Must You LOATHE Yourself
To Become A Christian?
So said Job upon repentance. These words are recorded in Job
42:6. To abhor means "to shrink from in fear, disgust or hatred;
to detest." It is perhaps one of the strongest English words to connote
total revulsion and loathing.
This powerful scripture, together with Jeremiah 17:9, "The
heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked..." has been
one of the most potent "proof texts" concerning what is repentance, and
what is human nature!
Is complete revulsion toward self; utter loathing
of one's self what Job experienced?
Is it a sin to have even the slightest amount of
self-respect, self-confidence, self-love? Does human nature contain a part of
Satan's nature?
"REPENT!" Surely this has been the single most
important word at the conclusion of countless thousands of sermons.
Jesus said, "REPENT, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"
(Matthew 4:17). John the Baptist cried, "Repent ye: for the Kingdom of
heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 3:2), and Peter said, at the conclusion of his
famous sermon on the Day of Pentecost, ". . . Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
"Repent" means to "feel sorry or self-reproachful for what
one has done or failed to do; be conscience-stricken or contrite, or to feel
such regret or dissatisfaction over some past action, intention or thought as to
change one's mind."
A third dictionary definition is "to feel so contrite over
one's sins as to change, or decide to change, one's way; be penitent."
The Bible gives outstanding examples of what repentance
wrought in the lives of men. When Job finally saw through his self-righteousness
and repented, he used the famous words, "Wherefore I abhor
myself and repent in dust and ashes"! David's famous Psalm of repentance
(Psalm 51) is a particularly heartrending example of self-deprecation, sorrow,
contrition and humble prayer to God for forgiveness.
The apostle Paul became the writer of 14 books of the Bible,
one of the most famous of all the apostles and the man to whom we are indebted
for a great share of the New Testament of the Word of God, due to the
miraculous CHANGE wrought in his character after repentance, by the power
of God's Holy Spirit!
Paul never abandoned the subject of that miraculous change,
flavoring his sermons and his writings liberally with the fact that where,
formerly, he had been "Saul the destroyer," hailing terrified men and women into
prison, persecuting "that way" of God, now he had been completely
converted, and was preaching the name of the very Jesus Christ of Nazareth
whom he had formerly hated.
Paul referred to himself as "not fit to be an apostle," as
"chief among sinners," and said, on one occasion, "O wretched man that I am"!
(Romans 7:24).
Repent of WHAT?
The apostle Paul said that, upon repentance, one was to be
baptized "for the remission of SINS . . ." Surely the simplest Bible definition
of sin is found in 1 John 3:4: ".. . Sin is the transgression of the
law."
However, remember that Jesus Christ came to "magnify the law
and make it honorable." He did magnify the Ten Commandments of God by His entire
life's work, teaching and example. The most outstanding evidence of this is in
the beautiful and moving "sermon on the mount," found in Matthew 5,6 and 7.
Here, again and again, Christ illustrates the vast difference between the
technical "letter of the law" (thou shalt not kill) and MAGNIFIES God's
law by showing that whereas it was formerly a sin to murder, now it is a
sin of equal gravity to HATE your brother!
Time and time again, Jesus Christ lifts the law of God to an
exalted plane of spiritual applicability.
Where formerly the deed was that which
constituted sin, now the lust for the deed, or the THOUGHT of the deed,
constitutes sin!
Clearly, when one repents, one must feel, deeply,
sorrow and contrition over having broken the many tenets and ramifications
of God's law! It must be a far more profound repentance than the human
sorrow directed inward as SELF-PITY! (2 Corinthians 7:10).
However, the word "repent" does not deal only with the
past. It does not mean merely to repent of past sins, but connotes
the heartfelt desire and determination to CHANGE.
It is a twofold decision.
It is an emotional feeling of disgust directed toward oneself
over past acts and thoughts, and it is a careful, fully considered,
intelligent CHOICE to quit sinning—in the FUTURE. As such, it is obvious
that repentance has everything to do with human nature.
Just What IS Human Nature?
Your Bible says Jesus Christ was human.
But did He have what we commonly call "human nature"?
IF human nature contains, in any small measure, a part of the
"nature of Satan," as some have assumed, the question above takes
on the gravest significance.
Let's begin at the beginning.
When God placed the first man and woman on this earth, He
made them in His exact physical image, and He breathed into their
nostrils and lungs the breath of life.
They became living, breathing creatures (nephesh, in
the Hebrew), and they had human nature.
They were completely neutral toward God. God walked
and talked with them, and they evinced no fear, but willingly and cheerfully
listened to His instructions.
The Bible does not tell us how many hours of conversation
ensued, but it was sufficient following the creation of man on the sixth
day and that first Sabbath day during creation week that it could have
constituted far more than 24 hours of repeated contact with God.
Eventually, perhaps on the very next day (was it the
very first "Sunday"?), Satan the devil entered the scene.
In their blithe innocence, the man and woman (the woman
taking the lead) listened, willingly, to the voice of Satan, who appeared as a
serpentine (dragon-like, standing upright) creature.
He subtly began implying that God had withheld vital
knowledge from them. In effect, he called God a liar.
He asked them leading questions, and began appealing to their
sense of vanity; to human lust and appetite.
Especially he attempted to appeal to intellect, subtly
implying that God was withholding vital secrets, piquant and interesting
information, and that God "knew better" than what He had said!
Desiring this new knowledge (illustrated by the fruit of
the forbidden tree), Eve ate, gave to her husband, and he followed her in
original sin!
Now notice the shocking change.
