Is all the "religion" in the world a bad thing? That is the basically what all the religions espouse, knowledge of good and evil.
It does not work, put it that way.
It doesn't always work, you mean? IMO, it quite often does work, to have a list of "dos and don'ts" and follow them as well as you can. You will often succeed, not always, but you can do a pretty good job of it. You have probably never murdered anyone, for example. Did you avoid killing by your own will, or was that only possible with God's help? If it's the latter, how do you explain the vast majority of unbelievers who are not murderers?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
It doesn't always work, you mean? IMO, it quite often does work, to have a list of "dos and don'ts" and follow them as well as you can. You will often succeed, not always, but you can do a pretty good job of it. You have probably never murdered anyone, for example. Did you avoid killing by your own will, or was that only possible with God's help? If it's the latter, how do you explain the vast majority of unbelievers who are not murderers?
Because it works sometimes it is very deceptive. I actually believe this is the entire problem with our lives. WE TRY. In fact, the harder we try the worse we fail.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
Because it works sometimes it is very deceptive. I actually believe this is the entire problem with our lives. WE TRY. In fact, the harder we try the worse we fail.
That's incorrect. (IMO!)
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
I think the knowledge of good and evil is the knowledge of DO'S AND DON'TS.
It is seeking to know all that is good in order to do good in our fleshly power, and seeking to know all that is evil in order to avoid it in our fleshly power. IT IS ESSENTIALLY LAW KEEPING.
Impossible, brother Blume. BEFORE they ate the forbidden fruit, God gave them some DO's and DON'Ts - DO tend the garden, DON'T EAT THAT FRUIT.
They already HAD 'law' - ie commandments to obey.
Otherwise, they could not have SINNED in eating the forbidden fruit, because sin is TRANSGRESSION OF LAW.
Perhaps the knowledge of good and evil meant more along the lines of a 'studied knowledge of good and evil'. We are told to be as babes in regard to evil, but wise in love, grace, faith, etc.
Basically, I'd say that the two trees in the garden were a foreshadow of the OLD and NEW covenants.
One is trying to figure out good and bad (Rom 7)
The other is just plainly having the LIFE of God (Rom 8)
Btw, nice to see you posting again Bro Blume...
One is not 'trying to figure out good and bad', but instead (if your analogy is correct) trying to LIVE BASED ON A KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT TO DO AND NOT TO DO. Key term - 'trying to LIVE'. Life does not come from a knowledge of good and evil (which is spelled out by the Law of God), but by Christ (and His sacrifice on the cross) which imputes righteousness to us.
The difference between 'law and faith' or 'law and grace' is not one of keeping God's commands (DO's and DON'Ts) vs not keeping god's commands but one of 'where does righteousness come from? MY righteousness based upon my obedience to God's commands? Or does it come from GOD'S MERCY and power working in me to fulfill the righteousness of the law'? (Romans 6-8).
I t is do's and dont's for the purpose of becoming RIGHTEOUS. Adam was already righteous when God gave him that single rule. I should have clarified that.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
By my experience it is not, in my opinion. Think of a struggle and weak area in your life and how forcing yourself to not do it only worsens it. We all got 'em.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
I've always wondered why Satan didn't ask Eve to eat out of the other tree, the Tree of Life.... he must have known that tree holds the key to eternal life... How did he know which tree to get Eve to eat the fruit out of? He must already have known the do's and don'ts too.... otherwise either tree that they were forbidden to eat, he could have asked Eve to eat out of either one of them. But he chose the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil to decieve Eve with...
By my experience it is not, in my opinion. Think of a struggle and weak area in your life and how forcing yourself to not do it only worsens it. We all got 'em.
Nope. Doesn't work that way. It's the opposite. The less I try to be good, the worse it gets.
IMO.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Nope. Doesn't work that way. It's the opposite. The less I try to be good, the worse it gets.
IMO.
It's not that we DO NOTHING, but find our proper place with God in the equation to do what we need to do and allow Him to do what only He can do and thereby LIVE BY LIFE, not knowledge of good and evil.
For instance, we YIELD TO HIM to empower us and not merely expect Him to do so without our volition. And we PRAY and he HELPETH our infirmities. The greek term for HELPETH implies we do something and He assists us. The error is US trying independently of God's Spirit.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
Think of a struggle and weak area in your life and how forcing yourself to not do it only worsens it. We all got 'em.
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