The Knowledge of Good and Evil

Love sincerely. Hate evil. Hold on to what is good. (Romans 12:9)

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." --Romans (12:15)

We human beings have always been a social species, living together in groups. Cooperation and caring for each other is part of our nature. In a world where suffering is so often inflicted on us by forces we cannot control, our only solace, our only hope, is that we are here for each other. We must be, because if we do not help each other, no one else will. Regardless of what some people say about their personal experience, what really makes life worthwhile and bearable is our fellow human being, those whose presence multiplies our happiness in times of joy and softens our grief in times of tragedy. As one writer put it, shared pain is lessened, shared happiness increased, and the book of Romans recognizes this truth when it tells us to love sincerely, show empathy toward others.  Jesus said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason the world is in chaos, is because things are being loved, and people are being used.

When Paul says, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good,” he is commanding our will and emotions to be one way and not another way. Good and evil don’t change, we change. God commands not only that we choose the good but that we love it, and not only that we choose against evil, but that we hate and abhor it. How will you obey this command? The answer is that we must be born again. That which is merely born of the flesh loves the things of the flesh. That which is born of the Spirit loves the things of the Spirit “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned”. 1 Corinthians 2:14.Our hearts can cling to things because we desire them, and our hearts can reject things intensely because we don’t desire them. Paul says, Here is good, and here is evil. Now bring your emotions and your will into conformity to what is objectively there. When you face the objective evil: hate it. And when you face the objective good, embrace it.

“Life is a sum of all your choices.”

 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)

God’s message to the people of Isaiah’s day was "woe" to the person that did not properly distinguish evil from good. The fact that the Lord would pronounce such a "woe" indicates that it was possible for the humankind to know the difference between good and evil. Beyond that, it is equally obvious that He expected us to know the difference. Yes, we needed to know right from wrong. Just as the physical tongue has a deficiency when it is unable to distinguish the difference between bitter and sweet tastes, and just as the physical eye is not functioning properly when it is not capable of telling the difference between darkness and light, so the spiritual taste and spiritual sight of a person are "off" or malfunctioning when a person in the moral realm identifies evil as "good" or vice versa. As we often say, "Something just isn’t right" when a person confuses good for evil or evil for good.

We live in a world of tremendous uncertainty, confusion, chaos and anxiety. We also live in a time people label good things as "evil," and evil matters as "good?" First, we need to recognize why some people call evil good, and good evil. It is surely the case that a great number of people mistakenly call good "evil" or evil "good" simply because they are ignorant of what the Lord has to say about it. In the physical realm, what do we call a person that is unable to tell the difference between light and darkness? We say that such a person is blind. The same is true in the spiritual realm: one that cannot or does not properly distinguish good from evil, is blind. It has always been the case that God has wanted all people “seeks good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,  just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. “(Amos 5:14-15). That, of course, requires that a person clearly understand what God labels as "evil" and what He labels as "good." The Bible says, “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both an abomination [exceedingly disgusting and hateful] to the Lord." (Proverbs 17:15).

When it comes to recognizing what is good and evil, we must come to the right source. Human thinking is not the right source. A particular path might appear to be a great one, but it just might lead to destruction (Proverbs 16:25). God charged the children of Israel to do that which was right and good in His sight, not their own (Deuteronomy 6:18). When God tells us, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." (Romans 12:9), He expects us to accept His judgment about what is good and evil. The word of God is the only source to which we can turn to identify properly matters that are good or evil. Jesus said “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,” (John 5:39). Every practice and teaching needs to be put to the test, the scriptural test, by comparing it to what God’s word has to say “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. “(1 John 4:1). One that does not come to the Bible to learn God’s standard of good and evil will never be able to properly tell the difference between good and evil.

 “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”Deuteronomy 30:19.

Every man wishes to obtain life and good, and to escape death and evil; he desires happiness, and dreads misery. So great is the compassion of the Lord, that he has favored men, by his word, with such a knowledge of good and evil as will make them forever happy, if it be not their own fault. Let us hear the sum of the whole matter. If they and theirs would love God, and serve him, they should live and be happy. If they or theirs should turn from God, desert his service, and worship other gods, that would certainly be their ruin. There never was, since the fall of man, more than one way to heaven; which is marked out in both Testaments, though not with equal clearness. Moses meant that same way of acceptance, which Paul more plainly described; and Paul's words mean the same obedience, on which Moses more fully treated. In both Testaments the good and right way is brought near, and plainly revealed to us.