Prior to this time, the original couple had been completely
"neutral" toward God. They were not in terror of Him; did not find His presence
or His voice foreboding, threatening or frightening. Adam cheerfully named all
the animals and creatures as God caused them to pass before him, and the two of
them listened to His instructions with equanimity. They were unaware of shame,
or fear, or guilt. Though naked, they were unembarrassed.
Now, following original sin, a TREMENDOUS CHANGE had been
wrought!
But was this a CHANGE in the nature of MAN? Or was it
a change in man's relationship to God? We shall see!
Your Bible says, "The carnal mind is enmity against
God; it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be"! (Romans 8:7).
Now, when God called out to Adam and Eve, He found them
hiding, fearful of His presence, ashamed of their nakedness (they had
made "aprons" out of large leaves) and their timorous reply seems to contain a
partial spirit of accusation. They heard His voice, they were afraid
and, therefore, they hid themselves.
Like naughty children, each attempted to absolve himself of
blame. Adam pointed to Eve, Eve pointed to the serpent, and each attempted to
point the finger of guilt away from himself.
Is any story of the Bible more familiar than that of Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden?
Yet how misunderstood is this account of original
sin!
That it was SIN they committed we are sure!
For example: They disobeyed their only Parent,
therefore breaking the Fifth Commandment; they reached out and stole that
which was not theirs to take, breaking the Eighth Commandment; they
lusted and coveted, thus breaking the Tenth Commandment; and they allowed
Satan the devil to become their final authority, allowed him to
stand in place of God, and therefore broke the First Commandment!
Of course, if you break even one point of the law of
God, you are guilty of all! (James 2:10).,
But what about human nature PRIOR to the encounter with Satan
in the Garden of Eden?
Many thousands have been taught that human nature contains a
part of Satan's nature.
The teaching goes something like this: "We know that Satan is
the god of this world [2 Corinthians 4:4 ]. He is also called the
'prince of the power of the air...’" (Ephesians 2:2).
"Satan somehow 'broadcasts' his evil spirit and nature, his
mind and his thoughts and attitudes through the air.
"Since all of us human beings breath in this air; since we
are surrounded at all times by an envelope of air as a part of the
physical sphere (atmosphere) of this earth, it is obvious that we live, move and
breath in Satan’s world.
"Human nature, therefore, contains a part of the very
nature of Satan the devil!"
There may be far greater elaborations on this teaching, but,
in a nutshell, that is the essence of it.
But is it true?
Can it be proved from the Bible?
It is absolutely essential for you to realize one vital TRUTH
concerning Satan the devil!
One Satan, in One Place, at One Time!
From the very beginning of the Bible it is clear that Satan
the devil can only be in one place at one time!
Immediately, at the end of creation week, we see Satan the
devil physically manifesting himself in serpentine form to Adam and Eve, in his
desperate attempt to wreck and destroy God's creation!
When we study Isaiah 14 with Ezekiel 28, and come to
understand that the world was created in total, flawless perfection; that
there was an original "Star Wars" billions of years prior to the creation
week of Genesis the first chapter, we can also understand how Satan was once a
great archangel who ruled over this earth!
The aforementioned scriptures, together with others, prove
that Satan was one of the three angels of "archangel" rank! There are only
three angels of this supreme rank who are at the level of "cherubs" who are
mentioned by name.
They are Lucifer (who became Satan), Michael and Gabriel.
Apparently (Revelation 12:4), each one of these great angelic
beings was placed over one third of the angels.
Satan rebelled against God (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28) and
literally attempted to overthrow the Creator, exalting his (Satan's)
throne above the throne of God!
The original, flawless creation was NOT created in chaos and
confusion (Isaiah 45:18). Yet, when we are ushered upon the scene in the second
verse of Genesis, the very first chapter, we find that the earth had become
totally "tohu and bohu" (Hebrew words meaning "chaotic, vain, empty, waste,
confused").
Now, as we witness the end of what is truly a
"recreation," we see Satan the devil standing immediately at the
center of events, attempting once more to destroy God's greatest
creation, man. Satan was personally present—in one place at one time—in Eden.
Now turn to and read segments of the first and second
chapters of Job.
"Now there was a day when the sons of God [angels] came to
present themselves before the Eternal, and Satan came also among them.
"And the Eternal said unto Satan, whence comest thou? Then
Satan answered the Eternal, and said, from going to and fro in the earth,
and from walking up and down in it" (Job 1:6, 7).
Now notice chapter 2: "Again there was a day when the sons of
God came to present themselves before the Eternal, and Satan came also among
them to present himself before the Eternal.
"And the Eternal said unto Satan, hast thou considered my
servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright
man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? And still he holdest fast
his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without
cause" (Job 2:1-3).
These scriptures absolutely prove that Satan the devil
is in one place, at one time!
The concept outlined earlier concerning Satan being
able to "broadcast" via the "air" is absolutely false.
This concept assumes that Satan the devil has a
counterfeit" of the very Spirit of God! In other words, it assumes that
Satan is able to project his mind and his power; that he is able
to emit "thought waves" or, through some powerful spiritual means, such as the
invisible waves of radio or television in the air, project his mind, his
influence and his power in all directions away from himself!
This is Simply NOT TRUE!
You will see this clearly proved, once and for all!
Notice that Satan had to go from the presence of God
back down to earth, and to be instantly and immediately in the
vicinity of Job in order to wreak his terrible afflictions upon him. He
could not will this to happen from afar.
Now turn to and read the fourth chapter of Matthew.
Here you find Satan once again literally, "physically" (for
he manifested himself so he could be seen) present with Jesus Christ at
the end of Christ's 40-day fast!
Satan was no doubt literally present with Herod when
he attempted to have Jesus slain by killing all of the newborn children
in Judea about one year from the time of Jesus' birth!
