Sin, It's Nature and History - Part 1 — Paris Reidhead

Forget my name. Wouldn't be unusual. I'm the fellow that says, I want you to meet my wife. What's her name? She doesn't think that's particularly nice. They do cause a problem. I was in a Bible conference up in Muskoka Lakes in Canada some years ago, and one of the brethren asked for the privilege of introducing me.

And he went at great lengths. And finally, when he finished with his long list of things, he said, I now want to present my brother, Paris Green. And I don't think anybody knew the difference. Let's bow in prayer.

Father, we thank and praise Thee for what we've heard tonight, for the truth that centered our minds and our hearts, and what we've seen and felt. We would ask Thee that this may be nourished by us, and that what thou we experience in these next minutes together are going to tie into and be, and build upon that which we've seen.

We do rejoice that Thou art here, that Thou art the Teacher, that the very Holy Spirit that inspired the Word is here with us and in us to illumine our minds and hearts and to enable us to appropriate that Word.

So bless each of us according to our needs. No two of us are in the same place in our relationship with Thee. No two of us have quite the same needs. But Thy name is El Shaddai, the God who is enough.

The Problem of Evil and the Purpose of Humanity

And so we bid blessing in every heart, because we ask it in the name and for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many years ago, during the time when the Second World War was raging in Europe and our nation was so involved in it, I was talking to a university student and he raised this question.

You know, we had the bombing of Pearl Harbor, we discovered about the killing of the Jews by Hitler. The whole scene was one of grave sadness, of sickness, of heartache. The world was on fire. And this young university student said, why did God, that man capable of doing, see Him doing?

I talked about it, I gave him the best answer I was able to give and he was prepared to receive. And yet it was one that stayed with me, forced me to do a lot of thinking, a lot of study, a lot of praying, waiting on the workman's study hands.

The Nature of God and the Trinity

We could find out something about the nature of God, to answer the question. We have some statements that are made about God. We put them in order, not in terms of where they occur in the scripture, but just so that we can see them in perspective.

First, the Bible tells us that God is love. Love is incomplete without an object. God has always been love. There never was a time when He began to be love. It's the essence of His being. It's as eternal as He is.

God is love. This means that God the Father is love, and God the Son is love, and so is God the Holy Spirit. And that tells us something about God, tells us something about the Trinity. None of us really understand the Trinity, but it helps a bit at this point to know, bring in focus some of the things we do know.

For instance, we know that the Father is God. But God is not God only as Father. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And the Son is God. But God is not God only as Son. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And the Holy Spirit is God. But God is not God only as Holy Spirit. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now, wherever the Father is revealed, there the Son and the Spirit are. And wherever God is revealed as Son, there the Father and the Spirit are.

And wherever God is revealed as Holy Spirit, there the Son and the Father are. Now, as Father, from eternity past, has yearned and longed for ourselves, nature of our nature. Always in the part of the Father, there's the hope and the yearning and the aspiration.

It's something that the Father has become to be respected and appreciated and enjoyed by the children. As eternity passed, for brethren, longing for brethren, also is called the bridegroom. In all we know, the Father loved the Son and the Spirit.

But we're talking now about the love from the triune God for someone outside of himself. For God being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is no less one God, none three Gods. And so, God whose love in the fullness of time, purpose to bring to himself and for himself a being made in his image and made in his likeness for the express purpose of being the object of God's love.

God is Father, what is children? God is Son, what is brethren? God is eternal bridegroom. That the Father could reveal to the children all the Father is, and the elder brother could reveal to the brethren all the elder brother is.

And the bridegroom could reveal to the bride all of his plans and purposes and intentions, that they might be enjoyed. And so, in the fullness of time, process of preparing a place, quite sure when, but we do know that it is in connection with this love story.

Creation, Lucifer, and the Fall of Satan

And then in verse two, we are told that the earth became without form and void. That's not the way it was by personal metaphysics, with which you needn't agree as any test of fellowship, I won't hold you to them.

My own personal metaphysics tells me that there could be a vast time span between Genesis 1 -1 and Genesis 1 -2. It could be long enough for all the eons of time that the archaeologists have found and the paleontologists have asked for.

I don't know. The only thing I know is that something happened, and so that the earth, which was created by God, made out of nothing, became without form and void. Now, physics output into this. When did it become?

The prophet speaking by inspiration, that the Lord Jesus could say, for it was of him the prophet spoke, I saw Lucifer, Satan, fall as lightning from heaven. I think he fell too. In space, there was a penitentiary prison for the French government.

