Comments to the weekly Sabbath School Quarterly
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
"A Garment of Innocence"
Unbeknown to man, the Son of God is embroiled in a great cosmic conflict with Satan over good and evil. Satan puts God on trial. If Satan could have one try at tempting Adam and Eve, they would put God to shame. God does not forcibly push Satan aside in front of all the cosmic intelligences.
God grew "the tree of life" and "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" "in the midst of the garden" (Gen. 2:9). Since God is only good, the source of evil for the tree of knowledge was the serpent (Gen. 3:1).
Satan asserts that holy beings,--both angels and man--do not need to obey God's law. "He [the rebel] reiterated his claim that angels needed no control, but should be left to follow their own will, ... . He denounced the divine statutes as a restriction of their liberty, and declared that it was his purpose to secure the abolition of law; ... Satan has continued with men the same policy which he pursued with the angels" (The Great Controversy, pp. 499, 500).
In order to disprove Satan's charges God needs Adam and Eve,--in their innocence of the cosmic conflict,--to make the right choice "not [to] eat of it," i.e., the tree, for "thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17). Their unfettered love for the God of all truth will lead them to worship and obey Him alone.
God only wants them to know the good and not evil. The serpent's enticement is: "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5); "ye shall not surely die" (vs. 4). The lure is the autonomy of man as god with inherent immortality.
Eve ate the "apple." She is bitten by the serpent. He injects her with the poisonous venom of self-love.
Evil is the sin of unbelief. To dis-believe God is to make man god. The essence of sin is to plot the overthrow and murder of the Son of God. Man is now totally alienated from God. He gives the "dominion" over to Satan.
The unconscious function of the human mind was begun in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve first sinned. Their sin was far, far greater than merely eating an "apple;" deep inside was the guilt of deicide. That guilt would have killed them then and there if they had fully realized its dimensions. They were crucifying the Son of God, but didn't comprehend it! Therefore their human minds began a function of repression--"they did not like to retain God in their knowledge" (Rom. 1:28). All of us humans therefore share the corporate guilt of the crucifixion of Christ, but it's our great unconscious sin.
The dark machinations of evil begin their corrosive work in the human psyche. The self-destructive thoughts of murder haunt the conscience. The awful seed planted in their imaginations of deicide turns against them with instant self-loathing and thoughts of suicide. The human mind can only protect itself from evil forebodings by burying its plot in the deepest recesses of the unconscious. "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7).
Adam and Eve lost their garments of innocence. "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (Gen. 3:7). Undoubtedly the leaves were beautifully woven and looked good from the outside, but they couldn't camouflage the ugliness that now resided within.
Only God could devise garments for them which required the shedding of blood. Adam must have been horrified as he witnessed the death of the first lamb. He now saw firsthand what his unbelief had caused. "... Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world" (1 Peter 1:18-20). It was only by beholding that blood that Adam's heart could be changed.
Having lost his garment of holiness, Adam is incapable of loving Eve, and vice-versa. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20). After sin came in, man/woman became unfaithful by their very nature. And now a new definition of love is necessary--agape, a love that loves sinners, bad people, ugly people. Now sinful "Adam" loves sinful "Eve" with the same love wherewith the Savior has loved him in his unworthiness and sinfulness. Now both Adam and Eve can love. In the Garden, Adam loved a perfect Eve; now, because of Jesus, he loves an imperfect spouse, and vice-versa.
The good news of the 1888 message is that the Everlasting Covenant was originally given to Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:15). God promised to "put enmity" where there would be no desire for good and right if God did not put it in the heart of everyone to some degree. When God made the promise to Adam and Eve it was Christ who was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8). Christ became the Surety for the entire human race. He put Himself on the line to bring about all that He promised to Adam and Eve. God did not require from Adam and Eve a promise to obey Him; there is no record of any such transaction. All their power was gone. Adam, with his eyes wide open, in full knowledge, knew that eating the forbidden fruit would be sin (James 4:17). In unbelief he stepped out on forbidden ground. His very nature was changed by his willful, choice. At that moment he was no longer capable of doing good. He was condemned to eternal death. Adam had sold out to Satan.
Satan was fully aware that Adam had given over his right of dominion to him. In the temptations of Christ, Satan reminded Jesus that all the "power and grandeur" of the world was his by Adam's choice, "for it has been made over to me. ..." (Luke 4:6, Moffat translation). It was impossible for Adam to right himself again because sin had entered the world. "By the offense of one, judgment came upon all men," resulting in condemnation to an eternal grave (Rom. 5:12, 18). No hope of life, no hope of even one bite of food, or a breath of air, or a glass of cold water. Not one single thing was ours by Adam's one choice.
But thank God that "by the righteousness of One," the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world, who became the Surety for a lost race, by His one righteous act, "the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life" (Rom. 5:18). The 1888 message "presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God" (Evangelism, p. 190). Because of Jesus Christ's one righteous act we can eat food today, breath the air, and drink the water. If we do not refuse this gift of life we already enjoy, we will live forever in eternal life. We will be ever thankful that He saved us from the eternal grave that was ours by Adam's disobedience. He did it all by His own promise. He invites us simply: "harden not your hearts" (Heb. 4:7).
