Faith Without Works Is Dead – Differences of Opinion

 

Faith Without Works Is Dead – Differences of Opinion

 

Many others have weighed in on the topic: “Faith Without Works Is Dead”, so I thought I’d add my perspective with perhaps a couple of “new wrinkles”. Note that the scriptural statement is found in the Book of James, in James 2: 20, and as follows in Verse 26:

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Some “differences of opinion” that exist regarding the relationship between “faith” and “works”  reflect differences as to what criteria must be met for believers to receive salvation through the Lord Jesus.  Because of his ties to the Jerusalem Church, the position taken by James was consistent with the doctrine guiding the Nation of Israel’s followers of the Lord Jesus during His Earthly ministry. Three factors were required for an Israelite to receive salvation and become a member of the Jerusalem Church.  They were:  1) believing in the Name of Jesus (signifying that He was their Messiah and the Son of God); 2) repentance; and 3) water baptism. Those “works” had to accompany and demonstrate their “faith”.

Other Bible students have read the same scripture and concluded that the emphasis should be on what was to happen after that same person became a believer in the Lord Jesus.  In this view, the believer was both encouraged and required to perform “good works” as a demonstration of “faith” for others to see. If believers followed James’ instructions, they would positively affect both fellow believers and those who might be influenced to join the church.

At this point I’d encourage you to read the entire Chapter Two of the Book of James, both for the context around the different perspectives, and to see if you agree with either…or both.

 

Before continuing, I want you to consider whether there might be yet another perspective. The differences of opinion noted above were relevant and appropriate for the Jews / Israelites who embraced the Lord Jesus’ Earthly Ministry and the Gospel of the Kingdom. Would anything change the interpretation of that same scripture for us as Christians now, after the Lord Jesus’ Crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and Ascension, under the Gospel of Grace?

 

As Christians and Bible students, I’d first like to remind you of a few fundamental concepts that guide our study and learning today. 

First, the advice given by the Apostle Paul to his protégé` Timothy in 2 Timothy: 16-17:

¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

              Secondly, further advice from the same letter to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2: 15:

¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Thirdly, to provide context during any Bible study, remember the words of Myles Coverdale, who produced the first complete printed English translation of the Bible, in 1535:

“It shall greatly help ye understand the Scriptures if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before and what followeth after.” (https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/18516375.Myles_Coverdale#:~:text=It%20shall%20greatly%20help%20ye,before%20and%20what%20followeth%20after.)

 

With the understanding that we can all benefit in some way from all that is written in the Scripture, we should also understand that not everything in the Bible was written directly to us… especially since we are primarily Gentiles living in this Age of Grace. That is one aspect of “rightly dividing the word”. Some things were written for our learning from the past experiences of others. Others were written for our active doctrine.

As an example, scholars have informed us that the James who authored the scripture in discussion was the half-brother of our Lord Jesus.. The opening of this Book of James, states in James 1: 1:

1 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”

It is apparent that James is writing to the members of the Nation of Israel who have been “scattered” from their homeland. Because of the timing of his letter, it is probable that he was writing to other members of the Jerusalem Church who had gone abroad to escape persecution. That persecution was spearheaded by the notorious Pharisee Saul of Tarsus, who wanted to erase all vestiges of thought related to Jesus Christ. (Acts 8: 1-4; 26: 1-11)

James and the others in the Jerusalem Church were followers of the Lord Jesus during His Earthly ministry, when the Lord preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. Israel was still operating under the social and religious Laws established in the Old Testament as given to Moses.

In the Second Chapter of his letter, James was continuing to provide guidance and leadership to those who believed in Jesus.  He was not addressing the sincerity of their faith in who the Lord Jesus was.  He was however instructing them of their obligation to “do good works” to demonstrate that their hearts had been changed (repentance), to make them more “Christ-like”. The noted Bible scholar Matthew Henry expressed the following in his “Commentary”:

 “This place of Scripture plainly shows that an opinion, or assent to the gospel, without works, is not faith. There is no way to show we really believe in Christ, but by being diligent in good works, from gospel motives, and for gospel purposes. Men may boast to others, and be conceited of that which they really have not. There is not only to be assent in faith, but consent; not only an assent to the truth of the word, but a consent to take Christ. True believing is not an act of the understanding only, but a work of the whole heart.” 