Behold, I set before you - a blessing and a curse - God had put it in the power of this people either to obey or disobey; That God has given man a free, self-determining Will, which cannot be forced by any power but that which is omnipotent, and which God himself never will force, is declared in the most formal manner through the whole of the sacred writings. No argument can affect this, while the Bible is considered as a Divine revelation; no sophistry can explain away its evidence, as long as the accountableness of man for his conduct is admitted, and as long as the eternal bounds of moral good and evil remain, and the essential distinctions between vice and virtue exist. If you will obey, (for God is ever ready to Bless), you shall live; if you disobey and refuse that help, you shall die. So hath God spoken, and man cannot reverse it.

The strongest principle of life and Blessings lies in our choice. Our life is the sum result of all the choices we make, both consciously and unconsciously. If we can control the process of choosing, we can take control of all aspects of our life. We can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of our life. So Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable. “If you don’t make a decision then time will make it for u and time will always side against u!” – Billy Graham”

“Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.” (Proverbs 4:7)

 

We are living in the last days! —we are told in Hebrews 1:2, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.." "The last days" began with Jesus Christ! Bible warned that in the last days there would be times of "perplexity" on the earth. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” When Paul told Timothy about the last days, he was not so much predicting the future as describing his own day. He was telling Timothy what kind of world he lived in.

 We are also living in the “Information Age,” where news pops up on cell phones and school and college can be attended online. While there is a lot of knowledge (information) floating around, there isn’t much understanding, discernment and wisdom. Bible says “For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her. (Prov. 8:11). We all need God’s perspective and His principle to live the Godly life-that’s why acquiring wisdom is not a suggestion but a command (Proverbs. 4:4, 5). “Keep my commandments and live; Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!” The wisest man of the Bible, King Solomon, wrote that the “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Prov. 9:10).

This world of ours also is a world of opposites. There is light and darkness, there is heat and cold, there is good and evil, there is God and the Devil. How can we define what is good and what is evil? Are there universal indicators behind, within, or consequent upon an action by which one can determine whether it was a good or an evil act? How can one tell whether a person is good or evil? One of the reasons for the moral and legal ambiguity is that the relationship between good and evil is not as clear cut as many would like it to be. Is religion a force for good or for evil? Certainly religion provides comfort to many people, and perhaps gets some to behave more ethically than they might otherwise. Religions have inspired many great works of art, architecture, and music. They have sponsored charitable, medical, and educational institutions.

 On the other hand, religion is divisive and provides impetus for discrimination, cruelty, community breakup, and persecution toward those of different religion. Religion is a medium for some people's hypocrisy. People fight and die over religious holy places, some of which are claimed by more than one religion, as in Jerusalem and India. In some cases religion makes people miserable through arbitrary rules. There are also some large-scale horrors to which religion contributed: wars, pogroms, crusades, persecutions, inquisitions, witch hunts. We have seen these things in old history and some continue today. Perhaps this is one reason so many millions have turned away from all forms of institutionalized religions and opted to embrace such philosophies as humanism, communism, and agnosticism. Yet religion is a natural phenomenon that exists in some form in every human culture.

Mankind has tried in so many ways to relieve from the fear, death, pain, and suffering that characterize so much of human life on earth. One way is through religion, which has not been any more successful than anything else because it too is a product of human invention and design. Religion is man’s attempt to discover God and find the solution to his own problem.

The greatest threat to modern world is corrupted ideologies and devises of man’s own egoism. Every day the flood of images on our television screens tells the sad story. Poverty, natural disasters, bombings, economic uncertainty, corporate corruption, Millions die every day from disease, starvation or violence. The stock market collapses and people who were millionaires one day are paupers the next. Corporations downsize and thousand are suddenly jobless. Extended joblessness creates financial distress resulting in evictions, which increases homelessness and the welfare burden of the state. Religious hatred and conflict in many parts of the world and moral decay—all of these testify to the undeniable fact that we are our own worst enemy.

Our culture is disintegrating all around us. People are living in despair. All we have to do is read a newspaper or listen to a news broadcast any day of the week to realize that daily life in the world we live in is full of uncertainty and instability. War, hunger, poverty, ignorance, ethnic cleansing, age-old hatreds and prejudices, suicide bombings, terrorism, AIDS and other afflictions, economic instability with wide fluctuations in the stock market – all of these show clearly that our world is a frightening and unreliable place. Because the kingdom of this world is temporary and will one day pass away, it has nothing of enduring quality in which we can trust with any confidence.

Is there any good news in the midst of all of this? Yes, indeed there is. For those who live and walk in communion with the living God, every day can be a good day, regardless of circumstances in the world. No matter how much unrest and turmoil swirls around us in the physical world, the spiritual world is stable. It cannot be moved. Unlike the kingdom of this world, God’s Kingdom is founded on eternal principles that will never fade or pass away.

