Hypocrites and Backsliders-007

1. Hypocrites and Backsliders-007 Adam and Eve: Part 2 - mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur ("The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived.")

2. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Mankind:We believe that Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, spiritually alive, and that through one act of personal sin, he died spiritually and acquired a sin nature (Gen. 1:26; 2:17). Since Adam's sin, every member of the human race, excluding Jesus Christ, is born physically alive yet spiritually dead, in a state of total depravity with a genetically transmitted sin nature (Rom. 3:10-17; Isa. 64:6; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 5:12; 6:23). 12/09/07 2

3. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • This state of depravity leaves man totally helpless to produce an eternal relationship with God apart from the saving work of Christ on the Cross and God's policy of grace (Isa. 64:6; Jn. 3:16, 18, 36; Eph. 2:8, 9). • We believe that the human soul was created in the image of God. The image of God refers to the reflection of His divine essence. Man's image reflects God's image in his immaterial makeup. Adam sinned willfully against God's command not to eat of the forbidden tree and died spiritually. That this unidentified fruit wrought a genetic mutation subsequently known as the Sin Nature. 12/09/07 3

4. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Mankind instantly became separated from God and unable to fellowship with Him (Genesis 3:18-19; Romans 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:12). All human beings inherit this sin nature by genetic transference through the male (hence the necessity of the Virgin Conception of Christ). To this sin nature is imputed Adam's original sin (Romans 3:23; 5:12) and each person is therefore born physically alive and spiritually dead. This describes the depravity of all mankind. Man, controlled by the sin nature, wants independence from God. 12/09/07 4

5. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • God condemns mankind and will bring him to judgment (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15). God is fair and offers mankind an alternative through the sacrifice of His Son. Adam and the woman accepted the coats of skins from the hand of the Lord in Genesis 3:21. The shedding of animal (lamb, sheep, goats) blood and the couple's faith in the promised future Savior (Genesis 3:16) enabled them to receive the free gift of eternal life. This became the pattern of recovery for all of mankind. Each individual must personally accept the Savior in order to be removed from judgment (John 3:36). 12/09/07 5

6. Why Are We Here? • Why are there hypocrites and backsliders? • 3 weeks ago we read the personal testimony of many who started their Christian lives with enthusiasm and commitment, but who were, in a relatively short time, so disenchanted with their faith in that they chose to leave Christianity behind, even inviting others to do the same. • How can this be, when God’s Word says: “According as His Divine Power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness...” -- 2 Peter 1:3 12/09/07

7. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind" (1 Peter 2:1). • Christian Hypocrites! • “Those Christians, they say one thing and do another, why should we believe them? Why be a Christian when they are such hypocrites?” • It is true that many Christians are hypocrites and many are worse than the Unbeliever. • Famous preachers have swindled money, cheated on their wives, and manipulated the unsuspecting. 12/09/07

8. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • The Christian Defense: “Do not judge Christianity based on the actions of those who claim to be followers. Judge Christianity solely on the actions and life of Jesus Christ. He never let anyone down. He never abandoned anyone. He was not a hypocrite.” 12/09/07

9. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • But does this address the problem? • Are we destined, as one website says,”If you are Christian, you are a hypocrite.” • Is there no hope to overcome hypocrisy? • Look at the carnage such hypocrisy leaves: 12/09/07

10. Why Are We Here? • What power, what force, would cause people who were so excited about their new-found faith, whose lives have changed so dramatically, to return to their old way of living? • To answer that question we traveled back to the beginning, not just the beginning of their faith in Christ, though we will do that; not just back to the beginning of Christianity, and we will do that too, but back further, to the beginning of mankind, the beginning of the earth, and even before that. 12/09/07

11. Why Are We Here? • We began with an obscure little sentence at the end of 1 Peter 1:12 -- • "Angels long to stoop and look into these things." • What things could it be that angels "long" to look into? • What could it be that humanity has to teach angels? 12/09/07

12. Why Are We Here? • Let us look at the context of the passage to see what it might be: • 10 There were Prophets who earnestly inquired about that salvation, and closely searched into it--even those who spoke beforehand of the grace which was to come to you. 11 They were eager to know the time which the Spirit of Christ within them kept indicating, or the characteristics of that time, when they solemnly made known beforehand the sufferings that were to come upon Christ and the glories which would follow. 12/09/07

13. Why Are We Here? 12 To them it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you, when they foretold the very things which have now been openly declared to you by those who, having been taught by the Holy Spirit which had been sent from Heaven, brought you the Good News. Angels long to stoop and look into these things. 12/09/07

14. Why Are We Here? • So, the angels are aware of some story that even the prophets of the Old testament were kept in the dark about, that are now revealed in the church age believer • Is there anything in the Bible that might shed more light on what it is about us that the angels are interested in? 12/09/07

15. Why Are We Here? • Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons (the angels) of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and accuser) also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, From where did you come? Then Satan answered the Lord, From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it. 8 And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who [reverently] fears God and abstains from and shuns evil [because it is wrong]? 12/09/07

16. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • As an expression of His perfect essence, God chose to have created beings functioning in the universe on the basis of "free will." • He wanted them to express themselves toward Him in a positive attitude from choice and not as a programmed "robot.” • A volitional creature, however, must bow to the consequences God establishes for deviation from His standards. • God permitted volition in the angelic realm. 12/09/07

17. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • God is absolute righteousness. • In God's foreknowledge, He anticipated that the opposite of His perfect righteousness would manifest itself through a volitional creature. • Therefore, He created the Servant Class Creature (Angels) first, and allowed them to rebel, thus setting up an opportunity to create a second being, the Fellowship Class, to resolve the Volitional Conflict Issue through Grace and Regeneration. 12/09/07

18. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • The revolt of the angels: the beginning of the angelic conflict. • What God had anticipated came about and the highest ranked angel expressed negative volition toward God and sinned. Ezk. 28:15-16a, 17a, 18a 12/09/07

19. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • According to Isaiah 14:12, his name was Lucifer (Latin).
The shining one. This was because of his magnificent beauty. • When Satan sinned against God, he was sentenced to the lake of fire for all eternity. Ezek. 28.19b; Mt. 25.41
 • Mt 25:41 Then He will say to those at His left hand, Begone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! • Satan's ultimate goal to win escape from this sentence is to totally discredit and destroy the character and viewpoint of God so as to displace Him as the sovereign of the universe. 
Is. 14.14 12/09/07

20. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • When this final judgment was pronounced on Satan, he then devised what he thought was a "God-proof" escape plan. • We can call it, Satan's Appeal of Love and Fairness: • It is impossible for a loving God to cast His creatures into the lake of fire. • It is unfair to judge a creature for failing when you put into him the capacity to fail, ie, volition. • Thus, for God to be perfectly fair, he must demonstrate the perfect compatibility between all three of those attributes, without compromising any of them. 12/09/07

21. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • The Angelic Conflict • But these concepts are expressed from the viewpoint of a creature who now has a "distorted" mentality and wisdom. Ezek. 28:17,"You corrupted your wisdom" • The fallen angel now has a distorted, corrupt, evil "nature." • In his corruption, he failed to consider the absolute nature of God's righteousness and justice in conjunction with the "impartiality" of His perfect love. 12/09/07

22. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • Our understanding of Satan's "protest" is based on four factors. • That Lucifer’s title was changed to Satan, or Adversary, Accuser, Attorney. • The expression of this very viewpoint by a demon (fallen angel) who visited Eliphaz at Job 4:12-21.
(God is unfair and unloving) 12/09/07

23. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • Job 4:12-21 Now a word was brought to me stealthily, And my ear received a whisper of it. Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men, Dread came upon me, and trembling, And made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed by my face; The hair of my flesh bristled up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice: Can mankind be just before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? He puts no trust even in His servants; And against His angels He charges error. How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth! Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces; Unobserved, they perish forever. 
Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, yet without wisdom. 12/09/07

24. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • The "fact" that Satan’s sentence was pronounced in Eternity Past, yet he is not NOW in the lake of fire; the fact that man was createde after the pronouncement of his sentence; the fact that angels are so interested in humanity, and that Satan has such an interest in the Fall of Man and the prevention of his Salvation, requires a "reasonable" explanation as to "why?" • The expression of this very viewpoint throughout the history of the human race under the influence of Satan's revolution. 12/09/07

25. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • When Satan rebelled against God, God established some kind of "confrontation" or "test period" for the other angels to determine for all time, which angels were on "God's side" and which wanted to follow in Satan's revolt.
 • After this "test period" the lines were drawn, decisions made and two types of angels were now in existence in the universe 12/09/07

26. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • The elect or un-fallen angels who adhered to Divine design.
Hebrews 1:6, angels of God . (1 Tim. 5:21) • The fallen angels, now in active and perpetual rebellion against God and aligned under the ruling authority of Satan to promote his cause. Satan's angels, Rev. 12:7; Mat. 25:41 12/09/07

27. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • Thus we determine that God has delayed execution of sentence on Satan in order to demonstrate to him and to all of creation that He is indeed perfectly fair, righteous and loving. • During this "delay of sentence" period, Satan is constantly attempting to overthrow God's sovereignty. • Only when the absolute sovereignty of God is neutralized can Satan' s volition be independent and unrestricted by God and His character. 12/09/07

28. The Antagonistic Environment: Angelic Conflict • God's vindication of His justice began with the creation of the human race on the very planet that Satan had once inhabited. • The earth. • It is likely that Satan had his original Headquarters on the earth, which at that time was inhabited by non-volitional life forms (such as dinosaurs, etc). • So God put a stop to Satan's possession of the earth and totally destroyed its surface by covering it with water and ice. 2 Pet. 3:5-6 • The earth became: The verb is, hAyAh which is frequently translated, "became." (Gen. 2:7; 19:26; Isaiah 66:2) • Formless: a waste = tohu
Cf. Is. 45:18, it was not created this way. • And empty: bohu - lit., emptiness 12/09/07