In Revelation the 12th chapter, you see two attempts
of Satan the devil to mount up an offensive against God in heaven!
On both occasions, Satan the devil is cast down
to the earth!
Read James 4:7! This scripture plainly tells you that, if you
are close to God; if you have the presence of God's Holy Spirit within
you; you can by the name and the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth "resist
the devil and he will FLEE FROM you"! He will be no more in your
immediate vicinity.
You need not fear the false concept that Satan the
devil is able to "broadcast" through some strange "spiritual brain waves his
evil nature and his evil temptations through the air!
Human nature, believe it or not, is a mixture of good
and evil!
Yes, though some refuse to admit it, there is some GOOD mixed
with a very unhealthy amount of evil within human nature!
On the other hand, David said, "There is none good, no not
one," and Jesus Christ said to the young nobleman, "Why callest thou me good?"
(Matthew 19:17).
Did this mean that Jesus was "bad"?
The Greek word which is used in Matthew 19:17 is "agathos."
The root "aga" is used for 16 different Greek words, including the word "agape,"
which is the most common word used in the New Testament for love.
Examples are "agathoergeon" (to work good, or do good), "agathopoiia"
(well-doing, virtue), "agalliasis" (exultation; gladness, exceeding joy).
The word Jesus used which is translated "good" means nothing
more than any other common English expression such as "It is a good day"; "this
is good food"; "He is a good boy"; or "I had a good time."
However, by its emphasis and its position in the sentence, it
is obvious Jesus is using the word "good" in its superlative form!
In English we say something is "good, better, best." "Best"
is the superlative, and the other two are relative terms.
In Jesus' usage, He is insisting that only God is "good,"
meaning wholly good, completely good, thoroughly good, on
an exalted, spiritual, holy level!
Here He is contrasting Himself in human form,
as a human being, with human limitations and a human, physical lifespan,
with the eternal glories of GOD!
His disclaimer was not false humility.
This does not mean we, in this age, or the disciples who knew
Jesus personally should not have referred to Him as good!
For, not only was He "good," He was PERFECT!
As you well know, the word "good" is capable of many
subtle shadings of meanings; becomes a completely relative term in
judging the value, beauty, purity, efficacy or qualities of some word, deed,
thought, object or person.
Jesus is not saying there was nothing good about Him;
that there was "no good thing" within Him, and was most certainly
not saying that He was "bad"!
Jesus was human. He was ". . . in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin. . . " (Hebrews 4:15).
Must We Feel Utter
Revulsion Toward Ourselves?
Probably you are familiar with a few of the following
scriptures: ". . . Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity!
(Psalms 39:5).
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked [sick]: who can know it? I the Eternal; search the heart, I try the
reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit
of his doings" (Jeremiah 17:9, 10).
"The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. Corrupt
are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good
... every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become
filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Psalms 53:1-3).
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God" (Romans 7:18).
And, finally, "O wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24).
Many a powerful sermon has been preached using these and
other scriptures as "proof texts" concerning the horrible EVIL, to be found in
human nature!
The enormity of sin; the utter depravity, brutality,
mercilessness, savagery and bitter cynicism and hypocrisy of human nature
has been poignantly illustrated.
Certainly a sermon buttressed by the aforementioned
scriptures, together with a liberal number of examples of child abuse, theft,
sexual perversions, arson and murder, plus references to the holocaust
perpetrated against the Jews by Adolf Hitler and his gang, would be sufficient
to convince many an audience of the abysmal depths to which humankind has sunk.
But is it a "sin" for one to have even the slightest amount
of SELF-confidence, self-awareness, self-appreciation or love
toward oneself
When Job said, "Wherefore I abhor myself," did he imply a
life-long exercise of daily abhorrence, utter rejection, hatred, denial and
feelings of repulsion toward himself?
Or was his feeling more a temporary one, seeing
himself, for the first time, in glaring comparison with the greatness and
divinity of God; seeing his self- will; his SELF-righteousness and,
temporarily, being thoroughly DISGUSTED with himself, which could then become
replaced with feelings of self-satisfaction and a growing and gradual
feeling of self-worth and value?
Is there, after all, nothing good whatsoever in human
nature?
Is human nature WHOLLY EVIL,?
Why Did God Call it GOOD?
On the evening of the sixth day of creation (RE-CREATION,
actually) "…God saw everything that He had made [ including Adam and Eve
], and, behold, it was VERY GOOD"!
Genesis 1:27 refers to the creation of Adam and Eve, and we
are given a few more details in the second chapter.
"And the Eternal God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
soul"(Hebrew nephesh) (Genesis 2:7).
Notice especially Genesis 2:25: "And they were both naked,
the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
WHY does God tell us this?
First He tells us that He, the member of the God family who
became Jesus Christ (read John 1 and Hebrews 1) formed the "clay model"
out of the mud of this earth—shaping, modeling, sculpting, if you will, a
human form, as if a replica of Almighty God Himself!
Was this good? Is there anything "evil" or
"satanic" about the human physiological aspect?
No, God beheld His creation and said that it is "very
good"! No doubt Adam and Eve were given human bodies! They were created
flawless, for they were the only human beings from that time to this
who were created directly out of the ground by the very hands of God!
Could there have been the slightest flaw, imperfection, error
or deformity in these two perfect human beings?
Was there something about their bodies which was inherently
evil?
No! Not only does God tell us His creation was "very
good," but we are given the further information that the minds of
Adam and Eve were completely innocent, happily and contentedly neutral
toward God (without any fear, hostility or antagonism), and that, looking
upon each other, though naked, they were completely without SHAME!
No GUILT was present!
No concept of ugliness, embarrassment or the feeling that
they were in some way "exposed."