With this interpretation by Matthew Henry, and with the words expressing this sense of “obligation to do works” that James was presenting, there is total consistency with the mindset instilled in all Israelites under the Mosaic Law. Remember they were influenced not only by the Ten Commandments, but also the 613 laws, rules and regulations that governed their behavior towards God, and in the society at large. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/613_commandments) Their doctrine was based on what the Nation of Israel and the people should and should not “do”. “Works”.  For additional commentary on this topic, see: https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-James.html

Now I’d like to offer another perspective.

Remember, now in this current age under the Gospel of Grace, both Gentiles and Jews receive salvation through the single criterion of believing / having faith in what our Lord Jesus has accomplished for us through His suffering; shedding His blood and dying to atone for our sins; and His resurrection gaining victory over man’s enemy death.  He has done it all…for us.  There are no “works” required for our salvation…only faith / believing the scripture. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)

As Christians, today we can rely on this break from the requirements stressed by James in his communications.  That does not mean that we should not perform “good works” after having received our salvation.  The difference is that now, through the sacrifices of our Lord Jesus, we have received the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. That Spirit engages our internal soul/spirit to motivate us to perform “good works” voluntarily!  The scripture tells us that we will receive “rewards” for our “good works”, but we are not required to perform them. However, under either Gospel, voluntarily or as a requirement, “good works” will result in rewards from the Lord. (Matthew 16: 27; Luke 6: 27-35; Romans 4: 1-5; 1 Corinthians 3: 5-15; Colossians 3: 23-24)

It is true that after His Resurrection our Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and imparted the Holy Spirit. However that affected only those who were in His presence at the time. (John 20: 19-23) Further His action at that time was to specifically guide them towards their being able to remit the sins of others. The broader powers of the indwelling Holy Spirit were given to them at Pentecost (Acts 1: 5, 8; 2: 1-2), but their basic message was unchanged. They were still to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom consistent with the Mosaic Laws, as noted above.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

Receiving the Holy Spirit - Speaking in Tongues

 

Receiving the Holy Spirit

 

In a conversation with a Christian friend, the topic of “speaking in tongues” came up. Many Christians have views on this sometimes-controversial subject, so I thought I’d add my “two cents” worth of opinion.

 Up front, I’d like to acknowledge that I personally engage in the practice of speaking in tongues as part of my prayers and communicating with our God. I believe that it is a gift from the Holy Spirit.  I also believe that not all Christians have received this gift, and many do not accept or believe it is a real practice.  For the sake of time, I am not going to delve in depth into that controversy. Further, others have already explored those issues and captured important concepts. For example, see: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/the-gift-of-speaking-in-tongues-and-is-it-for-today.html . Even so, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned on this subject through my Bible study.  First, a little background.

I recalled that some time ago one of my teachers advised that whenever you see a thought or concept repeated in the Bible scripture, it was done by the Holy Spirit for emphasis. Later, I came across a particular theme that was repeated in each of the four Gospels, and again in the writing of the Apostle Paul. That theme in the scripture is that “Jews require a sign.”(Matthew 12: 38, 16:1; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; John 2:18; and 1 Corinthians 1: 22) 

That concept of the people of Israel requiring a “sign” of some sort, was for them to receive evidence of the truth of a statement, or of an as-yet unproven assertion. Remember when Moses was reluctant to obey the LORD who told him to go to Pharaoh and tell him to “Let My people go!”.  Moses knew that in gaining credibility both with the people of Israel, and in facing Pharaoh, he would need something more than his own presence for him to accomplish God’s mission. They all would  “require a sign” that his words had gravity, and indeed that the LORD was with him. The various plagues brought on Egypt when Pharaoh refused were some of those signs. (https://www.gotquestions.org/ten-plagues-Egypt.html )  In another example, when our Lord Jesus came during His earthly ministry, a primary reason for His performing so many miracles was to give signs to prove to the people of the Nation of Israel that He was their long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracles_of_Jesus ; https://www.gotquestions.org/miracles-of-Jesus.html )

With that background, I want to discuss “speaking in tongues” as “the sign” that a Christian has received the indwelling Holy Spirit as evidence / proof that he / she has been accepted of God and received salvation.  