29. Creation • The time period between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 is called the “gap”, the period of time between the original creation and the restoration of the earth. • The length of the gap is unknown and can be speculated about through geological discussion. • But the existence of this "gap" is both reasonable and necessary in view of the revealed details of the angelic conflict. • God made the planet earth "unusable" for Satan by turning it into "a wasteland and empty," (Hebrew - tohu and bohu).
CF. Isaiah 45:18; Jer. 4:23-26; Psalm 18:7-15 12/09/07

30. Creation • The earth was then restored and prepared for God's new creation, the human race. Gen. 1:3 through 2:4. • Man was created with the same capacity of volition and given the clear choice between acceptance or rejection of Divine policy. Gen. 2:16-17: • "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it dying you shall die”. 12/09/07

31. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • In Genesis (2:4-2:25), we have the account concerning Adam and Eve, which immediately follows the account of seven days: In the day that Yahweh made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up--for Yahweh had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise up from the earth and water the whole face of the ground then Yahweh formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And Yahweh planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 12/09/07

32. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Out of the ground Yahweh made 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 the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. And the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 12/09/07

33. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Yahweh took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And Yahweh commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." Then Yahweh said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." So out of the ground Yahweh formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was its name. 12/09/07

34. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper as his partner. So Yahweh caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that Yahweh had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 12/09/07

35. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Then Adam said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." • Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. 12/09/07

36. Creation • Adam and Eve became the subject of the “Appeal”, the "test case" for the perfect character of God. • As they remain faithful to divine policy, God's righteousness, justice and love are vindicated. • If they reject divine policy, God's justice is restated and affirmed. "You shall surely die." 12/09/07

37. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Genesis 2:16-17 (YLT) 16 And Jehovah God layeth a charge on the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden eating thou dost eat; 17 and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the day of thine eating of it dying thou dost die.” • In order for Adam to develop into a responsible and loving companion to God, not a mere automaton or slave, it was necessary that God give him a choice: to accept God’s will -- the way of eternal life; or to reject God’s will -- the way of eternal death. 12/09/07

38. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • When one realizes the only possible relationship between perfect Creator and creature, and the unbelievable consequences of creature rebellion, there was no choice on God’s part but to lay down the ultimate for sin. ･“Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, mine Holy One? Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity” (Habakkuk 1:12, 13). 12/09/07

39. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Satan knows that Humans are to determine his fate -- Lake of Fire or Vindication of his claim of unfairness against God. • So he immediately sets about to win the Appeal by enticing the witnesses to join him in rebellion, to “testify on his behalf”, or, at least, to enlist the new creatures in his army. • Let us look at his attempt to corrupt the 1st witnesses: 12/09/07

40. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Let us look at the Eve and her “beguiling”: • The Bible says: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). • Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper as his partner. 12/09/07

41. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • In Genesis (2:4-2:25), we have the account concerning Adam and Eve, which immediately follows the account of seven days: In the day that Yahweh made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up--for Yahweh had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise up from the earth and water the whole face of the ground then Yahweh formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And Yahweh planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 12/09/07

42. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Out of the ground Yahweh made 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 the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. And the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 12/09/07

43. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Yahweh took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And Yahweh commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." Then Yahweh said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." So out of the ground Yahweh formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was its name. 12/09/07

44. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper as his partner. So Yahweh caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that Yahweh had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 12/09/07

45. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Then Adam said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." • Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. 12/09/07

46. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • So Yahweh caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that Yahweh had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then Adam said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." • Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. 12/09/07

47. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man" (KJV) 12/09/07

48. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • Controversy regarding the "rib" continues to the present day, regarding the Sumerian and the original Hebrew words for rib. • The common translation, for example, that of the King James Version, is that אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו means "one of his ribs". • The contrary position is that the term צלע ṣelaʿ, occurring forty-one times in the Tanakh, is most often translated as "side" in general. • "Rib" is, however, the etymologically primary meaning of the term, which is from a root ṣ-l-ʿ, "bend", cognate to Assyrian ṣ人u "rib". 12/09/07

49. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • The Septuagint has μίαν τῶν ｹλευρῶν αὐτοῦ, with ἡ ｹλευρά choosing a Greek term that like the Hebrew ṣelaʿ may mean either "rib", or, in the plural, "side [of a man or animal]" in general. • The specification "one of the ｹλευρά" thus closely imitates the Hebrew text. • The Aramaic form of the word is עלע ʿalaʿ, which appears, also in the meaning "rib", in Daniel 7:5. 12/09/07

50. Hypocrites and Backsliders: Human Nature and the Christian Life • DUE to the pre-eminence of the Adamic creation story in western civilization, no portion of the human skeleton has generated more literary consideration than the ribs. • That anatomical part was especially intriguing, before the rise of modern science, because it is commonly believed that all human males had one less rib than females. • The beginning of the clash between biology and religion can be traced to Andreas Vesalius, the founder of modern anatomy, who boldly stated that the rib cages of both sexes contain the same number of bones. 12/09/07