Notes from L. Berkhof and Myer Pearlman
Introduction
We have seen the consequences of man’s wilful and deliberate breaking of God’s Laws bringing Evil upon himself and guilt before God. The result of this wickedness is the marring of the Image of God in man and the results of inborn or original sin in our lives. ‘Acts of sin’ follow naturally from a sin nature with which we are born.
The situation is bleak for the judgment of Death: Physical death, spiritual death and the curse of God are upon us.
Memorize Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?
Research and Review
- What is Original sin and how does this differ from actual acts of sin?
- How do you conceive of Total Depravity?
- What proof is there of the Universality of Sin?
The Consequence of Inner Discord.
We God created man in all his perfection he was given: a body of dust to communicate with the world around him, a soul in which resided his personality and his spirit with which to be connected to God. Man’s whole person was to be in harmony with the body being subject to the soul and spirit.
Sin disturbed this sensitive relationship, so that man found himself divided with himself with a war going on between the flesh and the spirit. This open the gate for the enemy. see Romans 7:24 above.
The God of peace subdues the warring elements and sanctifies the whole spirit, soul and body bringing inner peace and harmony. This is where God Reigns supreme.
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
2. Alienation from God.
After Adam and Eve sinned they hid themselves from God and tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. Now they felt ashamed and convicted because they had violated the law of God. God cursed the ground, the woman and the man, and Satan. Adam and Eve were driven from the presence of God and the Garden He had planted for man to provide for him. Gen 3
Eph 2:12 that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Col 1:21 And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath he reconciled
RWP Being in time past alienated (pote ontas apēllotriōmenous). Periphrastic perfect passive participle (continuing state of alienation) of apallotrioō, old word from Plato on, to estrange, to render allotrios (belonging to another), alienated from God, a vivid picture of heathenism as in Rom_1:20-23. Only other N.T. examples in Eph_2:12; Eph_4:18. Enemies (exthrous). Old word from echthos (hatred). Active sense here, hostile as in Mat_13:28; Rom_8:7, not passive hateful (Rom_11:28).
What a condition to be in to be separated from God and alienated, hostile, enemies. Thank God He has reconciled believers to Himself through the Death of His Son
To reconcile: G604 ἀποκαταλλάσσω apokatallassō Thayer Definition:
1) to reconcile completely
2) to reconcile back again
3) bring back a former state of harmony
3. Punishment.
Gen 2:17 but you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Man was created for IMMORTALITY. i.e. He did not have to die if he obeyed the Law of God. He was placed under a covenant of works. Life depended on OBEDIENCE. As long as Adam observed the Law of Life he had a right to the tree of Life.
The Penalty for His disobedience and breaking the Covenant of life, was that He was separated from God, the Source of all Life. The Penalty was more than just PHYSICAL DEATH. This came from God’ disfavour and being disconnected from the Source of all life.
Only through an act of Redemption (Ransom/Rescue) and Recreation/ Regeneration could man again have a right to the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
Through Christ Jesus Righteousness is restored to the soul which at the Resurrection will be reunited with a new Glorified body.
Physical death is a penalty and punishment for sin. We are @dead in Trespasses and sins
THE SECOND DEATH the Divine Judge will pronounce “indination, and Wrath, Tribulation and anguish.” Roman 2:7-12.
Death is a Penalty not the extinction of the personality but means a separation.
There is Physical death Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment,
Spiritual death while a man lives: Eph 2:1 And He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins,
Eph 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience;
and the SECOND OR ETERNAL DEATH
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
1Ti 5:6 But she who lives in self-pleasure has died while living.
This is the Reason all Men should Repent and Cry out the the Saviour.
Rom 10:9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame."
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference both of Jew and of Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call on Him.
Rom 10:13 For everyone, "whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved."
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