Most Bible students are aware of the first mention of speaking in tongues. It was on that special day during the Feast of Pentecost following the Ascension of our Lord Jesus.  The Book of Acts, Chapter Two, tells how the Disciples and others who had followed the Lord had gathered in one house as the Lord had instructed them.  The scripture further states: “…suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind…and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them… and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2: 1-4)  The scripture goes on to describe the impact of those signs, adding: “…there were at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad , the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” ( Acts 2: 5-8)

In looking at the significance of these signs / miracles, I’d like to review them both in the context of  our subject: “Receiving the Holy Spirit”, and some earlier events in the scripture. Remember that the link that ties speaking in tongues results from a Christian’s having received the indwelling Holy Spirit… and that gift of receiving the Holy Spirit was linked to having received Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of my teachers guided my understanding that prior to the events related to our Lord’s First Advent, the Scripture did not mention the Holy Ghost (Spirit). It was John the Baptist who declared: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost (Spirit), and with fire: (Matthew 3: 11). It was later near the end of His Earthly Ministry, on the evening of His Resurrection, that our Lord Jesus suddenly appeared to His Disciples. As they met, “He breathed on them, and saith unto them, ‘Receive ye the Holy Ghost’:…(John 20: 19-22)  This act of His imparting the Holy Spirit was done in the privacy / seclusion of only His followers, and it fulfilled the first part of John the Baptist’s prophecy.  As noted above, the later “baptism with fire” was accomplished on the Day of Pentecost. The results of that baptism were very widely / publicly aired to large numbers of people so that those who believed in the Lord and those who didn’t could see the “signs” He left with His followers.  At Pentecost, these were primarily Jews, and…”Jews required a sign.”

All that was accomplished by the Lord Jesus to further His message to the Nation of Israel regarding the Gospel of the Kingdom. He had previously announced that He had come to fulfill their prophetic goals and was the Messiah they were awaiting. He sought their repentance / change of mind towards believing Him. (Mark 1: 14-15) Even after His rejection by Israel that led to His Crucifixion…, and the “signs of speaking in tongues” given to His disciples…His Apostle Peter continued to urge Israel to believe in Him as their Messiah, but to no avail. Although many repented, the Nation as a whole did not follow. (Acts 2: 14-38, 39-47)

Some Christians are not aware that it was the Apostle Peter who the Ascended Lord sent first to a group of Gentiles to bring them Salvation.  Peter’s impact on the House of the Roman Centurion Cornelius was a surprising success in many ways, including Peter’s message related to the Gospel of the Kingdom. Perhaps most so was these Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit as evidenced by their speaking in tongues, without first repenting of their sins and receiving water baptism as was the custom for the Jews begun by John the Baptist. (Acts Chapter 10) That was Peter’s only ministry to Gentiles. From then on, the Lord sent the Apostle Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) and later his colleagues to the Gentiles.

Many years later, the Scripture notes that individual Jews continued to receive salvation through the baptism of repentance in the name of the Lord Jesus…under the Gospel of the Kingdom. Interestingly enough, this was accomplished by the Apostle Paul as he visited synagogues during his early missionary trips. Although others may have preceded him in spreading the word about the Lord Jesus, it was Paul who brought the knowledge and gifts of the Holy Spirit, including speaking in tongues by the laying of his hands on them. (Acts 19: 1-8)

On the other hand, during this Age of Grace…under the Gospel of Grace given to the Apostle Paul by the Ascended Lord Jesus…whether Jew or Gentile, we don’t need a “sign” to convince us to receive our Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.  We have received the indwelling Holy Spirit through faith in God’s love and grace. We Christians believe by faith that our Lord Jesus is the Son of God; that He took our sins away through His suffering and the shedding of His blood and death on Calvary’s Cross; that He was buried; and that He arose victorious over death on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13). With that knowledge, we have received the eternal salvation of our souls / spirits and many other blessings in this world. 

Importantly, the Scripture has informed us that our Lord Jesus has accepted all believers as members of His Body…the Body of Christ.  As such each of us have been given “gifts” from the indwelling Holy Spirit, as He influences our soul / spirit. Among these gifts given to various members are: “speaking in tongues” and “the interpretation of tongues”.  (1 Corinthians Chapter 12)  The gifts of the Holy Spirit are widely varied and are distributed to the members of the Body of Christ to meet the Lord’s priorities. (1 Corinthians 12: 18) We are not to covet the gifts given to others. We have been blessed to have been saved, and to be able to be of service to our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, in this world and the one to come.

Dr. W.A. (Bill) Robinson

The Power of the Blood - Part Two

 

The Power of the Blood – Part Two

 

In Part One of this discussion on “The Power of the Blood”, I simply quoted the two chapters of our Bible that I felt provided special insight into the topic. From the Old Testament I chose Leviticus Chapter 17.  From the New Testament I chose Hebrews Chapter Nine. In this follow-up piece, I’d like to expand on the concepts found in those chapters.