This is why God did not send us a set of principles. Instead, He sent us a person. God’s Kingdom came to earth through the person of His Son Jesus Christ, who was its herald as well as its gateway. Christ did not come to Earth to start a religion or a religious group. Jesus’ primary mission on earth was to reintroduce the original life style of heaven on Earth to mankind. When we say that Jesus came to reintroduce the Kingdom of heaven on Earth, this implies that at one time it was here before. Christ did not bring a new school of thoughts, but an old, original glory of the country that had been lost. At one time, Adam and Eve were the manifestation of God’s very nature and glory on Earth, ruling from the Garden of Eden. When they disobeyed and rebelled against God and fell into sin, the Glory departed.

Therefore learning the wisdom of the Bible helps us to discern good from evil and good knowledge from evil knowledge. Even when evil teachings are disguised as good, and argued shrewdly, we will not be easily fooled. There is no better application for the wisdom of the Bible than to be able to distinguish Good from evil, and to practice good in our own lives.

Bible says “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, Guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you, To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;” (NAS, Proverbs 2:6-13)

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks

 “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”(Matthew 12:35)

 The power of choosing good and evil is within the reach of all. First idea a child must acquire is that of the difference between good and evil. According to psychologists, at the age of six months babies have already developed a sense of moral code - and can tell the difference between good and evil. An astonishing series of experiments is challenging the views of many psychologists and social scientists that human beings are born as 'blank slates' - and that our morality is shaped by our parents and experiences. Professor Paul Bloom, a psychologist at Yale University in Connecticut, whose department has studied morality in babies for years, said: 'A growing body of evidence suggests that humans do have a rudimentary moral sense from the very start of life. ‘With the help of well designed experiments, you can see glimmers of moral thought, moral judgment and moral feeling even in the first year of life. Bible declares that “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.  They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.”Romans 2:14-16(NLT)

Anthony Burgess says “Goodness is something chosen, When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man.” The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil. Wisdom is the knowledge of good and evil, not the strength to choose between the two.  Bible says “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (NIV, Luke 6:45)

Jesus gives us the answer in the parable of the good and bad fruits. He tells us to judge a teacher or minister by his or her deeds, not by his or her claims. Just as a fig tree produces only figs, a good teacher will advocate only good deeds and will live a life of good deeds. Just as a tree that produces poison fruit, a false teacher will advocate evil deeds and practice evil deeds, even while claiming to give godly advice.

 "A good man", is a regenerated man, one that is renewed by the Spirit of God, a believer in Christ, a sincere lover of him, and one that follows him, wheresoever’s he goes, and who has the grace of God implanted in him: for "the good treasure the heart", is not what he is naturally possessed of, but what is put into him: and is no other than the superabundant grace of God, or that grace for grace, which he has received out of Christ's fullness, and the rich experience of it he is blessed with: and may well be called a "treasure";  “ A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.”Matthew 7:17.

"Beware of false teachers who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are wolves and will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You need never confuse grapevines with thorn bushes or figs with thistles. Different kinds of fruit trees can quickly be identified by examining their fruit. A variety that produces delicious fruit never produces an inedible kind. And a tree producing an inedible kind can't produce what is good. So the trees having the inedible fruit are chopped down and thrown on the fire. Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit produced. "Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but still won't get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven. At the Judgment many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we told others about you and used your name to cast out demons and to do many other great miracles.' But I will reply, 'You have never been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil.' (Matthew 7:15-23)

Albert Einstein said “God did not create evil. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God.” 

The Mystery of life’s Origin, Destiny and Death

"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." (JOB 14:1)

This is a reminder that we are mere “human.” We are mortals and are subject to death. Our life is like a flower, it is a shadow, the flower is fading, and all its beauty soon withers and is gone. The shadow is fleeting, and its very being will soon be lost and drowned in the shadows of the night. The shortness and uncertainty of human life too: Man is of few days. Life is here computed, not by months or years, but by days, for we cannot be sure of any day but that it may be our last. Man, as he is short-lived, so he is sad-lived. Though he had but a few days to spend here, yet, if he might rejoice in those few, it were well but it is not so. During these few days he is full of trouble, not only troubled, but full of trouble, toiling or fretting, grieving or fearing. No day passes without some vexation, some worry, some disorder or other.

Perplexities are problems or challenges for which there seems to be no logical answer or solution. We are truly living in an age where the pages of bible prophecy are literally being fulfilled before our very eyes....and in the news! It all brings us to a concrete fact and reality— the helplessness and hopelessness of the mankind. There is an inherent restlessness in everything. Nobody can possibly describe all the restlessness of life. . First, human desire is never satisfied: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing. Nor is the ear ever satisfied with hearing. Nothing in itself will satisfy. No Thing, no pleasure, no relationship, nothing we accumulated had enduring value in life without truth about God.

