has ushered sin into the world and with sin comes
death. Adam and Eve do not physically die that day, but the race of Adam died in the moment of
disobedience and we were spiritually cut off from God, until the new Adam would come and
bring reconciliation.
Romans 5:12-21
12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the
similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead,
much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath
abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of
grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
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18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by
the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall
many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto
eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
11 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%205&version=KJV)
I Corinthians 15:45-50
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a
quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that
which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also
that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption.
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Adam and Eve were not just the biological progenitors of the human race, but Adam was
also the ontological head. What I mean by this is that Adam contained all of humanity within
himself, including at one point Eve. Between Adam and Eve, the human race was generated, but
not just biologically, our nonphysical human natures were also contained within Adam and
would be affected by the choices he made and in the case of good and evil, the knowledge he
acquired. All humans have an innate idea of good and evil and from a Biblical world view, the
reason for this knowledge is because the head of the human race took, what had been prohibited
to him.
The knowledge of Good and Evil has been one of the greatest curses humanity has ever
had to endure. Adam and Eve now had the categories of Good and Evil in their consciousness,
but now everything was subject to evaluation and moral judgment. No more lounging naked in
the pools of Eden without shame, no more doing what was prompted by ones instincts without
looking for motive and consequence. No more innocence and taking things at face value.
Humankind now had godlike knowledge of Good and Evil, but humanity did not have the
knowledge of God to be able to use it properly. Now every human would be a moral compass
unto themselves and would have an internal template of good and evil. This template would be
used to evaluate all other claims to truth, goodness and morality even those dictated by God
Himself.
From the day Adam and Eve took that which was not meant for them, humanity has been
at conflict with God, each other, and our own selves. We have the knowledge of good and evil,
but we see it from our own point of view. All our ethical theories and moral judgments are based
on our own perspective of what we think is just; feel is fair and consider reasonable and livable.
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The history of mankind is one of conflict from Cain and Able to the present day. Im right from
my side and youre right from yours. In past times certain people or groups have been able to
impose their idea of ethics and morality on the bulk of humanity. Religious systems have
claimed divine revelation to impose certain rules and rituals on the populous. Great Philosophers
have used their intellect to look for universal truth or logical systems of reason to formulate
ethical systems that dont rely on divine intervention. Parents have used guilt and shame to try
and curb unwanted behavior. Dictators have used fear, intimidation and might to impose moral
dictates; relativists have claimed everyone has their own truth and moral autonomy. Without
divine knowledge and wisdom, having the knowledge of good and evil becomes subjective and
relative to time, culture and place. Everyone in the end does that which is right in their own eyes
and moral anarchy is the logical outcome of having the knowledge of good and evil, but only the
limited data of your own existence by which to make correct judgments.
The reason Gods moral judgments are just and true are because not only does He have a
perfect nature, but He also knows all things. Because of Gods omniscience, He always has all
the data necessary to make the correct moral evaluation. Because of His power He has the
authority to establish ethical standards and the ability to enforce them. Because of Gods nature
He always has proper intention and motivation. The Good, the True and the Beautiful are all
synonyms and aspects of the Divine Nature. God actually sets the standard of Good and Evil and
is beyond all distinction and division in His Holy Simplicity.
When humans try and make value judgments we always fail. We are finite beings and
have limited understanding on the cause and purpose of things. We are biased by our personal
perspective and self-interest. We have flawed characters and limited understanding. We do not
have the insight to know of others intentions or the power to enforce our judgments. We do not
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have the knowledge or wisdom to determine ethical systems or the ability to live them out even
if we did. All our ethical systems and moral judgments will be tainted and skewed based on our
own frailties and limited understanding. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
The first mention of the Word good in the bible is in Genesis 1:4,And God saw the
light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. This was the beginning of
the creation account, and God declares was good aftereach act of creation. And God saw
everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning
were the sixth day. (Gen. 1:31) God is the very author of the Good and the sole designator as to
what Good actually means. It is a standard of perfection that God has set and only God can
accomplish. All other types of goodness fall short of Gods standard, and are therefore by
definition, not Good. Good in English can have a wide array of meanings and it is the same for
the Hebrew word for good which is towb. We talk about having a good day, or it was a good
show, good times, or a good conversation. These are all proper uses of the word good, but the
usage being discussed here is absolute good, i.e. perfection. This perfection belongs to One
being alone as attested by Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. one came and said unto him, Good
Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why
callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life,
keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:16+17)
At this point you may be thinking, If God created all things, then isnt He also
responsible for creating evil? And Im not just talking about personal subjective evil, like I have
a tooth ache, or that was an evil thing to say, Im talking about absolute metaphysical evil.
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James 1:13-17
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of
lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Evil is not a thing, and neither is good. This is what is called the reification of good and evil,
turning them into objects. Good and evil in this sense are adjectives or adverbs not nouns, they
describe how things line up with divine judgment and evaluation. All the works of Gods hands
are good. Yet, as soon as God labels something as good, He also now allows for the potentiality
of evil. By creating a standard of perfection, there is now the possibility of that which does not
measure up to Gods Holy standard. Saint Augustine saw evil as that which was a negation or
that which was lacking, like a hole or a shadow. [Cite this] He was not denying that evil didnt
exist, but that it was not a thing. You may be thinking, but dont the scriptures themselves
teach that God brings forth evil? Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and
good? (Lamentations 3:38) I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create
evil: I the Lord do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7) Both of these passages do talk about God
bringing evil to pass, but this is not a moral evil, or the creation of something evil. Rather these
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passages talk about God bringing evil, i.e. calamity and destruction on those who have strayed
from His path.
Why Did God Place the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden if He Knew
Humans Would Eat of it?
I try to avoid speculative theology, but perhaps what we have observed regarding the
nature of good and evil may give us some idea as to why God would have placed the access to
such knowledge within the reach of man, but then prohibited man from reaching out and
acquiring it. Mankind in its ignorance and innocence thought that it could acquire the knowledge
of God on its own terms and through its own will. Mankind took through disobedience that
which one day, God would freely offer through His own Son and Spirit. God allowed humans to
exercise their free will and in doing so made them culpable for their own choices and acts of
disobedience. Mankind had tried to elevate itself to godhood through its own decisions and
choices even at the expense of disobeying the Creator Himself. This disobedience robbed
mankind of its innocence and made it morally culpable. Humans were created a little lower than
the angels, but now instead of the knowledge of good and evil elevating us beyond the heavenly
host, our moral failings would debase us below the realm of the beasts. God in His wisdom and
foreknowledge was not surprised or taken aback from the foolishness of man; rather He had
already provided a way of redemption and reconciliation before the foundation of the world.
Gods glory would be magnified through mans disobedience and the almighty would be exalted
through mans fall.
In many ways it seems like humans without the knowledge of good and evil would have
been much more like pets than autonomous moral free agents. You can teach a pet tricks and
obedience through punishment and rewards, they may even show loyalty or affection, but in the
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end they are still pets, some well-behaved and some not. With the acquisition of the knowledge
of good and evil, humans are no longer content with punishments and rewards. We have lost the
innocence and childhood of our race. Yes it is true that humans are full of self will, rebellion and
all manner of disobedience, but we also ponder, question, judge and evaluate. We look for
underlying motivations and seek first principles and causes. We evaluate and judge, others and
ourselves. We create and destroy, love and hate, show justice and mercy, cruelty and
compassion, we are jealous and competitive; we are truly made in the image of God. We are so
much like God, in fact, that we have chosen are own values, standards, judgments and will, over
that of the Almighty Himself. We have gone far beyond a simple act of disobedience, we have
now made ourselves gods in our own eyes, some have gone as far as to deny any other God
altogether and would prefer to invoke time and chance for our existence rather than being the
creatures of a Creator.
The knowledge of good and evil did make us much more like God than we were before,
and I would postulate that God fully knew that we would disobey Him and claim this knowledge
for ourselves. God also knew the outcome of this choice and the horrific consequences it would
bring on the human race, creation and even upon Himself. Yet, God in His wisdom and
sovereignty allowed this human passion play to unfold. God created humans in innocence and
perfection, humans chose to disobey God and take that which was not meet for them. The result
was a loss of innocence, relationship and life, both physical and spiritual. Man in his fallen state
was still in the image of God, but now armed with the knowledge of good and evil, and a radical
free will, his thoughts and imaginings would bring about such wickedness and violence, that God
would eventually wipe clean the creation itself, with the exception of those who were preserved
in the ark.
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Mans initial act of rebellion would be the seedbed of all manner of evil in the world,
both in the natural world and in the souls of man. Physical as well as spiritual sickness would
abound, selfishness and pride, would replace submission and obedience, and man would seek his
own betterment and perfection through his own efforts, rather than submit to the authority of the
One who made him. God communicated His Holy standards through the Law and the Prophets,
yet the prophets were despised and the law was neglected or perverted. Gods revealed standards
were beyond the attainment of mortal men, and His expectations were crushing and unlivable.
Man rebelled again, and set up his own standards of right and wrong, the good, better and best,
pitting his own knowledge of good and evil against those of the One who created the very
concept of good and evil to begin with.
How often have you heard people accuse God of moral failure, and judge the almighty
because of the state of the world? How could a loving God send people to hell? If God exists,
and evil exists, then God must be all good, but not all powerful, or all powerful, but not all good.
If God is loving, merciful and compassionate, why do the innocent suffer? Why are there birth
defects and debilitating diseases? Why do people kill and commit all manner of atrocities in
Gods name? Why did God allow slavery and the subjugation of women? Why does God
command genocide and the slaughter of children in the Bible? Why do the wicked prosper and
the righteous suffer? All of these are examples of man using his knowledge of good and evil to
judge God based off of human understanding. From a human perspective and our limited base of
knowledge, these are fair complaints and accusations. Yet, this is exactly the problem! We are
making moral judgments in regards to good and evil based on human understanding. It is
precisely, because we do not have the mind or knowledge of God, that our judgments will fall
short, and come to the wrong conclusions.
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There is a whole branch of philosophy/theology called theodicy. It is the exercise of
providing a defense for the ways of God. It is an interesting study, and answers have been
provided for all the above accusations and more. Yet whether one is attacking God or defending
Him, it is still being done through human understanding, reason and experience. The theodicist
is just as much relying on his own understanding of good and evil as the accuser. God rarely
gives reasons for His actions, and in the few recorded instances of God responding to charges of
inequity, He doesnt explain why His actions are good or evil, but rather He proclaims who He
is. The greatest example of God responding to accusations of injustice and unfairness can be
found towards the end of the book of Job. Job was a righteous man who feared God. As the
story goes, one day God was boasting to Satan about His servant Job. Satan quickly retorted that
anyone would be a good and faithful servant if they were protected and blessed the way Job was.
According to the Biblical account, God removed His protection from Job, save for his life, and
allowed Satan to bring all manner of calamity upon him. After Job had lost all his family, except
for his wife, and his great possessions, wealth and health, he is first comforted, and then accused
by his closest friends. Based on human reason and understanding, Jobs friends surmised that
Job must have committed some secret sin, for they were under the presupposition that the
righteous prosper and the wicked suffer. Since Job was suffering, he obviously was wicked. Job
based on his personal experience, knew he wasnt wicked, and had no hidden sins, but could not
explain why Gods blessing had been removed and his life was one of abject desolation. Job
argued with his friends, but his real complaint was against God. Based on Jobs knowledge of
good and evil, what had happened to him was unjust and unfair. Job wanted an audience with
God where he could voice his complaints. It is in this context that God appears to confront Job.
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The encounter of God with Job is recorded in the 38ththrough 42ndchapters of the book of Job
and I would encourage you to read it in its entirety, but I will give you the highlights.
Job 38:1-5 KJV
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
God goes on to ask Job a series of questions Job could not possibly know the answer to. This
series of questions continues all the way to Job chapter 40.
Job 40:1-8 KJV
Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said,
2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer
it.
3 Then Job answered the Lord, and said,
4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
6 Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
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8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
Job admits his mistake when realizes that his judgments are vial and have no merit when
compared to the judgments, power and authority of God. God, however, is not finished, and
pronounces the whole issue with precision and clarity. Will you condemn me, so you can be
righteous? This is the entire history of human morality and railings against the creator, from
Eden until now. We the creature, want to accuse the creator, based on our understanding of good
and evil, so that God will be condemned and we will be justified. God at this point is not
satisfied with Jobs contrition and gives him another two chapters of questions that Job cant
answer, and demonstrations of His power, which help Job truly understand his place in relation
to the creator of the universe.
Job 42:1-6 KJV
Then Job answered the Lord, and said,
2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood
not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Job acknowledges his ignorance, and declares Gods righteousness, based on the
character, nature and power of God. Job abases himself and exalts the Creator, repenting in dust
and ashes. At this point God restores Job, along with his wealth, health and new children, but as
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far as we know, God never gives Job a reason for the trials and suffering that came his way. God
did not tell Job I was trying to prove a point to Satan, or Im going to use your life as an object
lesson to teach others about my greatness or glory, or Im doing this to show that sometimes the
righteous suffer, but God is still in control. God didnt tell Job any of these things, rather He
basically said, Im God and youre not.
After looking at this account of Job, you may be thinking to yourself, this is the most
horrific, immoral story I have ever heard. Because of Gods ego and boasting, Job ends up
suffering and being tormented. When Job wants to know why all this is happening to him, God
berates and belittles him instead of giving him comfort. The lessons of this story seem to be
more along the lines of do not be over righteous or God might bet on you, or that God is a
cosmic tyrant that does what He wants when He wants, and do not dare question His intentions,
method or authority. Once again, from a human perspective, these are completely valid
conclusions to the story of Job, but once again, this is precisely the problem. We, like Job, are
using our internal moral compass and template of good and evil, to judge the One who is beyond
good and evil. [explain this?] The whole point of the book of Job is that God is God and we are
not. We cannot even begin to think that our limited knowledge and wisdom can allow us to
judge a Being whose knowledge and wisdom is infinite, absolute, and perfect. Until we come to
the place of realization like Job, of who we are and who God is, like Job, we will try and justify
ourselves by condemning the almighty.