Of the verses in Leviticus Chapter 17, I feel that the most significant ones for us today are Verses 11 and 14, which read respectively:

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

“For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof:…”

 

The fact that “the life of the flesh is in the blood” is cited twice in the Scripture for emphasis as inspired by the Holy Spirit.  I’ve underlined it for additional emphasis, and I’d like to offer two reasons why blood is so critical.

Regarding humans, remember the creation of man. The essence of man is our eternal soul / spirit. That essence was infused first into this temporary, inert body when the LORD God breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2: 7)  Just as oxygen is inhaled through the nostrils into the lungs and then absorbed into the blood, I contend that is the same mechanism through which the soul / spirit enters the blood. Without oxygen and other vital nutrients the body will die.  Without the soul / spirit, man’s body was already without life. When the human body “dies”, the soul / spirit departs and returns to the God who gave it life.

Because man’s soul / spirit has been tainted from having inherited the sin-nature from Adam, so has the blood been made impure / contaminated from God’s perspective.  This Scripture is telling us that God requires that sinful flesh be cleansed by the elimination of the offending blood.  When we were saved, we became “new creations / creatures”. (2 Corinthians 5: 17) Our soul / spirit became “housed” in Christ Jesus.  As He is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4: 14-17) He has already shed His blood to atone for our sins. Further, His new, glorious body is made of flesh and bone…with no blood!  After we leave these earthen bodies, in our resurrected form we also will have a new body fashioned after His glorious body made of flesh and bone…with no blood!  (Philippians 3: 20-21)

Now when you return to the Scriptures above in Leviticus Chapter 17, note that the reference is to the blood being the “life of all flesh”, not just that of mankind. Science tells us that several other species of animals have blood, among which are vertebrates (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish), among others. The life of these creatures is also in the blood…but none has a soul / spirit as man does. So why did God command the people of Israel: “Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh…”?  I have a theory based on other Scripture references.

Remember that when Adam sinned against God he lost dominion over the earth and its creatures.  That dominion was “over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1: 26) …and includes all creatures of flesh whose life is in the blood. Remember also that it was Lucifer / Satan who gained that dominion when Adam lost it. That Enemy of God and man became the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4: 4) and “prince of the power of the air”. (Ephesians 2: 2) As such he has contaminated the blood of all these creatures and their environments, making their blood ineligible to serve as “an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17: 11)

Stop to consider why the people of Israel had to continually sacrifice animals by shedding the animal’s blood to “atone” for the sins of the people.  God gave the Nation of Israel this means to “cover” their sins on a regular basis, including the annual observance of their Highest Holy Days (Yom Kippur). It wasn’t just the shedding of any blood that would accomplish atonement in the eyes of God.  We have since learned that “True Atonement” could only be achieved through the shedding of the sinless, uncontaminated blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. [See the Book of Hebrews Chapter Nine.] When we as Christians share our Communion with Him, and we drink the wine as He did with His Disciples, by faith we understand that the wine represents the blood He shed for the remission of our sins. (Matthew 26: 27-28; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26)

The power of the blood of our Lord Jesus was so great, that it not only made atonement for the sins of those who believe in Him, but amazingly for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2: 1-2)  When God considers the tremendous pain and suffering endured by His Beloved Son on the way to, and on the Cross on our behalf, to save us from the penalty of death…and having offered mankind the option to simply believe in Christ and what He has done to enable us to receive eternal life…how can anyone seriously blame Him for their poor choices or outcome?  (John 3:16)(1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)  Whether or not we receive the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and eternal life is up to each of us. (Romans 3: 22-26)

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

Interesting Sequence of Bible Events from the Creation of Man

 

Interesting Sequence of Bible Events from the Creation of Man

 

1.      Adam was created “in the image and likeness of God (Elohim)”. He was an invisible, eternal soul and spirit, housed in a perfect, visible, earthen, physical body. (Genesis 1: 26-28; 2: 7,18, 21-25)

2.      One of the first points of interest was our learning how an otherwise perfect man could be drawn to sin against his Creator. Further, that enticement had three components: lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life (Genesis 3:6)…and could be delivered by an unknown enemy, or a trusted entity…even someone close. That same three means of enticement to commit sin that were successfully used by the Serpent against Eve in the Garden of Eden, were unsuccessful when tried against our Lord Jesus (Matthew 4: 1-11). The Enemy continues to tempt us with those same tests even today.