The origin of life on planet Earth has long baffled the scientific community. Although many theories have been proposed, there is no consensus as to how life first originated on the Earth. Science proclaims that life originated on our world through natural processes; the Bible declares that life can only originate from God. Although the contradiction between the two cannot be bridged by any other acceptable translation of the Creation Story, it must be noted that no scientific theory on the origin of life has proven conclusive, nor has any been accepted as a standard model. Until such a natural process is proven conclusively, it is acceptable to believe that only the God of the Bible is capable of creating life.

Now question is how do we arrive at the truth about God? What systematic approach should be used? First, we need to establish a framework for testing various truth claims, and then we need to answer the four big questions of life as a roadmap to reach a right conclusion.

1. Origin – where did we come from?
2. Ethics – how should we live?
3. Meaning – what is the purpose for life?
4. Destiny – where is mankind heading?

 Whenever we are seeking to find out the Origin of something, we are asking the question, "Where did it begin?"   "How did it all begin?"   "How did it originate?"  "Where did it come from?" Looking over the past 6,000 years we have experienced the, Stone Age and Bronze Age, the Classical Period, the Neo-Classical Period, the “Dark Ages” and Middle Ages. Following this we talk about the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Scientific Revolution and Industrial Revolution. All these ‘ages” refer to the culture of the time; but very little is said about the environment. Our sense of history is shaped by the dominant cultural forces, the fall of empires or the rise of new modes of production. Of course these are simply convenient labels, derived from the “various Civilizations” school of thought that dominated during the middle of last century. Our sense of history is shaped by how we shape the world. Today there are basically three ideas about how man began. Only one of these ideas is correct. The other two are false. One very popular idea is that man evolved from lower forms of life. This idea is taught in most schools and in most books and magazines. Many people believe this evolutionary theory. Evolution is commonly taught in public schools and in colleges, and is strongly promoted by the media.

There are many problems with the theory of evolution.  Here are just a few:

1. it’s impossible for life to come from non-life.  Evolutionists teach that the first living cell evolved from non-life. There is no evidence that this ever happened.  Life does not just happen by chance.  The reason we have life on this planet (animal life, plant life, human life) is because the Creator made it so. God created all plants and all living creatures. 

2.  There is no evidence that amphibians evolved into reptiles.  There is no evidence that reptiles evolved into mammals.  There is no evidence that reptiles evolved into birds.  The fossil record does not back up the claims of evolution.  Evolutionists have a theory that has never been proven.

3.  There are variations found in the various "kinds" of animals which God created.  For example, think of all the varieties of birds.  Think of all the varieties of animals.  Think of all the varieties of humans.  All humans came from the same parents (Adam and Eve) and yet we do not all look alike (different colored skin, different eyes, etc.).  God has made the various kinds of animals with great genetic potential for variation.  He did this for humans as well.  However, one kind of animal does not change into another kind.  Animals always reproduce "after their kind" (Genesis 1:11,21,25).  Lizards do not change into birds. Reptiles do not evolve into lions.  Dogs do not evolve into cats.  Land mammals do not change into whales.  Eels do not evolve into snakes.  Apes do not evolve into humans.

Many things that the evolutionists say cannot be true because they are the exact opposite of what God says. To see what God says, open your Bible to Genesis chapter 1. You will need to find out on what day of the creation week certain things were created: The theory of evolution faces some very serious problems. For example, the evolutionists have never really answered these questions:

1.  How can life come from non-life?   Even a one-celled organism is highly complex and could not have evolved by chance.

 2. How can there be so many wonderful and amazing CREATURES without an intelligent CREATOR to make them? 

 3. Every creature on earth shows evidence of amazing design.  Think of the web-making capability of the spider, the defensive mechanism of the skunk, the amazing design found in every animals that is able to fly, etc.  If there is DESIGN, then should not there be a DESIGNER?   Suppose you came across a beautiful painting of a lake surrounded by mountains.  You ask the owner of the painting, "Who painted this beautiful nature scene?"  The owner says, "No one painted it.  It just happened by chance.  One day I spilled several bottles of paint and my accidental spill resulted in this painting."  Would you believe this person?

4. How could all of these wonderful forms of life have come about by mere chance?   

Another idea that some people have is that man owes his existence to UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects from other planets).  This theory has been published in certain books.  Both of these first two ideas are false. “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight!” (NAS, Isaiah 5:21)

The only true answer as to where man came from is found in God’s Word, the Bible. According to Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2:7 and 2:21-23, how did man originate?