By analogy, consider a tiny, sweet, innocent baby.
Do our little children, prior to the months and years we
spend training them to keep their bodies clothed; reminding little girls
of how they are expected to sit; how they should wear their skirts and dresses,
the different manner in which a girl crosses her legs as compared to a boy;
become embarrassed when we are changing their diapers, giving them a
bath, or carrying them about without a stitch of clothing on their little
bodies?
Naturally not. It has never entered their innocent little
minds that their nakedness carries with it any shame.
In that sense, Adam and Eve were completely "childlike"
in their innocence!
Like a trusting baby, they looked toward their only
Father, God Almighty Himself, with wide-eyed innocence, trust, faith, love
and without any feelings of fear, hostility or shame.
However, just as there lies buried deep within the
subconsciousness of even the sweetest little child a capacity for anger,
resentment, hostility, embarrassment, shame and guilt, so there was,
inherently within Adam and Eve (for they were merely human, after
all), the capacity for evil and fearful emotions and motives.
Notice that God forbade them to partake of a specific tree!
It was not the tree of merely the knowledge of EVIL, but the tree of the
knowledge of a MIXTURE of BOTH "good and evil"!
Few have noticed this, tending to place all the emphasis on
the fact that they were forbidden to eat of the fruit; that it was a sin for
them to do so; that this represented the "fall of man"; and that their natures
became contaminated, and evil, as a result.
But notice!
The tree contained the knowledge of an admixture of TWO
things!
It contained both GOOD and EVIL!
Notice what God said! "And the Eternal God said, 'Behold, the
man has 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'; therefore the Eternal God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden. . ."
(Genesis 3:22, 23).
Notice that your Bible plainly says the Almighty Creator God
KNOWS "both good and evil"!
Does God here say that Adam and Eve had become AS ONE OF
US"!
What's the difference?
God, in His flawless, divine perfection, though
KNOWING what is evil; recognizing it instantly, knowing the glaring
difference between good and evil, is nevertheless supreme, divine and of
righteous character!
Almighty God has the character and the ability
to CHOOSE the good; to reject the evil, and to RULE HIMSELF with a
PERFECT divine control!
Was Satan "In the Air" Adam Breathed?
Remember the false teaching revealed earlier?
Some have assumed that, when our newborn babies gasp their
first breath of air, they somehow imbibe a part of the very "nature of
the devil," since he is called the "prince of the power of the air"
(Ephesians 2: 2).
What a hideous concept!
Consider! When the divine member of the God family (who
became Jesus Christ and was manifested as a human being) had finished forming
and shaping the first man out of the clay of this earth, He, that divine
member of the God family, "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life"!
One pictures the process of artificial respiration; where, as later
developments in first aid have proven it is most effective to place your
mouth directly over the mouth of a victim who is no longer breathing and blow
directly into the lungs of that person, thus inflating the lungs in
the most direct and instantaneous fashion.
This method of "mouth-to-mouth resuscitation" has completely
replaced the old method of pressure on the rib cage.
The "breath of life" which filled Adam's lungs came
directly from God!
One should tremble in fear to even THINK such a
thing.
No, AFTER God had breathed the breath of life into
Adam's lungs, he beheld His creation and called it "very good."
What About the Patriarchs
and the Prophets?
Now, what about the famous patriarchs and prophets of the
Bible? We are given the absolute guarantee, from Jesus Christ Himself,
that they will be in the Kingdom of God!
Hebrews the 11th chapter is a chronicle of the
great faith of men from the time of Noah and Enoch to Moses, Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob and a host of others including Samson, Jeptha, Barach and David!
Jesus said, "Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the
Kingdom of God and you yourself cast out" to the Pharisees!
During the transfiguration, the startled eyes of Peter, James
and John SAW Moses and Elijah in vision, as if they were already inside
the Kingdom of God!
But, remember not ONE of these great men of the past were
begotten with the Holy Spirit of God from the Father!
Jesus Christ of Nazareth is plainly called the "first "
begotten," and the Bible says that He must have the "preeminence" in
everything!
Prior to Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven, to sit at the
right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit from God the Father was NEVER
available to humankind!
Yet David prayed, "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." How do
you understand this? Notice! "Of which salvation the prophets have
inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come
unto you:
"Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit
of Christ which was in them did signify, when it [the Spirit of
Christ] testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should
follow" (1 Peter 1:10,11).
Few among this world's churches know the simple truth that
the God of the Old Testament was in fact, the Jesus Christ of the New! (1 Corinthians 10:4, John 1, Hebrews 1). The member of the divine family of God who
created Adam, who spared Noah, and who wrote the Ten commandments with His own
finger was that member of the Godhead who later "emptied Himself and became of
no report" and was "made flesh and dwelled among us"! (Philippians 2:6-8; John
1:14).
The only God who had revealed Himself to the
ancient world, including the patriarchs and the prophets, was that member
of the divine family who later came to this earth to redeem His own creation
in the person of Jesus Christ!
In some way different from the manner in which we
may be "begotten" from the FATHER, that divine member of the Godhead placed His
Spirit within men who dwelt thousands of years the other side of the
first century A.D.
The apostle Paul makes it very clear that we cannot "question
God"! (Romans 11:33-35). The manner in which Almighty God accomplishes His
perfect work is not always going to conform with logical, easy-to-understand
"analogies" or formulas of us limited, flawed, imperfect human beings.
However, the Bible makes it very clear that the Holy Spirit
of God, the Father was Not available to mankind prior to PENTECOST!
What does this mean?
The obvious truth with which we are dealing has
escaped the minds of God's ministers—yes, even the leadership of the
church—for decades!
Consider carefully!
We know that the righteous patriarchs, Enoch, Noah, Moses,
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and a host of others are going to be in the Kingdom
of God. Also, the Bible plainly tells us that David, a man after
God's own heart, will be in God’s Kingdom.
A part of the very foundation of God's church consists
of these righteous patriarchs and prophets of old (Ephesians 2:20). The Bible
even goes to some pains to inform us that we, of this modern, end-time
generation, have no preeminence above those ancient prophets and
patriarchs! "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them
which are asleep) [the prophets, patriarchs and righteous saints of
former years] that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent [precede]
them which are asleep.
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord" (Ephesians 4:1:3-17).
Those who will be resurrected at the precise instant
of the second coming of Christ include those ancient patriarchs and prophets!
But "how" will God do this? Have not many assumed that
the only way that any person can enter into God's Kingdom is through
repentance, water- baptism, the laying on of hands and the receiving of the Holy
Spirit?
But if the Holy Spirit was not available until Pentecost and
thereafter; if none CAN be saved except through the name and by the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ: then HOW can this be?
If we are to assume that, so long as we do not have
the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God the Father we can have
"NO GOOD THING" dwelling within us; if we assume that human nature
contains a part of the "nature of SATAN," and that there is "none that doeth
good, no not one," then HOW, by what process does Almighty God induct into His
Kingdom these hundreds and thousands of men and women who lived and died long
BEFORE the time of Christ?
Did Abraham Qualify for the Kingdom?
Notice what God said to Abraham!
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Eternal
appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God [El Shaddai]; walk
before me, and be thou perfect, and I will make my covenant
between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly…As for me, behold, my
covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations"! (Genesis
17:1-3).
Earlier, God had said, "…Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield,
and thy exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1?.
And the Bible plainly says that he (Abraham) "...believed in
the Eternal; and he counted it to him for righteousness"! (Genesis
15:6).
Later the apostle Paul cites this very scripture in Romans 4
verses 3, 9 and 22.
Abraham is called "the father of the FAITHFUL"!
Yet we know that Jesus Christ was the "first begotten" among
all mankind! Jesus Christ was the "ONLY begotten" from the FATHER!
The question we must now ask is a profound one, and must be
answered honestly, and scripturally, from the Bible.
Question: Is it possible to build righteous character as
a mortal human being WITHOUT, having been begotten of God's Holy
Spirit?
The answer is a resounding, BIBLICALLY proved YES!
Let's understand!
The personage of the Godhead who dealt with the patriarchs,
the prophets and righteous men and women of old was the member of the God family
who did the speaking to Abraham, and who calls Himself the great "I AM";
"El Shaddai," "Yahveh Ropheka" (God our Healer), and by many, many other divine
names and titles.
He became the "logos" of the New Testament! He was the one
who did the commanding during the creation week!
He is VERY GOD!
Yet, when He "became flesh and dwelled among us," He,
Himself, revealed there is a Father-Son relationship between the two
revealed members of the God family!
Jesus plainly said, "My Father is GREATER than I," and said,
"The Father that dwelleth in me, HE doeth the works"!
Jesus said He came to REVEAL (for the first time in all
history) the Father!
He was the exact similitude; the "stamped impress," or the
exact likeness of the Father!
He said, "If ye have seen me, ye have seen the Father." And
yet He also said, "No man hath seen God at any time."
Prior to His human birth, as a member of the very God
family, Jesus Christ was the CREATOR!
Somehow, lodged in the minds of millions, is the
false concept that the "God of the Old Testament" is the FATHER, while Jesus
Christ is the member of the divine family with whom we are dealing in the New
Testament!
This is NOT TRUE!
We ONLY know about the Father; we only know of His
personality, His nature, His character, His greatness and His divine power,
THROUGH and by the life, teaching and message of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth!
It was only through the death, burial and resurrection—and
then the ascension—of Jesus Christ to heaven to SEND the "other comforter" (the
Spirit of the FATHER) that humankind could have access to the divine
nature (through the Holy Spirit) of the FATHER!
The "Us-Them" Syndrome
Unfortunately, a complete misunderstanding about what
human nature IS; a misunderstanding about the "fall of man," and, in some
cases, even a misunderstanding about the subject Of CONVERSION, has led
toward feelings of party spirit, exclusivity and a "siege mentality."
Jesus Christ of Nazareth did not commission His true church
to spread the message that "we are the ONLY ONES"! To the unconverted,
constant claims of being "the only true church," and constant swipes at
other church organizations ("all others are of SATAN THE DEVIL!"), anger
people; it causes them to stumble, insults them and turns them away
from receiving the truth of God.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth commissioned His apostles to offer
wholesale, universal REPENTANCE; to say to the world, "Come unto me YE
THAT ARE WEARY AND HEAVY-LADEN, and I will give ye rest"; to say to the
unbelieving, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel!" NOT to
continually say, "YOU are of the devil and I am of God!"
Jesus did not preach a closed church; a closed
gospel; a closed Kingdom, or even a closed divine Godhead!
Your Bible tells you that God is "not willing that any
should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance," and strongly hints that
the vast majority of all humankind will eventually be SAVED!
The Pharisees, during Jesus' day, had sunk into narrowminded
exclusivity!
Certainly they did not begin that way.
However, as the years passed, and the leadership of the
Pharisees continued to add to their interminable "Good Housekeeping seal
of approval" on each little human deed, thought and activity; as the Talmud
grew, so their own concept of THEMSELVES, in contrast to the infidels, gentiles
and unbelievers, also grew.
By the time Jesus informs us of the incredible hypocrisy
of the Pharisees, we are brought face to face with the realization that the
religious leaders who "sat in Moses' seat" were nevertheless "binding
grievous burdens, and heavy to be borne" and laying them on men's
shoulders! Christ called their doctrines "leaven," and angrily denounced them as
"a generation of vipers, and "hypocrites," and "whited sepulchres"!
Why these indictments?
Simply because they had the outward appearance of true
religion; they truly were the legal successors to Moses and "sat in
Moses' seat." To them pertained the law, the prophets and the oracles of God.
Yet, for all that, they were human, carnal and corruptible.
Their continual racism; their downgrading of the unbelievers,
infidels and gentiles; their haughty SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, led them into a
narrowminded, cloistered religion of total exclusivity.
They became an "elite corps" of "insiders," viewing with
contempt and disdain all who were not of their own number.
Parading before each other, they enjoyed making the borders
and embroidery of their priestly robes larger and larger; they reveled in
insuring they had the "chief seats" at important public and religious meetings;
and, though they preached an autocratic, unresilient, unloving, harsh and
unforgiving religion, they themselves were far above the blood, sweat and tears
they enjoined upon the common lay members, and would not "lift one of them with
their fingers."
Because of their egotistical exclusivity, they viewed Jesus
Christ as a rebel; said He was "of Satan," and even dared to blaspheme
God by claiming the miracles the Father accomplished through Jesus Christ were
accomplished by "Baalzebub, the prince of demons"!
Notice, in many confrontations with the Pharisees, how the
Pharisees doted upon whether Jesus was "of God" or not! Their standard labels
which they placed on every human being, organization, human act or thought was
whether or not it was "of God" or "of the devil."
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, their contemporary, did not take
issue with the basic BODY OF BELIEF of the Pharisees! He plainly told His
followers, "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do:
but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not"
(Matthew 23:3).
He had just said "the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses'
seat. . ." and was plainly showing that, so long as their teachings conformed to
the law and the prophets; so long as they taught within the broad framework of
the law of Moses, then the people were required to obey!
BUT, though these were the legal successors to the priesthood
dating from Moses' time, when their own humanly devised doctrines, commandments,
edicts and autocratic whims ran contrary to the broad parameters of the
law of God, Jesus said His followers did not have to obey!
Think about some of the "Christians" you know.
Do they believe they must follow a human leader "NO
MATTER WHAT"? Are they fearful, mistrusting, afraid of being
overheard? Are they afraid of asking an "inappropriate" question? Are there
quite a number of "taboos" enforced upon them involving personal and
private choices?
Do they labor under any heavy burdens?
Do they view "strangers" with suspicion, and perhaps even a
little bit of hostility? Are they easy to know; easy to be
entreated, easy to be with?
Do they have an outgoing love toward those who are NOT
members of their own group?
Or do you know of any "Christians" who have become so
narrow in their exclusive, cloistered mentality that they recoil with a
mixture of contempt and fear from any who are not of their own "inside" group?
Believe it or not, the spirit of the Pharisees is alive and
well in entirely too many hearts today!
What of John the Baptist?
Remember, John the Baptist did not have the Holy Spirit from
God the Father!
Jesus said, "John did no miracle," and yet plainly said,
"Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not arisen
a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the
Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he" (Matthew 11:11). Here Jesus contrasts even
the greatest among human beings as decidedly inferior to even the "least"
in the Kingdom of God!
He also said, "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias,
which was for to come" (Matthew 11:14).
John the Baptist fulfilled a typical ministry of
"Elijah," in preparing the way for the first coming of Jesus Christ! His
was a great ministry. Andrew (Peter's brother) and perhaps Peter himself
were John's disciples. John preached a message of repentance, and
baptized hundreds and hundreds of individuals!
How do you understand the ministry of John the Baptist, since
it preceded that of Jesus Christ; since it came before Pentecost,
and since John the Baptist could not have had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
of God the Father? (He had the Holy Spirit from birth [Luke 1: 15], but,
since Christ was the first-begotten from the FATHER, John could not have been
"begotten," spiritually, as was Christ.)
IF you take the narrow view that it is IMPOSSIBLE to please
God prior to baptism and conversion; that there is "no good thing" in human,
carnal nature PRIOR to conversion and the receiving of the Holy Spirit
from God the Father, then you simply cannot understand any of the ancient
patriarchs, prophets or righteous men and women being "saved" PRIOR,
to the time of Jesus Christ!
Yet they WILL BE in the Kingdom of God!
How? It is not for us to insist that God accomplish His
perfect will in ways and means which are "pleasing" to us! God warns us that the
ax shall not boast itself against the hand that heweth therewith; that the saw
cannot say to the arm that wields it, "What doest thou?" And Paul says some
questions (such as "With what body are the dead raised?") constitute foolish
questions.
The point is, God says He WILL induct these righteous men and
women into His Kingdom! Certainly, since it was that member of the Godhead who
became Jesus Christ who dealt with them; since it is Christ who died
for them as well as for that living generation and for us in this
end-time generation; God can induct them into His Kingdom through and by the
powerful name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth at the instant of the
resurrection from the dead!
Just "how" God does this is perhaps not for us to
inquire, nor to be concerned.
BUT, obviously, it was possible for these men and women
to BUILD CHARACTER, and for that character to reach the final summation of
"righteousness" during their human lifetimes!
Then, IF this was possible (and the Bible plainly says it
was), there must be SOME GOOD inside "human nature" after all!
Could anything "good" come from a nature which allegedly had
a part of the very nature of SATAN?
Can anyone be "righteous" who has not yet been begotten of
God—or who is not in God's church?
What Is "Righteousness"?