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Friday, April 08, 2011
Commentary: The Seven Steps
The Seven Steps
Stairs are so common now many of us take them for granted. They have been around for so long we cannot think of them ever being invented. But, stairs are one of the oldest buildings in architectural history; they have always played a central role in the history of humanity, although it is difficult to tell exactly in which year they were "born," it is believed their appearance was thousands of years before Christ. Like everything else, the design of stairs seems to change with the change of architectural eras, reflecting the trends used in different ages and revealing the talent of those who designed them.
Apparently, the first stairs were created accidentally. Allegedly, the first stairs in the history were wood trunks fitter together; these kinds of stairs were used to acquire strategic positions for survival. In a basic sense, the first use which was given to the stairs was to overcome the difficulties presented by the terrain, such as valleys or mountains, the goal was to be able to pass these difficulties as soon as possible; to move up often meant moving to a place of greater security, therefore this could have meant at that time the difference between life and death. It was very important to move quickly, hence the importance of the stairs.
So, like many other inventions, stairs first emerged as a solution to a problem, although, years later it was found in China the first granite staircase leading to the sacred mountain in Tai Shan, this indicates that one of the utilities that were given to the stairs in his story was for religious purposes. Confucius in one of his stories said to have gone up this ladder to the top in the year 55 BC. The ladder was used in a metaphorical way to describe reaching the divine height and establishing a connection between earth and sky. Other examples of stairs built for religious purposes are: the biblical Jacob's ladder, the tower of Babel, which was a helical tower, the pyramids of Egypt that had stairs, the celestial ladder of Shantung in China, the stairs in India (a peculiarity of the stairs in India is that they had also scientific utility). All these stairs have something in common; they symbolize the rise of the light, the sun, and a way in to the God's path.
Some say that Lucifer's six fold assertion of becoming like God is like a metaphorical ladder. We read this statement in Isaiah 14: 12 – 15,
Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isaiah 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isaiah 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
God tells Lucifer the reality of his existence, and contrasts it with what Lucifer had purposed in his heart. Again, Lucifer's statement is six fold, making it six steps in the metaphorical ladder. The seventh step is where Lucifer falls, being "brought down to hell."
We see a contrast with Jesus in Philippians 2: 5 - 9. Let us read the passage,
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:
Paul uses six statements to describe what Christ did as a man. All six statements are about Christ descending, so the seventh step is the Father exalting the Son of Man above all. What a complete contrast! The Devil ascended six steps up the ladder only to fall. Christ descended six steps down the ladder, to later be exalted. Paul exhorts us to be like Christ (Philippians 2:5). Will we?
--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com
Friday, April 01, 2011
Commentary: Do Clothes make the man?
Do Clothes make the man?
There is an Italian folktale that talks of a man called Giufà. Giufà was half a simpleton, so no one showed him any kindness, such as to invite him to his house or give him anything to eat. Once Giufà went to a farmhouse for something, and the farmers, when they saw him looking so ragged and poor, came near setting the dogs on him, and made him leave in a hurry.
When his mother heard it she procured for him a fine coat, a pair of breeches, and a velvet vest.
Giufà dressed up like an overseer, went to the same farmhouse, and then you should see what great ceremonies they made! They invited him to dine with them. While at the table all were very attentive to him. Giufà, on the one hand, filled his stomach, and on the other, put into the pockets, coat, and hat whatever was left over, saying: "Eat, my clothes, for you were invited!"
The same man dressed differently was treated differently. Nothing had changed, but the clothes. Sadly, people do look on the surface and determine by what they see how they believe the inside should be. They probably assume that the inside and the outside should be consistent. An old Puerto Rican expression comes to mind: dress a monkey with silk, it is still a monkey. However, when people dress differently they tend to behave and carry themselves differently; which could explain, at least partly, why they are treated differently. But, behaving a certain why does not mean you are that certain way. To use another popular expression, just because you look like a duck, quack like a duck or walk like a duck does not mean you are a duck.
The Bible speaks of : wolves in sheep clothing, many claiming to work in His name and knowing Him, many having a form of Godliness but denying then power thereof, and many claiming having work for Jesus while Jesus says I know you not. These do works that seem Godly and righteous but are not. So, there can be distinction between what we do and what we are. God is looking to make it consistent. He wants righteous people to do righteous works.
So what is righteousness? It is the condition and result of being righteous. Righteous in turn is a word to describe someone that is and does right. Righteous is acting in accord with divine or moral law. It is to be or act free from guilt or sin. But, only God is like this. As Paul says, "there is none righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10). Most of us are unaware that we are either naked or our garments are nothing but filthy rags (Revelation 3: 17; Isaiah 64:6). For us to be righteous we must be made righteous. So how does God make us righteous? There are many ways the Bible explains this, but let us continue with the garment symbol. Revelation 3:18 gives us the answer: "I counsel thee to buy of … and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear…" Buy from God His robe of righteousness and wear it.
By connecting the process of us becoming righteous to Christ's own righteousness Ellen White explains what wearing the robe is,
"By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness" (Christ's Object Lessons, p. 312).
This garment or robe is His character. "This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us" (Christ's Object Lessons, p. 311). Ellen White explains in Desire of Ages,
"The law requires righteousness,—a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God's holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. More than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual strength and beauty. Thus the very righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ. God can 'be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.' Rom. 3:26."—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 762.
So, character makes a man, not the clothes. Godly character makes Godly men. Will we allow Christ to clothe us with His robe? Will we allow Him to give us His righteousness?
--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com