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Training Our Senses to Know Good and Evil

As Christians we are not under law; therefore, the law does not govern our actions (Romans 6:14). This can be confusing to some because if the Ten Commandments are not the standard, what is? As part of our salvation, we are placed as sons (Ephesians 1:5 having marked off our bounds to the placement of sons). This means we are no longer under law (Galatians 4:1-5). A son is one who is mature and expected to act appropriately, not like a child. Now being in a position before God where we can mature, we are expected to train our senses to know the difference between what is wrong and what is proper.

But the solid food is for the mature, the ones through practice having trained the senses towards discerning proper and wrong (lacking in character). Hebrews 5:14.

The purpose of the gift of Pastor even teacher (Ephesians 4:11) given to the church is to bring us all to a oneness of faith (Ephesians 4:13) so that we are no longer inarticulate babblers. And inarticulate babbler is one who needs milk (Hebrews 5:13) for they cannot handle the meat of the Word of God and are tossed around by every wind of teaching by the trickery of men who seek to deceive the saints (Ephesians 4:14).

Today, let’s grow a little in our understanding. Let’s put off any law we may be trying to apply to ourselves and start to use the freedom we have in Christ to live righteously. That is, stop with the “Do Not” and start being who we are in Christ. God has given us a new mind by which we can discern His Will for our lives (Romans 12:2).

Christ told the disciples in […]

Training Our Senses to Know Good and EvilLuther Walker2023-11-25T08:07:01-08:00

Image and Likeness

In the first chapter of Genesis, Scripture records that God states He would make man in His image and likeness, Genesis 1:26. However, by Genesis 5:3, after the fall of Adam, the likeness and image of humans is that of Adam, for he passed on his corrupt nature to his children, Genesis 5:3.

The concept of image (צֶ֫לֶם – tsĕ-lĕm) is that which has a similar appearance. When examining God’s appearance, we find that He dwells in light, 1 Timothy 6:16; therefore, when God created Adam, He wrapped him in light so that Adam would have a similar image. When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, they were stripped of this image, Genesis 3:7. It is worthy to note here that the word used in Genesis 3:7, often translated as naked (עֲרוּמִּ֔ים), actually means stripped (עֵֽירֻמִּ֖ם). They both knew they were stripped, for they could visibly see that they had lost their covering. However, this does not mean that the similarity to God was lost entirely to humans, for Adam was made in the image of God. This is why, after the Noahic flood in the dispensation of government, a new rule is placed upon the household that if a man sheds the blood of another man, his life is to be forfeit, Genesis 9:6. Although Adam was created in a state of innocence (not knowing good and evil) and resided in the garden during a time when there was no sin upon the earth, his offspring inherit his corrupt nature resulting from the penalties of spiritual and physical death for his trespass and sin, which brought death into this world, Romans 5:12, 17.

In the realm of false religions, an image refers to the […]

Image and LikenessLuther Walker2023-12-14T08:08:24-08:00

Reviled (λοιδορέω)

“Revile” is to speak in an insulting way towards another.

The Pharisees reviled the blind man that Jesus healed because he questioned if they wanted to become disciples of Christ after they continued to ask him how he was healed, John 9:28. This man was blind from birth and Jesus healed him on the Sabbath as a sign to the Jews that those who do not see will see. After hearing his story, the Pharisees again call him back to recount what happened to them. They revile him because the man who was blind calls them out for not listening to him and the fact that no one has ever been healed in this manner before; therefore, Jesus has to be from God. In response, the Pharisees claim to be Moses’ disciples, insult him, and cast him out of the synagogue.

In Jerusalem, while Paul was being accused by the Jews so that the Romans would put him to death, after stating that he has lived in all good conscience before God, Ananias commanded the ones nearby to strike him. Paul calls him out for his unrighteous action, referring to him as a whitewashed wall. Paul is then rebuked for reviling the High Priest, Acts 23:4. However, Paul was not aware that Ananias was the High Priest at that time and apologetically quotes Scripture, which states they are not to speak bad concerning a ruler of the people, Acts 23:5. Although what Paul stated was not inaccurate, it was intended to be an insult and therefore not appropriate for him to say against the High Priest.

In response to being reviled, Paul speaks well of others, 1 Corinthians 4:11. Just as Christ, when He suffered for righteousness, did […]

Reviled (λοιδορέω)Luther Walker2023-12-23T07:22:36-08:00

The Human Nature and How it Relates to Adam and the Christ

In discussing the human nature, there are major theological differences, especially in the realm of the spirit and soul. These disagreements are not discussed in this paper but will certainly influence the reader’s perception of what is stated. The author highly encourages the reader challenges their own thinking on this matter by solely relying on Scripture rather than theology to strengthen their understanding of and confidence in the truth regarding the human nature. This paper in no way implies, supports, suggest, or reveals that there is any change in the clear separation of the pre-Testament, Israel, Church, or Millennial Kingdom saints. These groups of believers have different promises with different content to their salvation and will always be distinct.

Where does the human soul and spirit come from? We know that the body comes from the parents, but what about the other parts of the human nature? To understand this, we are going to examine what Scripture reveals about where the body, soul, and spirit originate from and how this unique creation of God propagates, along with the fact that even though we share in our nature, we are individuals and personally liable to God.

In the creation of humans, we have two stories in Scripture that give us details on our beginning. These stories are not in contrast to one another; rather, the second one gives us more details on what God did in creating humans. In Genesis 1, we are given an overview of the renovation of the earth and the creation of Adam. God created humans; male and female¹, yet He did not create both male and female. As we examine chapter two of Genesis, we find that Adam is […]

The Human Nature and How it Relates to Adam and the ChristLuther Walker2023-11-25T15:06:39-08:00

Good (ἀγαθός)

Good is a word that describes activity that is beneficial, wholesome, and sufficient to be acceptable for its purpose. It is used to describe humans, trees, treasures, speaking, and most of all God.

Although humans can do good, only God is good (Luke 18:19), for goodness is an aspect of His nature. However, even though humans are not good by nature, we do know the difference between good and evil and can choose to produce good things in our lives rather than malignantly wicked things (Romans 2:15). The heart is the center of a human, where the person resides. It is within here that we will store up good treasures to use later, or malignantly evil ones to use against others (Matthew 12:35). What we allow to remain in our minds and within our hearts directly impacts our actions; therefore, our weapons are not fleshly, but are mighty in God for the pulling down of those strongholds within us that raise themselves up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:4-6), by which we destroy the evil treasures, so our storehouse is filled with good.

Although the law is good, we do not live by it because through it is the full experiential knowledge of the sin nature (Romans 7:12-13) and rather than giving us victory over it, it becomes the sin natures strength against us (1 Corinthians 15:56). Trying to do good by law leads us into frustration and the realization that within our flesh no good dwells, for as soon as we desire to do good, we find that we lack the ability to do it through our flesh (Romans 7:18-19), and we end up doing things that lack in character, which we do not […]

Good (ἀγαθός)Luther Walker2023-11-25T07:54:10-08:00

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