Is it possible to attain to "righteousness" only after
baptism, the laying on of hands, and the receiving of God's Holy Spirit? Does
God have a double standard? Were there those, prior to Pentecost, who
were "righteous" in only a human, "carnal" manner; as contrasted with those who,
today, can be "righteous" in a spiritual sense?
Consider the parents of John the Baptist. "There was in the
days of Herod, the King of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the
course of Abbia: And his wife as of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was
Elisabeth.
"And they were both righteous before God, walking in
all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord BLAMELESS"! (Luke 1:5, 6).
What a marvelous testimony as to the CHARACTER of Zecharias
and Elisabeth! How would you like to have it said of you that you are "righteous
before God," walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
BLAMELESS"? And what of Mary, the mother of Jesus? Was not she very special
among all women? Notice!
"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God
unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name
was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel
came in unto her, and said, 'Hail, thou that are highly favored, the Lord is
with thee: Blessed art thou among women [some of the best manuscripts omit
this last phrase, though it is included in some English versions] ... And the
angel said unto her, 'Fear not, Mary: For thou hast found favor with God
(Luke 1:26-30).
Those who take the very narrow view that the Holy
Spirit of God was ONLY available after Pentecost simply do not know how
to cope with this and many other verses!
For example, the Bible plainly says that Joseph was a
JUST man (Matthew 1: 19). Joseph was a "good" man! He had righteous
character! So did Mary. So did Zacharias and Elisabeth! Notice further:
"And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same
man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: And the
Holy Spirit was upon him, and it was revealed unto him by the Holy
Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ.
"And he came by the spirit into the temple: ... Then
took he him up in his arms [the baby Jesus], and blessed God, and said, 'Lord,
now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine
eyes have seen thy salvation . . ."' (Luke 2:25-30).
The point of all this is obvious!
God has, on numerous special occasions, placed the Holy
Spirit within the minds of various human beings! His Holy Spirit has been
"with" numerous men and women down through the ages! Perhaps it may be
said, technically, that these men and women were not "begotten" of the
FATHER in the same manner in which Jesus Christ was begotten from the Father,
even from His birth; or in the same fashion that one may become a "begotten son
of God" from the time of Pentecost until now.
Yet it is not for us to question the methods Almighty
God chooses to use in working out His perfect plan!
Notice what the Bible says of John the Baptist! "For he shall
be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine or strong
drink: And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's
womb"! (Luke 1:15).
David prayed, "Cast me not away from thy presence; and
take not thy Holy Spirit from me"! (Psalms 51:11).
Obviously, then, there were any number of men and women who
did build character; who were righteous and "just" (meaning GOOD),
in God's sight! Technically, perhaps it is correct to say that these men
and women were not "begotten" in the same fashion as was Christ, or as were
those from Pentecost and thereafter. A "proof text" generally cited for this
(and this assumption may be accurate) is 1 Peter 1:11: "Searching
what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them
[the prophets] did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of
Christ, and the glory that should follow."
That men could be "just," and "good," in God's sight
stands absolutely PROVED!
Notice another example: "And, behold, there was a man named
Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a GOOD MAN, and a JUST.. ." (Luke
23:50).
Remember what Jesus said of Nathaniel? He said, "Behold an
Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile" (John 1:47).
Nathaniel had human nature. Did his very nature include a
part of the "nature of the devil"? Of course not! Otherwise, Jesus would
have discerned it, and could never have said that Nathaniel was absolutely
guileless!
And what about the "saints" who had lived and died prior
to the time of the death of Jesus Christ? "And the graves were opened [just
at the time of Jesus' death]; and many bodies of the saints which slept
arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy
city, and appeared unto many" (Matthew 27:52, 53).
These were "righteous" individuals called SAINTS.
This does not mean they were resurrected to spiritual,
eternal life. Rather, they were resurrected to be given a few more years of
physical life, as a great sign and a witness concerning the death,
burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
But your Bible calls them SAINTS!
Now, finally, do you see?
There was no "Change" in Human Nature
There was no basic CHANGE in the nature of man at the
so-called "fall of man" in the garden! Adam and Eve were absolutely NEUTRAL
toward God! Their basic, human natures contained the CAPACITY for evil. However,
Satan had not yet entered the scene, and had not "struck the note" of that
particular discordant, evil part of human nature. Once that discordant note had
been struck; once Satan had appealed to vanity, lust, resentment and intellect,
that portion of their natures and characters came into play.
God said, after Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit,
that they had become LIKE GOD, now having the understanding of "both good and
evil"! But they were imperfect. God knew that they could not yet RULE over
themselves! God made it specifically clear that, to PREVENT them from
reaching out and partaking of the tree of life, and thus obtaining
eternal life, prior to having built righteous character, He thrust
them out of the garden!
Man did not "fall"; he was PUSHED, by Satan the devil!
Human nature IS, in fact, a mixture of both "good and evil"!
There is, even in the worst, the capacity for good. There is,
even in the best, the capacity for evil!
Unfortunately, it is the evil which tends to
predominate! Human nature seems to be primarily a collection of vanity,
jealousy, lust and greed! It is selfish, self-centered, egotistical to the point
of being narcissistic!
It is filled with vanity; and is very much centered
around total SELF! But consider some outstanding examples: How many thousands
and thousands of men and women have dedicated their lives to caring for
the sick? How many Albert Schweitzers and Florence Nightingales have there truly
been? There are truly thousands of examples which make even professing
Christians open their mouths in awe and amazement!
Consider those who literally sacrificed their lives in
service to handicapped children; to the mentally deficient, to the
infirm, and the poor.
What causes a person to dedicate his entire life to
working with pitifully deformed, handicapped children? Is it really only
"vanity"? Would one DARE to say that there is no such thing as a "good
person" who is not a member of his or her own church organization?
