Posted on May 1, 2017 by Seven Richichi

A Divine Perspective

Jesus understood what most of humanity doesn’t, the failed and fallen condition of man.  Men assume man is good.  God knows man in his natural state is bad.  John 2:23-25 (ESV)  Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.  The gospel of John presents Jesus’ divinity.  It is good for new believers and those under conviction to become believers.  The study of anthropology is the study of man.  Many believe man to be good, but God knows man in the natural state is fallen.  That’s why he needs a new birth.

This divine understanding goes back to a single point of origin; the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV)  The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  That Tree represented man making his own choice rather than depending on and trusting the choice of God.  They wanted to ascend to a place that wasn’t theirs.

  1. When man ate of the Tree he took on the nature of the Tree as his own PERMANENTLY.  Genesis 6:5 (NLT)  The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.  Genesis 6:11-12 (NLT)  Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt.  Man is NOT inherently good, he is inherently evil.  He, because of the Tree he is the fruit of, can only and always do wrong.  God started humanity over again with Noah and He changed some things to reduce the advance of sin.  God limited the natural lifespan to 120 years.  The nature was there, but the conditions were changed.
  1. Matthew 7:17-19 (NLT)  A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.  This is why man cannot be reformed or “turn over a new leaf.”  He must, by the initiation and power of God ALONE, be born again.  And then he can partake again of the Tree of Life, depending only on God and His ability. He appointed a time for you to be born again.  He chose you, you didn’t choose him.  Now (after the New Birth) we can partake of the good, but it doesn’t mean we will.  We still have the same mind, will, and emotions (soul) and that same body (flesh and it’s nature).  Only the spirit is recreated and free of sin.
  1. The lure of this old Tree is subtle. Though his nature has changed, he has not forgotten the way he operated in his previous life, depending on and trusting on himself rather than depending and trusting God for EVERYTHING.   As a result he often goes back to the old, FAMILIAR Tree of Death.  Luke 5:36-39 (ESV)  He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” The whole Bible is summed up in four words: “TRUST GOD!  DON’T MURMUR!”
  1. This is why man often eats of the Old Tree of Death and dependence on self instead of the new Tree of Life and dependency and trust in God.  The Old Tree is intoxicating because you are persuaded you will always get what YOU want when you want it!  THIS PRINCIPLE OPERATES IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE.

Don’t forget this fact – just because you are born again doesn’t mean you no longer have flesh!  Your spirit has been recreated, but until death you still possess the nature of the flesh.  There is a war within!   You may wish it isn’t true, but it is.  And it won’t go away.  You have to pray and fast.  Until death you still possess the nature of the flesh.   2 Corinthians 5:14-17 (ESV)  For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.  16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  You need to love your brothers and sisters and help them if they stumble.  Don’t judge people according to the flesh.

  1. Sin still afflicts the Christian.  Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
  1. The way to new life in Christ is to crucify the old way of living.  Listen to James talking to CHRISTIANS!  James 4:1-10 (ESV)  What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
  1. Salvation didn’t eliminate the flesh, but it did give you power over it!  Galatians 5:19-25 (NLT)  When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!  24 THOSE WHO BELONG TO CHRIST JESUS HAVE NAILED THE PASSIONS AND DESIRES OF THEIR SINFUL NATURE TO HIS CROSS AND CRUCIFIED THEM THERE. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
  1. The nature of the flesh is to sin, even for Christians.  Or duty is not to condemn, but to help recover.  There, but for the grace of God, go we.  Galatians 6:1-5 (NLT)  Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.  4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.