3.       When Adam sinned against His Creator LORD God by eating of the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil, several events followed:

a.      Adam and ”Eve” were forever changed, and those changes affect us even today, as they were passed to future generations through their blood.

b.      Their souls (mind, will and emotions) obtained a new “knowledge of evil” and the ability to distinguish it from the “good” that God had given them. (Change in their “Heart” / a newly developed Conscience).

c.       Their spiritual connection to the LORD God was broken. It was made dormant (like a dead car battery) resulting in their developing a “sin-nature”. Since then, all have been born with this sin-nature. It obtained dominance in their souls without the counter-effects of the natural spirit. Priority in thought and behavior moved to sin/evil over righteousness/good.

d.      Adam became aware of his “nakedness”, having lost the covering glory that was given him when he was given dominion over the Earth. (Genesis 1: 26, 28) He and “Eve” sewed fig leaves together “as aprons” to conceal their bodies’ reproductive areas, and then tried to hide themselves…an act of shame, but also “self-righteousness”.

e.      After hearing their accounts of what led to their disobedience / sin, the LORD God pronounced their punishments, as well as those of the Serpent who instigated the misdeed. Death was the most severe punishment for each of them. The “seed of the woman” would bring death to the Serpent. The physical bodies of Adam and Eve would age / begin to deteriorate and would eventually return to the dust of the earth by the end of the “day” (2 Peter 3: 8 ). Unless determined to be “Righteous” by God at some future point, their eternal soul and spirit would remain separated from God. (https://www.gotquestions.org/second-death.html )

f.        The eternal spirit of the Serpent /Archangel Lucifer / Satan retrieved the dominion over the Earth when Adam lost / forfeited it. He became the “god of this world” (https://www.gotquestions.org/Satan-god-world.html )and “prince of the power of the air”. (https://www.gotquestions.org/prince-power-air.html . He then began his efforts to prevent the LORD God’s death sentence from becoming a reality, and continued his efforts to replace / supplant God as Supreme Being.(Isaiah 14: 12-14) 

g.        Lucifer’s / Satan’s hatred for the man who was made in the image and likeness of God has continued even until today. Since then he has continued to bring pain, suffering, disease, disability, wars, plagues, “natural disasters”, and a host of other ills upon mankind.

h.      However, God is still Supreme Sovereign and on His Throne! As a sovereign act of His Mercy and Grace, the LORD God shed the blood of an innocent animal to clothe Adam and Eve. He replaced the fig leaves they had fashioned for themselves. He replaced their efforts towards “self-righteousness” with His true Righteousness. Through the Scripture He has given us today this insight into how we might overcome the penalty of death for our sins. There must be the shedding of innocent blood. (Hebrews Chapter Nine)

i.        “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:…” then He drove them out of the Garden of Eden and sealed the way behind them. (Genesis 3: 22-24)  Note that in His love for His newly-created being man, God did not want this soul/spirit spending an eternity under the influence of evil / sin.

4.      After having been “evicted” from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Each son followed the alternate paths laid out for mankind. The younger son Abel chose to trust and obey God’s instructions to obtain “true righteousness”. The elder Cain, facing a somewhat more challenging route to obedience, chose to disobey God and follow another voice prompted by the sin-nature, to seek “self-righteousness”. Even after the LORD offered assistance to Cain, he still refused. Motivated by his inability to “do things his way”, and jealous of Abel’s righteous behavior, Cain contended with him and slew him. (Genesis Chapter 4)  As the result of the “potential seed” having been eliminated, it appeared that the Serpent / Lucifer had thwarted the LORD’s effort to destroy him. Abel had been slain. Cain the killer had been banished by the LORD. Fortunately for mankind, God had a different plan.

5.      The Scripture then notes that Cain found a wife in the Land of Nod and began a line of descendants. The Bible doesn’t explain where his wife or many other people originated.  This and many other questions lead us to establish some key points in Scripture:

a.      God doesn’t tell us everything we might want to know, but He does tell us everything we need to know to overcome the death due to us because of our sins.

b.      Deuteronomy 29: 29 states: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God; but those things which are revealed belong to us and our children for ever…”

6.      Many Bible students did not recognize that the behaviors of both Cain and Abel were manifestations of the consequences from their father Adam’s having sinned by eating from the forbidden tree.  Their knowledge of good and evil, and a sin-nature had been inherited through their blood from their father Adam. Abel chose the “good”. Cain chose “evil”. This becomes more clear when you read closely the early verses of Genesis Chapter 5, related to Adam and Eve’s third son Seth. Adam was made “in the likeness of God”. Until Adam ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, he did not know “evil”.  Adam’s son Seth (like Cain and Abel before him) was made in the likeness and image of Adam after his sin. They inherited the consequences of their father’s sin. We too share that inheritance.

 

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson