The Good Seed
For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
Psalms 78:39
The Good Seed
For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
Psalms 78:39
The story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden is true. However, the specifics of the Genesis account are couched in metaphor. In this garden were many types of fruit trees, including one called the tree of life and another one called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God allowed Adam and Eve to eat freely the fruit of any tree in the garden with one exception. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden. God warned them, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” The tree of life was free to them.
Also in this garden was a creature called the serpent. This serpent seemed to be jealous of God and of the man’s relationship with God. He was flattering, manipulative, and deceptive. He used these talents to destroy the man’s relationship with His God.
By first deceiving the man’s wife, he told them that God was lying to them about the knowledge of good and evil. They would not die, but they would become like gods themselves. Plato once said, “Everything that deceives may be said to enchant.” Adam and Eve were enchanted by this serpent and by their lust for this knowledge. They ingested this new wisdom.
Adam and Eve could have had eternal life. The tree of life was free to them. God banished them from the tree of life because they doubted His word (lack of faith). Death was now the fate of man.
And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
- Genesis 5:5
Death has always been the penalty for defying God. Even the most God-loving and God-fearing people have failed to overcome this penchant for disobedience. God calls this failure sin.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death
by sin: and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned:
- Romans 5:12
Is death really death, or does the “real you” go on living after your body turns back to dust?
…; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Romans 6:23
The wages (or penalty) of sin is death, but eternal life is a gift from God. Just as Adam had free access to eternal life in the garden, we again have free access to the tree of life, which is Jesus. If eternal life is a gift from God, how can we go beyond death unless He gives us this gift? Here is the purpose for salvation.
Salvation means saving or salvaging. God has a plan to salvage the human race from
death. This is why Jesus’ death is so significant. We all deserve to die because of sin.
Jesus was the Son of God. He never sinned. He was never under the penalty. His life was
more valuable than all of our lives together; therefore, His death is worth more than all of
ours. When Jesus died, God accepted His death as payment for all our sins.
The apostle Paul wrote in
I Corinthians 15,
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,, which also ye have
received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if you keep in memory
what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first
of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again
the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the
twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the
greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen
asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And
last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time. For I am the least of the
apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was
not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God
which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye
believed. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you
that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ is not
risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false
witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he
raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ
raised: Andif Christ be not raised, our faith is vain: ye are yet
in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in
this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. <But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of
them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in
his own order: Christ the firstfruits: afterward they that are Christ’s at his
coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to
God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
- I Corinthians 15:1-26
If we each had to pay for our sins, we would eventually bring humanity to the point of extinction. This would mean the end of creation. The reason Christ died for our sins was to pay the penalty for us. God’s love was so great He allowed His Son to suffer death to save us from it. Jesus was our scapegoat. In casual conversation, a scapegoat is someone who takes the blame for someone else. Scapegoat actually came from the Bible.
Moses’ brother, Aaron, was the first Levite priest. In Leviticus 16, God commanded Aaron to take two kid goats for a sin offering. He was to cast lots on the goats - “one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.” The goat on which the Lord’s lot fell was sacrificed as a sin offering. The scapegoat symbolically carried the collective sins of Israel and was released into the wilderness. Jesus was both the sacrifice and the scapegoat. Just as the scapegoat was allowed to escape from death, Jesus was released from death. He now sits at the right hand of God. When our Savior returns, we will be resurrected (saved from death).
What are the conditions for being saved? Ephesians tells us,
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest
any man should boast.
- Ephesians 2:8-9
God saves us only because of His generosity toward us, which is grace. What He requires from us is faith, but even that is a gift from Him. What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 defines it,
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
The ability to believe in what you have yet to see is a gift from God. Hebrews says,
But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.
- Hebrews 11:6
Where does faith begin? How do you begin to know in what to believe? Jesus answered this in John 8:31-32.
Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Jesus’ word teaches us what to believe. The Bible is where we will find the truth. Is there a foundation for our faith; a basic truth that we can build on as we continue to learn? Jesus asked in Matthew and Mark,
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they
said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of
the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I
am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art
the Christ the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and
blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also
unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
- Matthew 16:13-18
Jesus did not say that Peter is the rock upon which He would build
His church. It is what Peter answered that is the foundation of our faith. He said, “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.” We begin
with this basic belief and build on it as we continue to learn from his word.
God considers us to be righteous, even though we continue to be imperfect as we grow
and study in faith. We find the reason in Romans.
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as
pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath
whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed
God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh
is the
reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on
him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness.
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth
righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and
whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord
will not impute sin.
- Romans 4:1-8
Our faith is the key to God’s forgiveness toward us, but that does not mean we can continue to sin willfully. We will inadvertently sin; for this God automatically forgives us. If we sin intentionally to satisfy our desire, there is no automatic forgiveness for that. He will still forgive us, however, if we remorsefully turn to Him and ask His forgiveness. Read Romans, chapters 6 , 7 , and 8.
Romans 10:6-9 describes the first condition of salvation,
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Besides faith, there are a couple of other conditions we must meet to receive forgiveness and salvation. In teaching us to pray in Matthew, Jesus said,
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
- Matthew 6:12
In verses 14 and 15,
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
For Christians, salvation is conditional. The last condition is endurance.
… but he that endureth to the
end shall be saved.
- Matthew 10:22
Perseverance is the key. Here is where we will find the strength to endure,
…, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which
doth easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that
is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for
the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God.
- Hebrews 2:1-2
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and
whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he
shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul?
- Matthew 16:24-26
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their lives unto the death.
- Revelation 12:11