There was a little speck in space. They decided that he would turn that speck of island, that speck in space, into a penitentiary. Apparently, Lucifer and those who rebelled with him were cast out of heaven and sent to this little island we call earth.

In Genesis 1 -2, when the earth became without form, the prophet said, Here's an intelligent being that's been created. Apparently, his love anticipated that this beloved was going to need some help. And so he created some messengers.

We call them angels, seraphim, cherubim, whatever, the servants. He invested more of intelligence and beauty and power because there was an administrative task to be performed. And so he gave to this one son of the morning, he was called, the superior endowment, so that he could serve as a prime minister over the angels, over these beings.

And we find that he had certain powers given to him, and he used those powers. He thought, imagined, and he obviously felt. He had emotion and desire, and he had choice. He began by ruminating, saying, if I were God, I'd do so and so.

And that quickly moved into the next step. I will set my throne above the throne of the most high. Now, as an intelligent being, he had to have weapons and tools. If he was to succeed in this, don't you think, he knew, God is love.

How is he going to get God on the throne? Is he going to out-love God? You see, as an intelligent being, Lucifer understood every thesis has its antithesis, has its negative, or still again, has its back.

If you see what looks like the front, you didn't see a hand. Because if there's a front, there has to be a back. And if there's a positive, the negative could be somewhere, and if there's a thesis, the antithesis exists or could exist.

Christ as Truth, Life, and Light

Now, we've already seen one of the attributes of God, God is love. But the Lord Jesus said, and then he said, I am the truth, I am the truth. This is an attribute. God is truth. Then he said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

And so, who's now decided to put his throne above the throne of the most high, has decided that the only way he can do that is to take the antithesis, the negative, the back. And so, this one who is life, and then he said, I am the light of the world, so we'll take those four, is saying, against light, against truth, against life, I'll take the more powerful thing.

He's going to set his throne above the throne of the most high, armed with powerful weapons, darkness. The truth cannot say, I hate this rebel, and take hate to overcome hate. He's destroyed himself. So there have been which love and life, and Christ said, I saw Satan fall as lightning, but I think the grace of the demon thing died.

Humanity Made in God's Image

This beloved, he didn't pick the seed. He couldn't have gotten any wounds to come. Entry, this pain, six days, he went over it the way God, the Holy Ghost, wounds over sinner souls. And the first thing that happened is God said, likewise, just as God first awakened sinners, from their sleep of death, and then God prepared.

And it was fit, and ready, and everything was there. The dust of the ground, breathed into him the breath of life, and man became. Differ from the image and likeness of God. Only thing I know is the only being described as made in his image and likeness is man.

He doesn't say it about the cherubim. I don't know what the difference is. He didn't tell us. That'd be just speculation. He said what's in his image and likeness is the one that he said that he loved with an everlasting love.

I don't know how he feels about cherubim or seraphim. Doesn't tell us, but it tells us he loved man. And so, in this recreation, as he stands there before God, what are the attributes he has? What are the characteristics of man?

Human Appetites and the Goodness of Creation

First, he has certain appetites or urges to be intake. Some of us apparently got carried away a little bit. And I see the way that some people are who don't seem to have a problem. I clink her up just looking through a magazine.

Some people can clear off the buffet table twice, three times a day and never gain an ounce. I weigh three ounces more when I put good housekeeping down. I have been. And so the man has to have frequent intake of food.

With something called appetite, called hunger. And then we learn in sequence. And so he gave us a thirst for knowledge. An appetite to learn. Gave us an appetite for status. Because he was going to have man rule over everything he created.

So he had to put something into man to stand erect and to exercise authority. And then he put into man an appetite for sex. Because he had created one and then the wife. And from that pair would come this whole family of his children.

And so he put in an appetite, a drive, a propensity, an urge. And then he put into man pleasure. Because he'd done such a marvelous job in recreating this world. He took the whole spectrum of colors to paint the sky at night and in the morning.

So that man could enjoy it. And he put blue sky in the day. And greens and flowers and watermelon. That's considered the greatest source of senorium. You get more vitamins eating parsley and you do watermelon.

But I've never seen anybody send out a plate of parsley. And chuck it away. Tastes good. A little extra thing. So he enjoyed. He gave us an appetite for pleasure. What did he say when he looked at this being that stood there with this drive or urge or appetite.

For food and for knowledge and for status. For security, for sex and for pleasure. What did he say? It's bad. He said it is good. He said. Entrance into the garden. Didn't he say that he got somewhere where he could.

Contemporary. He wasn't free to rule the universe. And by moral government. Everything I've made is yours. There's one thing. Responsibility. And obligation. Ancient folk. You see God might have put his man somewhere else.