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 ,

The opening verse of the Bible begins with the greatest observable fact known to man: the existence of the universe, the heavens and the earth. It links to that the greatest fact made known by revelation: the existence of a God who creates. There is thus brought together in this simple verse at the beginning of the Bible the recognition of the two great sources of human knowledge: nature, which is discoverable by the five senses of our physical life; and revelation, which is discoverable only by a mind and heart illuminated and taught by the Spirit of God. These things "are spiritually discerned," says the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Both of these sources of knowledge are from God, and each of them is a means of knowing something about God. The scientist who studies nature is searching ultimately for God. One great scientist declared, "I am thinking the thoughts of God after him." That is an excellent way to describe what science basically is doing. Also, those who seek to understand the Bible, to grasp its great themes and to understand the depths that are revealed there, are likewise in search of God. Nature is designed to teach us certain facts about God, but revelation is designed to lead us to the God about whom nature speaks. So the two are complementary, they are not contradictory in any sense, but complete one another.

"Where do we come from?" "Where are we going?" The two questions, the first about the origin and the second about the end, are inseparable. They are decisive for the meaning and orientation of our life and actions. The question about the origins of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies which have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers. With Solomon they can say: "It is he who gave me unerring knowledge of what exists, to know the structure of the world and the activity of the elements. . . for wisdom, the fashioner of all things, taught me."

The great interest accorded to these studies is strongly stimulated by a question of another order, which goes beyond the proper domain of the natural sciences. It is not only a question of knowing when and how the universe arose physically, or when man appeared, but rather of discovering the meaning of such an origin: is the universe governed by chance, blind fate, anonymous necessity, or by a transcendent, intelligent and good Being called "God"? And if the world does come from God's wisdom and goodness, why is there evil? Where does it come from? Who is responsible for it? Is there any liberation from it?

Since the beginning the Christian faith has been challenged by responses to the question of origins that differ from its own. Ancient religions and cultures produced many myths concerning origins. Some philosophers have said that everything is God, that the world is God, or that the development of the world is the development of God (Pantheism). Others have said that the world is a necessary emanation arising from God and returning to him. Still others have affirmed the existence of two eternal principles, Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, locked, in permanent conflict (Dualism, Manichaeism). According to some of these conceptions, the world (at least the physical world) is evil, the product of a fall, and is thus to be rejected or left behind (Gnosticism). Some admit that the world was made by God, but as by a watch-maker who, once he has made a watch, abandons it to itself (Deism).

 Finally, others reject any transcendent origin for the world, but see it as merely the interplay of matter that has always existed (Materialism). All these attempts bear witness to the permanence and universality of the question of origins. This inquiry is distinctively human.

Human intelligence is surely already capable of finding a response to the question of origins. The existence of God the Creator can be known with certainty through his works, by the light of human reason,  “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. ” Romans 1:20.Even if this knowledge is obscured and disfigured by error. This is why faith comes to confirm and enlighten reason in the correct understanding of this truth: "By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear."

The truth about creation is so important for all of human life that God in his tenderness wanted to reveal to his People everything that is salutary to know on the subject. Beyond the natural knowledge that every man can have of the Creator, God progressively revealed to Israel the mystery of creation. He who chose the patriarchs, who brought Israel out of Egypt, and who by choosing Israel created and formed it, this same God reveals himself as the One to whom belong all the peoples of the earth, and the whole earth itself; he is the One who alone "made heaven and earth".

Thus the revelation of creation is inseparable from the revelation and forging of the covenant of the one God with his People. Creation is revealed as the first step towards this covenant, the first and universal witness to God's all- powerful love. And so, the truth of creation is also expressed with growing vigour in the message of the prophets, the prayer of the psalms and the liturgy, and in the wisdom sayings of the Chosen People.

Among all the Scriptural texts about creation, the first three chapters of Genesis occupy a unique place. From a literary standpoint these texts may have had diverse sources. The inspired authors have placed them at the beginning of Scripture to express in their solemn language the truths of creation - its origin and its end in God, its order and goodness, the vocation of man, and finally the drama of sin and the hope of salvation. Read in the light of Christ, within the unity of Sacred Scripture and in the living Tradition of the Church, these texts remain the principal source for the mysteries of the "beginning": creation, fall, and promise of salvation.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

We need to know if absolute truth exists. If it does not, then we really cannot be sure of anything (spiritual or not), and we end up either an agnostic, unsure if we can really know anything, or a pluralist, accepting every position because we are not sure which, if any, is right. Absolute truth is defined as that which matches reality, that which corresponds to its object, telling it like it is. Some say there is no such thing as absolute truth, but taking such a position becomes self-defeating. For example, the relativist says, “All truth is relative,” yet one must ask: is that statement absolutely true? If so, then absolute truth exists; if not, then why consider it? Postmodernism affirms no truth, yet it affirms at least one absolute truth: postmodernism is true. In the end, absolute truth becomes undeniable.