Unfortunately, the narrow view portrayed earlier has
left many members of God's own true church with but ONE CHOICE in their attempts
to understand this basic "goodness" they see in action all around them!
Unfortunately, many have made the wrong choice. Because they simply
cannot understand the decency, the mercy, friendliness, kindness, happiness,
forgiveness, patience and other good qualities in professing "Christian"
people, they begin to assume these people must also be members of God's true
church! They begin to reason that, even though others do not understand the
TRUTH; do not keep the Sabbath, or understand prophecy; but are "good"
people—then they must be "Christian."
Having been taught there is absolutely "no good thing"
in human nature; having been taught that human nature contains a part of "the
nature of the DEVIL," they cannot understand how these people can be "good"
(and they ARE "good people"!), they "decide" they must, in some way, be
members of the Church of God!
NOT SO! You can be GOOD, without being a Christian!
But the teaching that human nature contains a part of the
"nature" of Satan the devil is FALSE!
My grandfather was a GOOD man! He was not perfect—but
he was good!
I have known many GOOD people! I am not speaking, now, of the
members of God's church; I am talking of people who were
good in many ways; who exemplified many of the very attributes of the divine
nature, meaning mercy, generosity, kindness patience and HIGH CHARACTER!
You, also, have known such people!
Did the GOOD character they built count for naught?
Now, finally, what about yourself?
Must You Truly ABHOR YOURSELF?
Make no mistake! Almighty God hates SIN! When we sin
(break God's Ten Commandments, even in their spiritual intent), we
violate God's sacred and holy law! In a very real sense, we
flagrantly defy our heavenly Father; we trample His holy laws underfoot;
we resist, sneer at, contemptuously scorn and deny the loving, tender mercy and
deep concern of our heavenly Father!
John the Baptist preached "REPENT!" Jesus continually
cried, "REPENT YE!" Peter said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
Job, upon repentance, said, "Wherefore I abhor myself. .
."
The apostle Paul cried, O wretched man that I am. . ."
David prayed, "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my
sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: And my sin is ever before me. Against
thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight ...
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me
not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
"Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with
thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy way; and sinners shall be
converted unto thee ... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and
a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalms 51:1-17).
Almighty God says He is our FATHER. In this Father-child
relationship, He must, from time to time, punish His children!
God says, "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the
Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him. For whom the Lord loveth He
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.
"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons:
For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?" (Hebrews 12:5-7).
Repentance is certainly a feeling of self-DISGUST. It is
a feeling of deep remorse, far deeper than merely the "sorrow of this
world" which works death—true repentance is a genuine CHANGE OF HEART!
But is it deep, total self-revulsion; self-rejection;
a continual, day-in, day-out feeling of self-HATRED and loathing?
Notice that God punishes every son whom He LOVES! Just as God
would have loving parents properly discipline their children, so He
disciplines every son (or daughter) whom HE LOVES!
And how should we discipline our children? Surely, not only
God's Word but common sense and any intelligent teacher of child rearing would
tell us that, when we have disciplined our children, we should immediately show
them our most loving FORGIVENESS! We should pick them up, show them how much we
love them, dry their tears and give them positive encouragement.
It is a terrible mistake for parents to punish in
anger, then go away and leave the child without following up the punishment with
a great deal of love, affection and forgiveness.
To utterly crush or CONQUER a child; breaking a
child's spirit so that the child can have absolutely NO confidence; no sense of
self-worth or personal value, but feel whipped, discouraged, defeated and
fearful is a great CRIME!
Almighty God has not given us the spirit of "fear," but of
power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1: 7). Does He
expect us to hate our own selves? No. "So ought men to love their wives
as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself!
(Ephesians 5:28)
What? Here, in using the analogy of Christ's love
toward the church, God says men ought to love their wives AS THEMSELVES!
In other words, the love of a man toward his wife is to at
least equal the amount of SELF-RESPECT, self-appreciation and
self-LOVE he feels toward his own SELF! Jesus Christ of Nazareth calls upon men
for no higher form of love toward their wives! If men hate themselves,
how can they love their wives?
Notice further: "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh;
but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church"!
(Ephesians 5:29).
Naturally! Then, in the light of these plain scriptures,
is it really true, after all, that we are to go through life, after conversion,
feeling nothing but rejection, abhorrence, disgust, disdain, denial,
contempt and loathing toward our own selves?
Is it a SIN to have ANY self-respect?
You have seen biblical proof that clearly says it is NOT!
Notice the final scriptures concerning Christ's analogy of
His love toward the church and the love of a husband toward a wife: "This is a
great mystery: But I speak concerning Christ and the church.
"Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his
wife even as himself; And the wife see that she reverence her husband"
(Ephesians 5:32, 33).
Yes, repentance is deep remorse, and even a temporary
feeling of loathing and disgust toward ourselves for things we have said,
thought and done! But repentance is NOT the beginning of a lifetime of
self-loathing, contempt, rejection, and feelings of terrible inferiority
and failure!
The highest form of love Christ says we are to attain
toward our neighbors is the same degree of love we possess for
ourselves!
This is absolutely fundamental to the Bible,
fundamental to your salvation!
". . . Thou shalt love thy neighbor AS THYSELF"! (Matthew
19:19).
Jesus Christ summarizes the intent and spirit of the TEN
COMMANDMENTS as loving God, our Father, with all our hearts, all our being and
all our minds, and loving our neighbors AS OURSELVES!
There you have it!
No matter what you have heard, or what you have been taught,
God Almighty does not demand of His beloved children that they go through their
Christian lives with feelings of self-contempt, failure, rejection and
loathing!