Or he might have kept him out. But what would he have done? He just postponed the day of encounter. They could not see anybody. Or hear anybody. No one could get in and no one could get out. Because you wanted their love so badly that you wouldn't let any attempting influence touch them.

What would love mean to you if you'd gone to those lengths to preserve? Anything. Works in the fact that he comes home at night and has to set his little 4, 5, 6 year old child on a chair. And take out his pocket watch and get it going.

And hypnotize his child. So that when his will controls the will of the child. He can say to the little one. Get down from your chair. And walk across to me. And crawl up on my lap. Put your arms around my neck.

Put your lips on my cheek. And say. I love you father. Do you think that would give any gratification to a father's heart? So he permitted his ancient foe to come. He lies because that's his nature. He's a father of lies.

He's a liar. That's his weapon. To come with darkness. That's his weapon. To come with hatred. That's his weapon. That's his tool. And so he comes with all that he is. To mother Eve. Dies to her. Did God say you will not die?

That's a lie. She wasn't going to fall over stiff. Instantaneous poison. As though she were bitten by a cobra. She died. To bring enlightenment. But he brought her into bondage. Then she left and went to her husband and said.

Now you've got a choice to make old friend. God comes every afternoon at 5 o 'clock. And I'm with you 24 hours a day. Who's it going to be? You going to go with him for a few minutes in the afternoon?

Or with me? All 24 hours. And so he said. Well I guess. I'll hang around with you. And so he deliberately. Deliberately. She might have been deceived. But he made a sovereign choice. As she had. No excuse for her.

Made a choice. Cringes. Hides in the bushes. What did she have? In her nature. That made her. Appetite for food. Pleasant to look. And for status. Appetites in her. Lucifer too. Was to appeal to her appetites.

Temptation, Sin, and the Human Will

And to stimulate her imagination. All she had. Was appetites and urges. And imagination. She was tempted. Now let me give you a definition of temptation. Temptation. Is a proposition. Presented. To satisfy.

A good appetite. In a bad way. Is a proposition. Presented to the intellect. To satisfy a good appetite. In a bad way. Now let me give you a definition of sin. Sin. Is the decision. Of the will. To satisfy.

A good appetite. In a bad way. A forbidden way. Temptation. Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are. Yet without sin. There is no guilt. Associated with temptation. Guilt is from the decision. Not the execution.

The decision. Of the will. To gratify. A good appetite. In a bad way. A forbidden way. Intelligence. Which you come and draw a triangle there. It's an equilateral triangle. Inside going out. Put mental.

To be seen by. Connie back there on the table. Down the right hand side. Put emotional. Put volitional. You can see that. And you may be thirsty as well. Glass tulips. And you know. How to swallow it.

Does not give you. Ever so thirsty for it. Your tongue may be. Feeling like cotton in your mouth. But because you're sitting there. And you're polite. You're not going to get up. And take this out of my hand.

Your emotions are not overcoming. That you've got to have a glass of water. You've made up your mind. If you won't give me the one in your hand. I'm going out and get one from the phone. The decision of the will.

You can't have a drink of water. The emotional and the volitional. You can't get married. The experience. Unless all three elements are involved. Ours outside. Smell a little laughter. You know. The breeze is carrying the odor.

Little country church. Up to the head of Lake Osakis. You can see Lake Osakis. Little Osakis. Through the windows. And the people never looked at me. They're looking at. Darn strong air conditioning. The lawn.

Electricity. You've got lamps on the wall. There's no electricity there. Minnesota. Minnesota get a room. This is his social conformity. And how much is need for air. So I had an illustration that I hadn't used.

But I could make it seem as though it were appropriate. I told him about this boy. That had been skating on the river. Wolves came to chase him out of the forest. And he would skate and get around them.

And he went a little too far. And an ice flow broke off. And he. The snow was blowing. The boy got. The slower the pain. Just before the boy froze stiff. There wasn't a fan moving. You see what I've done.

I didn't say stop fanning. What good would that have done? I said you're not really on their mind. And I got through that. I got the other. Now. Now what happened to Mother Eve. Presented to the Italy.

And she thought about it. And she felt. And she made a choice. She thought. And she felt. And she made a choice. What did he do? He thought about it. And he felt something. And he made a choice. He chose to satisfy good appetites in a bad way.

The Universality of Sin and Moral Responsibility

Scripture said all of sin. One hundred percent. Of all the people. Alive in the whole world. Sin. Of fallen sinful nature. The fact that we're only two doesn't change anything. It was still a hundred percent.