Further, absolute truth is naturally narrow and excludes its opposite. Two plus two equals four, with no other answer being possible. This point becomes critical as different belief systems and worldviews are compared. If one belief system has components that are proven true, then any competing belief system with contrary claims must be false. Also, we must keep in mind that absolute truth is not impacted by sincerity and desire. No matter how sincerely someone embraces a lie, it is still a lie. And no desire in the world can make something true that is false.

The answer of question one is that absolute truth exists. This being the case, agnosticism, postmodernism, relativism, and skepticism are all false positions.

This leads us to the next question of whether reason/logic can be used in matters of spritual. Some say this is not possible, but—why not? The truth is, logic is vital when examining spiritual claims because it helps us understand why some claims should be excluded and others embraced. Logic is absolutely critical in dismantling pluralism (which says that all truth claims, even those that oppose each other, are equal and valid).

For example, Islam and Judaism claim that Jesus is not God, whereas Christianity claims He is. One of the core laws of logic is the law of non-contradiction, which says something cannot be both “A” and “non-A” at the same time and in the same sense. Applying this law to the claims Judaism, Islam, and Christianity means that one is right and the other two are wrong. Jesus cannot be both God and not God. Used properly, logic is a potent weapon against pluralism because it clearly demonstrates that contrary truth claims cannot both be true. This understanding topples the whole “true for you but not for me” mindset.

Logic also dispels the whole “all roads lead to the top of the mountain” analogy that pluralists use. Logic shows that each belief system has its own set of signs that point to radically different locations in the end. Logic shows that the proper illustration of a search for spiritual truth is more like a maze—one path makes it through to truth, while all others arrive at dead ends. All faiths may have some surface similarities, but they differ in major ways in their core doctrines.

The conclusion is that you can use reason and logic in matters of spiritual. That being the case, pluralism (the belief that all truth claims are equally true and valid) is ruled out because it is illogical and contradictory to believe that diametrically opposing truth claims can both be right.

Next comes the big question: does God exist? Atheists and naturalists (who do not accept anything beyond this physical world and universe) say “no.” While volumes have been written and debates have raged throughout history on this question, it is actually not difficult to answer. To give it proper attention, you must first ask this question: Why do we have something rather than nothing at all? In other words, how did you and everything around you get here? The argument for God can be presented very simply:

Something exists. You do not get something from nothing. Therefore, a necessary and eternal Being exists. You cannot deny you exist because you have to exist in order to deny your own existence (which is self-defeating), so the first premise above is true. No one believes you can get something from nothing (i.e., that “nothing” produced the universe), so the second premise is true. Therefore, the third premise must be true—an eternal being responsible for everything must exist.

This is a position no thinking atheist denies; they just claim that the universe is that eternal being. However, the problem with that stance is that all scientific evidence points to the fact that the universe had a beginning (the ‘big bang’). And everything that has a beginning must have a cause; therefore, the universe had a cause and is not eternal. Because the only two sources of eternality are an eternal universe (proven to be untrue) or an eternal Creator, the only logical conclusion is that God exists.

 Further, we learn some interesting things about God who created the universe. He is:

• Supernatural in nature (as He exists outside of His creation)
• Incredibly powerful (to have created all that is known)
• Eternal (self-existent, as He exists outside of time and space)
• Omnipresent (He created space and is not limited by it)
• Timeless and changeless (He created time)
• Immaterial (because He transcends space)
• Personal (the impersonal can’t create personality)
• Necessary (as everything else depends on Him)
• Infinite and singular (as you cannot have two infinites)
• Diverse yet has unity (as nature exhibits diversity)
• Intelligent (supremely, to create everything)
• Purposeful (as He deliberately created everything)
• Moral (no moral law can exist without a lawgiver)
• Caring (or no moral laws would have been given)

This Being exhibits characteristics very similar to the God of Judaism, and Christianity, which interestingly enough, are the only core faiths left standing after atheism and pantheism have been eliminated. Note also that one of the big questions in life (origins) is now answered: we know where we came from.

How Can we Know God?

"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight" (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

This leads to a question: can we know God? What does it take to begin a relationship with God? At this point, the need for religion is replaced by something more important—the need for revelation. If mankind is to know this God well, it is up to God to reveal Himself to His creation. 

