Anyway, Genesis chapter two here tonight, Genesis chapter two, this is actually, I'm planning this to be our last lesson on the soul, and then we'll move more specifically into the spirit as we consider again the idea of dividing a center of soul and spirit. Enjoyed my study here today, some things I have not thought about before in relation to the command that the Lord gave to Adam. It says in Genesis, in fact, let's look at verses 15 through 17. I'm focusing on verses 16 and 17. It says, and the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man saying, so think about this, he's still in innocence. So the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. So there's liberty to choose, there's freedom to choose of all the trees except for one. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. Now, as you go back up to verse eight, I want you to notice it says, And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground, notice, made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life also is in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. So you notice again this tree, this one tree in particular is planted there with a prohibition tied to it. Now as far as new birth, this is all introduction here. I want for us to consider even as you think about the salvation of the soul. As far as the new birth or regeneration as the Bible refers to it, There are different views as to what God does in regeneration. I want you to consider that word regeneration. Obviously, we're talking about as a root of it being regened essentially, but I want you to consider first of all, one of the views as far as the new birth related to what God does in regeneration, that the new birth restores us to our original condition. In other words, regeneration restores us to our original state, like Adam, before his transgression. Well, once you consider that is not regeneration, that is restoration. It's important to catch that, and there's some who believe that. Also, once you consider the new birth, regeneration, calls out the goodness that all possess. Everyone, after all, has some goodness in them. There's a lot of people who say that that is true. The problem with that is Romans 3.23 says that we all fall short of God's glory. That's not saying we are all bad. We're as bad as we could be. And yeah, I want you to think about the fact that salvation is not bringing out the goodness that's in us. We are regenerated. We are regened. Goodness is inherent in man, and God wants to just bring it out of us. That is heresy. That is false teaching. I want you to consider the reason why that is true is that, or why it's false, is that God's standard, it's God's standard of righteousness, not man's. Notice with me Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10, as we see the example here of the Jews, Israel, national Israel in particular. So the new birth is not just restoring man to his original condition that Adam had before his transgression in the garden. And it's not just trying to call out goodness that everyone possesses. No, we all fall short of the glory of God. I want you to notice here Romans 10 verses 1 through 4. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. This does not mean all of them will be saved. Notice they might be saved. There are some who teach that God's going to save all of Israel because they're God's chosen nation. That's heresy. That is false teaching as far as scripture is concerned. If they do not believe in their Messiah, they will go to hell just as much as a Gentile will. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. for they being ignorant of God's righteousness." Notice, they're ignorant of God's righteousness. And going about to establish their own righteousness, their self-righteousness. Notice, they have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone, both Jew and Gentile, everyone that believeth. Now, here's the problem with both of those views that I mentioned. salvation, the new birth just restores our original condition, or that it calls out goodness that we all possess. Both of those views suggest that regeneration is in human nature itself. That is heresy. That is false teaching. And what I think is interesting, these things are more common than we think. I'm gonna give you some examples here in a moment. Regeneration is not found in human nature itself. It's found in the divine nature of God, of course. Second Corinthians 517, if any man be in Christ, he is a what? A new creature, not a restored creature. He is a new creature. It's not merely restoring what Adam was before his fall. Again, the Bible goes on to say in Second Corinthians 517, old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Now, there's a question I want for us to consider, and this is what I was meditating on a little bit here today. Question for you to think about here tonight is this. Why did the Lord give Adam a prohibition in the Garden of Eden? Why did God give him a prohibition? So when you think about the fact that God knew, God knows all things. So God knew that Adam would sin. So why did God do that? Why did God give Adam a test? Well, I want you to think about this as I was comparing some scriptures with that here today. Listen carefully to 1 Timothy 1.9. This is the first part of the verse. I'm emphasizing the first part because of a statement that's made there. 1 Timothy 1.9 says, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient. So again, I'm asking you to think about why did God give Adam a prohibition? God created him without sin. But I want to remind you that he did not have confirmed righteousness. But here's what I want you to think about. Notice the law. God gives the law not for a righteous man. Think about that. Adam was created without sin, but he did not have confirmed righteousness. When you think about the fact that knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless. 1 John 3, 4 says, sin is the transgression of the law. So here's Adam who did not have confirmed righteousness. He violated God's one law. For us to say, you know, why did Adam do that? What about us? We have, I know we have more than one command, one prohibition, but we pick and choose which laws we want to obey. So here's the reality of this. We would have done the same thing as Adam, because we don't have confirmed righteousness as well. So the lawless and also disobedient. The one command that God gave Adam, Adam disobeyed. And I remind you, it's Adam that was responsible for that, not Eve. Of course, Eve was deceived as we see in scripture. So Adam was created with innocence, but not confirmed righteousness. Now, if Adam had confirmed righteousness, he would not have needed a law from God. I thought this was interesting as I started studying this out. So why did God give Adam a law or a command? Here's the point of this. Man needs a new nature, not just a restoring of the old. People will try to work for their salvation. When they have that mentality, they are actually saying that they are good enough to get to God. Hindus. Oh, they're trying to get, you know, a better nirvana. They're trying to arrive at nirvana, trying to go through the cycle of reincarnation. Catholics, they're trying to be a good Catholic, you know, as they go through all their Hail Marys and all those kinds of things. Why? Because they think they are good enough to get to God. They're just trying to bring that goodness out of them. This is why I say most religions believe one of those two things that I mentioned a moment ago. Lutherans, Protestants, I was just going to say Protestants, Lutherans, Muslims. Muslims, you know, they'll make their trip to Mecca. Every good Muslim will make their trip to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. And they'll just walk around all, you know, trying to go around in circles around, you know, the burial site of their great prophet. But even Baptists, even Baptists, I'm going to give you some examples here in a moment. They're trying to be good in their own nature, not wanting a new nature. Consider, once you think about all of those religions that I listed, they are trying to be good in and of themselves. Why? Because they think there's some good in me that God wants to bring out. I'm sorry, that's not the idea of the new birth in scripture. It's a totally new nature. They're merely trying to abstain from evil to avoid evil consequences. Think about that. They don't want the evil. They don't want evil consequences. So they're trying to do this. So here's how this comes into the independent fundamental Baptist churches. Those who reject repentance as being necessary for salvation have the same mentality. Think about that. One, two, three, repeat this prayer after me. All right. I'm announcing that you're saved. You're safe forever. Here's the reality of this. That whole mentality says, I don't have to repent of sin. I don't have to repent of what's in my old nature. There's no repentance needed. Repeat this prayer and you're saved. That's the same type of mentality that all of these other religious systems that I mentioned have. First, Matthew chapter 19. I'll give you an example here. Matthew chapter 19. We are not inherently good in our nature. Adam even, who was created without sin, did not have confirmed righteousness. So if Adam did not have confirmed righteousness, not one of us has that. Notice Matthew chapter 19, verses 16 and following. Behold, one came and said unto him, good master. Notice his question here. What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? It's like that book that Kirk likes to hand it out. It's not doing, it's done. It's what is done by the Lord Jesus. He said on the cross, it is finished. But notice he says good master. So he's recognizing Jesus Christ as good. And this is why Jesus is gonna ask this question in a moment here. But notice the question he's asking is what all religions of our world except for true Christianity asks. What good thing shall I do? that I may have eternal life. Same question, Acts 16. Thankfully, the Philippian jailer knew and he was ready to respond to the gospel message because of what he had heard before that earthquake. But notice the response of Jesus in verse 17. And he said unto him, why callest thou me good? Now, there are false teachers, heretics or whatever, they say, well, Jesus never claimed to be God. That's heresy. What he's emphasizing here with this question, why callest thou me good? I believe he's emphasizing, do you recognize that I am the Son of God? There is none good but one, that is God. But if thou wilt enter into life, notice he says, keep the commandments. Oh, see, see, you've gotta keep the commandments. Now, with what he does not say as far as the 10 commandments, that's why he's saying this, because he is using the law to show him that he is not good enough. It says in verse 18, he saith unto him, which, which of the commandments? Jesus said, thou shalt do no murder, also thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy mother, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Of the last part of the Ten Commandments, do you remember which one Jesus does not mention? Thou shalt what? Not covet. Here's what Jesus is doing in this passage, in this interaction with this rich young ruler. You have violated one of the 10 commandments, and yet you think you're good. Notice he says, the young man saith unto him, all these things have I kept. The list that Jesus gave him, I've kept all of those things. Now let me ask you, do you think he perfectly kept all those things? So he never disobeyed his parents as a young child or whatever? That's not possible. in our flesh, as I'm emphasizing here tonight. But he says, all these things have I kept for my youth up. But notice, he knows something is still missing. Because he says, what lack I yet? I've kept all those things. That tells me that he had in his heart an understanding there's something still missing. Keeping the law was not enough for him. The laws that he was willing to obey, Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me. So does that mean that if he sells everything he has, he's gonna have eternal life? Well, I believe the reason why is because he's gonna repent of his covetousness. But here's what I want you to notice, verse 22. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful. for he had great possessions. Here's the reality of it. He was not willing to repent of his violation of the commands of God. Now, what I've never correlated here before is this. So I remind you that Jesus Christ is supposed to be the perfect example to show us that, first of all, we have not measured up to God's standard. Well, as I was considering some things I was reading here in a cross-reference, 2 Corinthians 8, verse 9 says this. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. Here's why that verse grabbed my attention today in relation to this rich young ruler. So he was not willing to give up all that he had in repentance of his covetousness. And yet he wanted salvation from the Lord who was willing to give up everything so that this man could be spiritually rich. He was financially rich, but he was spiritually bankrupt even though he was keeping all these commands. He knew he was not perfect in verse 21. He knew, he understood that he was not like Jesus Christ. Now what I think is very interesting in verses 23 through 26, the disciples start, getting in on this discussion. It says, Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. Again, I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, I believe that's a literal eye of the needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. You know, the so-called eye of the needle and all that, I've talked to this before, but a camel unloaded can still get through the small little door in the gate. It's not impossible for a camel to get through what they call an eye of the needle in the gate. I believe this is literally the eye of a needle. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them and said unto them, with men this is impossible, with God all things are possible. Again, I want you to understand that he recognized that he did not measure up to the perfect standard of the Son of God. Now, as far as this divine nature, I want for us to understand that it's in Christ, not in our efforts. It's not doing good or whatever. We understand that, but I want you to understand it tonight as far as the application. So many times people try to activate this divine nature with an action on their part, praying a prayer or whatever. Notice we're in Romans chapter eight. Romans chapter eight. I want you to notice here as far as the divine nature is in Christ. If we are not in Christ, There is no divine nature, there is no salvation, there is no ability for us even to keep what God said. Actually, I forgot, I wanted to go to chapter seven first, then we'll go into chapter eight. Romans 7, verse 12. Remember, the law is horrible, right? The law, the law of God, it's something to be totally avoid. Okay, we have in this quote-unquote age of grace, We've bought the lies saying that the law is something bad. It's not the law, it's the one trying to keep the law. Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment, notice, holy and just, and here's the last word I wanna focus on, and good. The law of God is not bad, it is good. The problem is people in the flesh cannot keep God's law. Was then that which is good, made death unto me, God forbid, but sin, there's the problem right there, but sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good. Notice three times, good, good, good. The law is good. It has a purpose. God gave the command even to Adam for a purpose. that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. Notice that, exceeding sinful. Until we understand that the law of God is supposed to show me that I am not inherently good. If we don't recognize that, first of all, we're not going to be saved. But here's the point of this. God wants to show us that our sin is exceeding sinful. Again, it says in verse 18, I know that In me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. So here's good law. In me, there's nothing good. Verse 14, for we know that the law is spiritual. Notice another good word as far as the law of God. But I am carnal, sold under sin. Then at the close of the chapter, verses 23 through 25, that I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who, not what? Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Notice it's a person, a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, being in Christ, as I'm emphasizing. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. We saw this earlier in our series about the mind of Christ and so on. The mind is battling with the flesh. Now chapter eight, verses one through four, there is therefore now no condemnation to them, which are notice the phrase in Christ Jesus. How are we in Christ Jesus? By grace through faith. Notice who walked not after the flesh, but after the spirit that modern Bibles will take that last phrase out. that they remove the evidence that we are in Christ. That's heresy to remove that phrase. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ, in Christ Jesus, notice the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. There's why Paul was struggling with that back in chapter seven. Because you notice the, It's weak through the flesh, through my sinful flesh, the law is weak. God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. Jesus Christ is our representative. He kept God's law perfectly, righteously. He, as my representative, is on my behalf, and he's the one who helps me through the working of the Holy Spirit. who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. So again, we emphasize that. Notice Hebrews chapter eight. Very important to be in Christ. And let me just say, it's not just as far as salvation, but also abiding in Christ as we even see Jesus mentions in the gospels. Hebrews chapter eight, verses 10 and 11. Hebrews eight, verse 10. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days. So this is quoting from the Old Testament, the new covenant. And I believe that we as Gentiles are brought in through our faith in Jesus Christ, are brought into this new covenant that was given to Israel. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I will put, notice, my laws into their mind. and write them in their hearts." What I think is very interesting is with that statement, Romans 2 says that God wrote to the law, God's law on the conscience, the hearts of Gentiles. Notice he's emphasizing this. God's laws will be put into the mind and be written in their hearts. And I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord. For all shall know me from the least to the greatest." Now, I believe we're in the process of this happening. Sanctification has a progressive element as well. We are supposed to be increasingly more and more like Jesus Christ. So if we aren't careful, we will start going back, we'll backslide. Notice 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1. Now, as far as being in Christ, here's what I want you to see here, that obeying God's commands, God's laws, even the spirit of God's law, as we see Jesus mentioning in the Sermon on the Mount, it requires a divine nature, the divine nature. It says in 2 Peter 1, verses 3 and 4, according as grace and peace, verse 2, be multiplied, Continued sentence here, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Notice, his power is what helps us to live a life of God, everything that pertains to life and to godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises. Notice this, that by these, you might be partakers of the divine nature, What is the divine nature? Holy and righteous. When Jesus Christ's nature is given to us by the working of the Holy Spirit, notice we have the nature in order to do what is right before God, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Now, I want you to pay attention. The emphasis is in verses three and four. Here's our part as we see in verses five and following. Beside this, giving all diligence, Add to your faith. So when we think about what God does with his divine power and divine nature, I am to diligently allow God, in fact, I believe this is similar to working out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Notice adding to your faith virtue, virtuous behavior, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance. Again, that's not self-control, self-discipline. It's a fruit of the spirit that God wants to work into our lives. to temperance, patience, patience, godliness, godly character, godlike character, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind. There's a spiritual blindness and cannot see afar off. There's a nearsightedness, as we call it today. and hath forgotten, hath forgotten that he was purged from his own sins. Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence. Again, the emphasis on diligence here. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So again, we see here the divine nature that is absolutely essential. One other passage related to this, Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter two. So we're gonna see here before Christ, it's impossible for an unbeliever to do good before God, but we're gonna see what God does through, again, this regeneration when we're saved by grace through faith. Notice it says in chapter two, verse one, you have the quickened made alive. who are dead in trespasses and sins. Spiritually, we are dead without Christ. That's why it's impossible for somebody who has not repented of their sin, repented toward God, and had faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, it's impossible for them to do enough good in order to be saved. Wherein in time past, notice before Christ, the time you walked according to the course of this world, According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Pause there just a moment. I gave you a list of religions a moment ago. That is worldliness. Religion is of this world. They're doing what seems good unto them. They're still children of disobedience because they've not been obedient to the faith, as the Bible says. Verse three, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. I'm gonna bring this out here in a moment, but even children, young children, have this same nature. They do what they want to do. But God, notice the transition here, but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love where he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, back in verse one, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace, you are saved. Again, with Christ, Christ's resurrection from the dead is what gives us the opportunity to be raised spiritually. and hath raised us up together and made us sit, notice our position already is in heaven, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith. It's already happened, it's not just in the future. You are saved by grace through faith. And that, I believe that's referenced back to the faith there, that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works as any man should boast. Now, notice, nothing of works is good until we're saved by grace through faith. For, verse 10, by the way, verse 10 is often left off of this. This is the only time that works actually count towards God. For we are his workmanship when we're saved by grace through faith and that working he does in our hearts and our lives. created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. So before Christ, we are dead in trespasses and sin. It's impossible for an unbeliever to do good before God. Once we are saved by grace through faith, then good works are accountable or acceptable before God, I should say. So good before God is only possible after we are in Christ. Now, here's a question I want you to think about. Follow up with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What happened to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden? The Bible tells us what God did with the tree of life. It says there's a flaming sword to keep the way of the tree of life. I don't recall any mention of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Here's one thing that has come to my mind as I meditated on that today. Once Adam and Eve had a knowledge of good and evil, that tree didn't matter anymore. But the tree of life did. Because if they're in a state of transgression and sin against God, to live forever in that state, not a good thing. But there's no mention of that. I thought it was very interesting. Again, we saw in Genesis 2-9 that the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil were in the midst of the garden. The Bible doesn't say that God destroyed either tree. But here's what I think is interesting. As far as Adam and Eve, this is why I asked that question. Adam and Eve just avoiding the tree the rest of their lives was not enough to save them. I was an interesting thought as I was meditating on that here today. I want to give you a reminder that God created us in his image after his likeness, but it was not an exact replica or an exact image. Only Jesus has the exact image of God. in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. So God created us in his image after his likeness. We are not an exact image and replica of God. Also, I want you to remember this. God did not create us as little gods. That was a part of Satan's temptation. Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. That's Satan's temptation as far as little gods. They were not little gods. As far as Jesus Christ, in fact, notice with me at 1 Peter 1, we'll be there in a moment. Revelation 13.8 says this, the lamb calls Jesus Christ the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. I want you to think about this as we think about Adam partaking of the tree and of course Eve also by deception. 1 Peter 1, when you think about Jesus Christ being as a lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 1.18, for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things. Going back to what we saw earlier, there is no redemption in things that I can produce, that I can offer to God. That's like Cain offering in the garden. As silver and gold, nobody can buy their salvation from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. but with the precious blood of Christ. All right, so here's this lamb again, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these last times for you. Pause there, this is why this passage came to my mind as I thought about Revelation 13, eight. Jesus Christ is called the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Here, notice as far as the foundation, He was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God, not in your own efforts. Seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. See that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. So how strong is our love for other brothers and sisters in Christ. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible. Notice, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, the flower thereof falleth away. We're compared with grass here, flowers of the field. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Divine law can never be obeyed without a divine nature and divine power. I want you to think about the three examples that we've considered that I've at least mentioned here tonight. One prohibition that was given to Adam, Genesis chapter two, thou shalt not. So you think about the 10 commandments given to Israel, Mount Sinai. Thou shalt not. And now you think about David, who's described as a man after God's own heart. And yet David was able, as a man after God's own heart, was able to violate three of God's commands in one event. We all have that same nature, by the way. All of us can take God's name in vain. All of us can dishonor our parents, whatever. The third that I mentioned here tonight is the law of God written in the conscience of the Gentiles, the heart of the Gentiles. So how many of us have never violated our conscience? Not one of us. Not one of us can say that we've kept God's law perfectly. It's absolutely essential to have a divine nature with divine power in order to do what is right before God. Now, all three of those examples have the same purpose. I wanna remind you that Adam was not justified before God by obeying his one command. That did not make him just before God. Romans 3, verses 19 and 20 tells us very clearly that we cannot be saved, we're not justified by keeping the law. By the law is the knowledge of sin. And it says, every mouth will be stopped before God someday. Now, let me ask you a question again about the tree here tonight. If God is omniscient, why did God even create man and place him in the garden? If he knew Adam was gonna disobey God, why did he create the forbidden tree? If he knew Adam would sin, why did he put that tree there? Another question, was God disappointed when Adam disobeyed? I don't think so. Jesus didn't show up in the garden as the voice of the Lord God and say, Oh no, what are we going to do now? Father, Father, what should we do? He came knowing what he was going to do. Why? Because as Jesus Christ, the son of the voice of the Lord God, he knew from the foundation of the world in God's mind, he had already been sacrificed, been offered as a lamb. I want you to consider that when we start reasoning that way, we bring God down to our level. God was not affected at all in his nature when Adam sinned. And as so many teach today in Calvinism today, God forbid that God created and predetermined the fall into sin. God forbid that that is heresy. That is, that is making God the author of sin. James chapter one says that God cannot be tempted with evil, neither can he tempt any man. Obviously Adam had the ability to disobey God because he did. Adam did not have confirmed absolute righteousness as God had placed him in the garden. Adam had the potential to transgress God's one command. So what was the purpose of this? As I meditated on this here today, when you think about that Adam's one prohibition is no different than the 10 commandments given on Mount Sinai, and it's no different than us Gentiles having the law of God written on our hearts. So what was the purpose for God doing that in the garden? It was an experiment, I'm using that word on purpose, It was an experiment to teach man. Think about this. Adam was shown by this one command that he could not keep. He was shown that he needs a divine nature. He needs God's righteousness. Also, I want you to consider also not only that, but as to reveal and manifest from the beginning that human nature is limited. Notice Galatians chapter three, we're almost finished. Galatians chapter three. Human nature is limited. If Adam in innocence before his transgression was unable to obey God, how can we, who are sinners by nature, expect to be made perfect through fleshly efforts? I want you to stop and think about what I just said. Adam in unconfirmed innocence ate of a fruit that God said to not eat of. From the beginning, human flesh was not enough to be right before God. Galatians 3, O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Romans 10.17. Notice the questions that he's asking in verse three. Are ye so foolish, having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? I've taken this often in this passage because this is the one thing that God keeps working on me as far as perfectionism. I remind you that perfectionism is a work of the flesh. When I'm trying to be right before God in my flesh, Paul is asking a question here of these Galatian believers tempted to go into Judaism, go into law-keeping in order to be right with God. Here's again what he emphasizes. Having begun in the Spirit of God, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? I don't need you, God. I don't need you, God, to finish the effort. Jesus said about the scribes and the Pharisees in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 520, except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall in no case, no exceptions, enter into the kingdom of heaven. Speaking of salvation. So what did the scribes and the Pharisees have? External self-righteousness, self-effort. I thank the God, even as Luke 18 says. Also think about this, Romans 7, 18, that we saw earlier. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. As we tie this together, I want to give an example here. We try to teach children to be good. So I want to remind you what the Bible says about children. Psalm 58.3 says, the wicked are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they'd be born, speaking lies. They're demanding. They're selfish. So let me just point out, parents, I believe, must correct children, but not for the reasons we usually emphasize. See, here, I thought about this. Why do we normally correct children? When our grandchildren are in our house, why do we correct them? It's like, are your dad letting you do that? No, it's because I want them to be good. But until they are saved, they don't have the ability to do good before God. So why do we correct children before salvation? Because foolishness is bound in the heart, according to Proverbs 22, 15. The rod of correction will drive it far from him. But here's the other, to present opportunity for teaching them that they need Jesus Christ. Instead, we teach them. We drill it into, I want you to be good. I want you to be good. So we teach them, we have it backwards. When I started studying that out here today, it's like, we have it backwards. Until they are saved, they don't have the power to do what is right before God. We need to show them that they need salvation. 2 Timothy 3.15, talking about Timothy. From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. You see, we need to make sure children understand and know that they are sinners before a holy God, that they can't do good in and of themselves. Why? Because in our flesh dwelleth no good thing. Whether they are a young child, or an adult trying to live life on their own? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? I wonder how many times in our Christian life we think, I can handle this now, God. I've got this all taken care of. I'll let you know when I need you. Take heed, lest you fall. Lord, I pray that you'd help us to consider the importance of this living our own Christian lives. Lord, I pray that you'd help us to realize that in our flesh, there's nothing good, no ability in our flesh to be good before you. Lord, I pray that you'd help us to learn to depend upon thee, the Holy Spirit presenting the life of Christ through the word of God. Lord, I pray that you'd help us, strengthen us, Lord, I pray in Jesus' name, amen.