Proves conclusively to me. That the issue is one of choice. Responsible being. Who recognized the intrinsic rightness of the law. That God imposed. The foundation of moral government is in the nature of God.

And in the nature of man. And God is as he is because he must be. It isn't right because God said it. God said it because it is right. Man has an instinctive illumination within himself. That enables him to test the rightness.

Of a people in the Sudan. I had never seen a missionary. Nor heard the name of Jesus. Nor had seen an idol. But I was told. But I learned that they knew the name for God. They knew that God had made the world.

And they knew that God was holy. As distinctive as they had for God. And they knew that this evil person whose name they gave had not made the world. He was in charge of certain parts of it. He was in charge of how many of your goats stayed alive.

The grain you got from the seed you planted. And he demanded chicken. And sacrificed to keep the spirits that controlled the goats and the chickens satisfied. They knew that certain things were wrong.

And I said what's wrong? And without my coaching them they said it is wrong to lie. It is wrong to steal. It is wrong to commit murder. It is wrong not to care for your ancient parents. It is wrong. And they went right through the list.

Who taught them? I said who taught you? They said what do you mean taught us? They said why should they come through our ears when our stomachs yell at us? Because they had the seat of personality not in the heart but in the stomach.

We had one tribe when we did the translation. Be not afraid of desire. The only way we could put it in the parlance they'd understand was don't get a shiver in your liver it's only meat. Punish them when they die.

The Failure of Moral Reform Without Grace

Went to the next street over and sat down there. And I taught them a nice little prayer. And they prayed it after me. Went to my tent and wrote a letter to send home as soon as I got there because I wanted the church at home to know what a great missionary they had.

Four out of me. One visit. I don't know why these fellas took so long. I made one visit and I had seven converts. It was a lucky thing I did. If I had to do it while they were hotter it would have never been.

At any rate I got my letter off and got all the publicity value from the decisions. But three and a half months later I was back there. That's where the Jesus boys were because that's what they decided they called themselves.

And they came to see me. They were still going to the kingdom dance. They were still sacrificing to the evil spirits. They were still going to all these. You see I fixed them up with a neat, clever, tricky little health insurance policy.

So they could have more risk to them. All of a sudden I decided. Anything in this world. Even though I've been a pastor at home. I've been a graduate from Bible school. I didn't know anything in this world about getting people prepared for grace.

Sacrifice, Covering, and the Lamb of God

In his sovereignty. In the garden. They stood before him. The first blood on earth came from the hand of God. Because it says that the Lord God made coats of skin. Now friend you can make coats of wool.

And not hurt the goat or the sheep. But when you make a coat of skin. Somebody died. Someone died. And he slew the lamb. And took the skin. And made aprons for them. And by it. He pointed a finger down across the century.

When someone would say of him. The Lord God in the garden that day. Is the one of whom John will one day say.

You will know the Lamb of God.

The day of the wind, the sun and the water.

God's Holiness, Justice, and the Gospel

The whole thing begins right there. With who God is.

And the kind of a being he is. And the kind of responsibility he expects. And the kind of justice that he requires. And the vindication of his holiness. And the upholding of his law. The whole thing in microcosm.

Is right there before us. It moves us to understand the kind of beings we are. The kind of being God is. What God expects and what God requires. No I've never gone back. And if any of those men that were there.

Closing Prayer for Understanding God's Purpose

That listens to my. Childish, pure, incomplete, inadequate. Misrepresentation of God's grace. Were still around. How I'd like to remember the future of that. All I want him to know is life eternal. Hearts to be thanking thee.

The power of thy great wisdom and love. Paying. For the good of the entire universe. Throughout eternity. Thou wouldst have a people. Praise thee. Glorify thee. Honor thee. As father thou wouldst have children.

As eternal bridegroom thou wouldst have a bride. And so thou wouldst hazard all that the world has seen. That this good. Might come into the universe. And that thou wouldst fulfill all that thou art. As the God with love and light.

And life and truth. And today our hearts go out to thee. For some who. Perhaps. Like these who my soul. Immaturely and presumptuously. Misrepresented the gospel to. Maybe there are some even here. Who had others just as genuine.

Sincere as I was in justice mistaken. Who led them to make a presumption. About. How it will be able to know. His life eternal. If so that be the case father. We're not leaving thy presence when we leave each other.

We'll be alone with thee throughout the night hours. Speak to our hearts concerning our needs. And bring us back on Memorial Father prepared. To think further and go along with thee. In our understanding of who thou art.

And what thou must ask of us. And thy plan and purpose for us. We ask for thanksgiving in Jesus name. Amen.