A famous British judge, known for his strong belief in God, sometimes encountered people who said they didn't believe in God. He always asked them to describe the god they didn't believe in. After listening to their reply, he would tell them that he did not believe in the god they had just described either. How few truly know and understand God today! In the words of one theologian, "Modern men often search for God in vain."The main reason is that most people receive their concepts of God from other people rather than from God's inspired Word, the Bible. That is why their view of God almost never accurately matches the biblical revelation of what God is like.

God's love is revealed in creation, and it is also revealed in our salvation. God is always faithful in his love and show's his love for us constantly. This desire and love in God's heart not only moved Him to create us. It also urged Him to go through a process so that He could enter into us and make us His expression. He, the infinite God, humbled Himself to become a finite human being named Jesus Christ. Everything He did, said, and thought was a pure expression of God in humanity. Here are some key essentials to understand eternal principles by which we become reconciled to the living God. The most obvious source of godly wisdom is manifested in creation and fully revealed in His Holy word. We were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin. 

Bible says “The wages of sin is death" but “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.

The most obvious source of godly wisdom is the Bible. You cannot think of a question or life circumstance about which God’s Word is silent. His principles for right character, conduct, and conversation apply to every situation and decision confronting human beings. Godly wisdom is the capacity to see things from the Lord’s viewpoint and respond according to scriptural principles. You can’t instantly download that ability, but you can acquire it gradually over time. Knowledge is information, which comes from learning biblical principles; Understanding is the capacity to comprehend that knowledge and wisdom has to do with applying them. The Lord cautions us to keep His Word in our heart and in our heads so that we will heed His instructions (Ps. 119:11; Prov. 8:33).

Wisdom is applied knowledge as we pursue the righteousness—absorbing Scripture, doing what it says, and observing the result, which is for our good even when consequences appear less than favorable. God simply wants obedient hearts and a willing spirit. The primary way in which we can get to know someone, including God, better is to communicate with them. Two ways we communicate with God is through prayer and by reading and studying the Bible. God speaks to us through His word and we speak to Him when we pray. As we study the Bible we learn about the nature and character of God. Prayer is simply conversation with God. He hears us when we speak to him. As we spend more and more time alone with Him, we can hear Him as He speaks to us, often in that soft voice deep inside. 

When you pray, praise Him, give Him your thanks, tell Him your concerns, and cry out to Him in your distress. And when you pray, know and believe that He hears you. Let’s see what the Bible has to say about the spiritual exercises of praying and Bible reading.

What the Bible Says: In Matthew 4:4, Jesus told his disciples “The Scriptures say, ‘People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.’” In Psalms 63:5 David writes to God saying, “You satisfy me more than the richest of foods.” In Psalms 145:15-16 he also writes, “All eyes look to you for help; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.” In just these few verses we have insight that our deep needs are to be met by knowing God and by receiving His love that flows from getting to know Him personally.

God's eternal purpose to bring many sons unto glory

"I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."Psalms 139:14

“What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! (Psalm 8:4-5)

God created man and placed him with perfect order in a garden to enjoy perfect peace, joy and happiness. Genesis chapter one is a very simple narrative of the creation of the world; the heavens and the earth, the plants and animals, and finally man. Simple, yet majestic in its beauty and profound in its depth when we come to Chapter 2 we find a kind of recapitulation of the main event of Chapter 1, i.e., the creation of man. Here we are given much greater detail of the story of God's making of man. The basic message of Genesis 2:16-17 is that God alone knows what is good for humanity and God alone knows what is not good for us.  To enjoy the “good” we have to trust God and obey him.  If we disobey, we will have to decide for ourselves what is good and what isn’t good.  That’s what the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents: ethical awareness.  It’s a reference to all moral knowledge: the ability to create a system of ethics and to make moral judgments. 

 The knowledge of good and evil represents wisdom and discernment to figure out what is good, that is what promotes life, and bad, what hinders life.  Men and women with a biblical worldview understand that unless we know everything, we only know things relatively; unless we know comprehensively, we can’t know anything absolutely.  The only one who does know all, who transcends time and space, and who truly knows what is good and bad for life is God.  The tree represents knowledge and power that is appropriate only to God.  We, as limited human beings, are dependent on revelation from the only one who truly knows good and evil.  We read in Proverbs 30: 3-5 “I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.  Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!  Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

The central theme of the Bible is that God's eternal purpose to bring many sons unto glory!  This theme is picked up in the Bible in great generalizations that take into account eternity past and eternity future. Jesus Christ, born at Bethlehem, was the first and only begotten Son of God
Bible says “[The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere. This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in [the person of] Christ Jesus our Lord, (Ephesians 3:10-11AMP)

To have a clear understanding of what God's Purpose is for us would certainly change our whole outlook on life and our commitment to God's service. Our life would take on a whole new dimension!
Some think of a God as being remote and distant, like he created the universe, and then left it alone to operate on its own. The God of the Bible knows what it means to be one of us. Jesus Christ was not only God's Son; he was God who had taken on a human form and a human nature. "In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God. The Word became flesh [human] and made his dwelling among us."