Let me give you one more example of why our judgment of good and evil is lacking
before we move on to other topics. This example I first saw while reading Voltaire, but it can
also be found in many folk tales and stories from the Middle East.
The Hermit
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From the French of Voltaire.
IN the reign of King Moabdar there lived at Babylon a young man named Zadig. He was
handsome, rich and naturally good-hearted; and at the moment when this story opens, he was
travelling on foot to see the world, and to learn philosophy and wisdom. But, hitherto, he had
encountered so much misery, and endured so many terrible disasters, that he had become
tempted to rebel against the will of Heaven, and to believe that the Providence which rules the
world neglects the good and lets the evil prosper. In this unhappy spirit he was one day walking
on the banks of the Euphrates, when he chanced to meet a venerable hermit, whose snowy beard
descended to his girdle, and who carried in his hand a scroll which he was reading with attention.
Zadig stopped, and made him a low bow. The hermit returned the salutation with an air so
kindly, and so noble, that Zadig felt a curiosity to speak to him. He inquired what scroll was that
which he was reading.
It is the Book of Destiny, replied the hermit; would you like to read it?
He handed it to Zadig; but the latter, though he knew 86 a dozen languages, could not understand
a word of it. His curiosity increased.
You appear to be in trouble, said the kindly hermit.
Alas! said Zadig, I have cause to be so.
If you will allow me, said the hermit, I will accompany you. Perhaps I may be useful to you. I
am sometimes able to console the sorrowful.
Zadig felt a deep respect for the appearance, the white beard, and the mysterious scroll of the old
hermit, and perceived that his conversation was that of a superior mind. The old man spoke of
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destiny, of justice, of morality, of 87 the chief good of life, of human frailty, of virtue, and of
vice, with so much power and eloquence, that Zadig felt himself attracted by a kind of charm,
and besought the hermit not to leave him until they should return to Babylon.
I ask you the same favour, said the hermit. Promise 88 me that, whatever I may do, you will
keep me company for several days.
Zadig gave the promise; and they set forth together.
That night the travellers arrived at a grand mansion. The hermit begged for food and lodging for
himself and his companion. The porter, who might have been mistaken for a prince, ushered
them in with a contemptuous air of welcome. The chief servant showed them the magnificent
apartments; and they were then admitted to the bottom of the table, where the master of the
mansion did not condescend to cast a glance at them. They were however, served with delicacies
in profusion, and after dinner washed their hands in a golden basin set with emeralds and rubies.
They were then conducted for the night into a beautiful apartment: and the next morning, before
they left the castle, a servant brought them each a piece of gold.
The master of the house, said Zadig, as they went their way, appears to be a generous man,
although a trifle haughty. He practises a noble hospitality. As he spoke, he perceived that a kind
of large pouch which the hermit carried appeared singularly distended; within it was the golden
basin, set with precious stones, which the old man had purloined. Zadig was amazed; but he said
nothing.
At noon the hermit stopped before a little house, in which lived a wealthy miser, and once more
asked for hospitality. An old valet in a shabby coat received them very rudely, showed them into
the stable, and set before them a few rotten olives, some mouldy bread, and beer which had
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turned sour. The hermit ate and drank with as much content as he had shown the night before;
then, 89 addressing the old valet, who had kept his eye upon them to make sure that they stole
nothing, he gave him the two gold pieces which they had received that morning, and thanked him
for his kind attention. Be so good, he added, as to let me see your master.
The astonished valet showed them in.
Most mighty signor, said the hermit, I can only render you my humble thanks for the noble
manner in which you have received us. I beseech you to accept this golden basin as a token of
my gratitude.
The miser almost fell backwards with amazement. The hermit, without waiting for him to
recover, set off with speed with his companion.
Holy Father, said Zadig, what does all this mean? You seem to me to resemble other men in
nothing. You steal a golden basin set with jewels from a Signor who 90 receives you with
magnificence, and you give it to a curmudgeon who treats you with indignity.
My son, replied the hermit, this mighty lord, who only welcomes travellers through vanity,
and to display his riches, will henceforth grow wiser, while the miser will be taught to practise
hospitality. Be amazed at nothing, and follow me.
Zadig knew not whether he was dealing with the most foolish or the wisest of all men. But the
hermit spoke with such ascendency that Zadig, who besides was fettered by his promise, had no
choice except to follow him.
That night they came to an agreeable house, of simple aspect, and showing signs neither of
prodigality nor avarice. The owner was a philosopher, who had left the world, and who studied
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peacefully the rules of virtue and of wisdom, and who yet was happy and contented. He had built
this calm retreat to please himself, and he received the strangers in it wi
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