The Bible says about God’s Son, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being." He is "the image of the invisible God." He is the "Mighty God, Eternal Father" who was "made in human likeness" and "found in appearance as a man." In him "all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form."And "by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible."Jesus said of himself, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." "He who beholds me beholds the One who sent me." And, "I and the Father are one."

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,  and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. Colossians 1:15-20

"Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him." (Psalm 33:8)

 The Creator of the Universe is Almighty and awesome (Ps 47:7).  His attributes such as His Power, Majesty, Justice, and Holiness certainly inspire awe and reverence in His creatures. Yet Holy Scripture says that Our Lord's blessings (Ps 67:7), goodness (I Samuel 12:24) and even forgiveness (Ps 130:4) are also reasons to "fear" Him!  God's wonderful love and goodness should inspire awe and worship in our hearts. God is exalted above creation, yet "in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).  He knows us completely, loves us infinitely and is with us always (Ps 139:1-2).  God's Majesty does not keep us from Him because He willingly humbles Himself to fellowship with us (Ps 113:4-9; 138:6).  His holiness does not bar us from His Presence because when we have become the righteousness of God in Jesus (2 Co 5:21). No created thing can keep us from our loving Father, for we have communion with Him through Jesus by the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18).

 God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.

Sin has separated us from God.

The Bible tells us that "All of us like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way."

Bible says about the first man “Adam.”  “Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it. He told him, You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is Evil. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." (Gen 2:15-17) The tree of the knowledge of good & evil mentioned in scripture only in this verse, largely because its effects have become widespread. But the tree of life reappears again in the book of Revelation. In Genesis 2:16-17, the Lord gave a command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Eve began to listen to another voice and did not hold firmly to her Creator's words. All that Satan had to do was plant a single doubt about God's integrity and offer Eve one appealing advantage of doing things her own way—and she fell for it. He mentioned wisdom, but using her own reasoning, Eve added two more benefits to the temptation: the fruit is good for food and a delight to the eyes.

The schemes of the Enemy have not changed. He still whispers lies and twists truth to convince us. In every temptation, there is a deception about the character and motive of God, plus an attractive promise of a better way. The world is filled with voices that vie for our attention and influence our thoughts and actions. Throughout the day, consider the messages that are sent your way through the media and people. Consciously begin to compare them to what Scripture says about God and His ways. Remembering what God says in the Bible is our safeguard against deception and temptation. Follow Christ's example: be ready with truth in your mind and on your tongue whenever temptation strikes (Matt. 4:1-11).

 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; (Genesis 3:6-7)."

 This moment in time is referred to as the "Fall of Man." Adam and Eve desired to gain "wisdom" and ate the forbidden fruit. In other words, they wanted to be like God apart from Him indwelling them. When they ate the fruit they died spiritually and sin entered the world. God removed His life from them. That life, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, was the life that gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6 says “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Without it all they had left was their own understanding. The fruit of Adam and Eve's decision has reverberated throughout history. Religions, universities, museums and libraries are full of mans attempts to discover wisdom, knowledge and understanding apart from God. In many ways, they are the futile attempts to explain God and His creation while leaving Him out of the process. It is the best that men without God can attain.

The result of sin in our lives is death -- spiritual separation from God. Although we may try to get close to God through our own effort, we inevitably fail. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our life.

We deserve to pay for our own sin. The problem is, the payment is death. So that we would not have to die separated from God, out of his love for us, Jesus Christ died in our place. The Bible states that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God...by him all things were created....  Jesus took all of our sin on himself and completely, fully paid for it. "For Christ also died for sins...the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God."5 "...he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." Because of Jesus' death on the cross, our sin doesn't have to separate us from God any longer. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

Tree of the knowledge of good and evil

This Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, seems to have had the power to convey immortality to man, and as such is used in Scripture as a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he "abolished death and brought life & immortality to light through the gospel,” first Corinthians 15:22 and 26 says “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” But what is this "tree of the knowledge of good and evil"? &why did God forbid Adam to partake of this fruit? In Genesis 3:5 Satan misuses the truth, in order to draw women on until she become the victims, of his lie. Serpent said to the woman “You will not certainly die,” “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”That suggests a clue as to what this fruit was and what it did. 

God knows evil, not by experience because he cannot experience evil, but he knows it by relating it to himself. That which is consistent & in line with his character and his nature is good; that which is inconsistent and out of line with himself is evil. That is how God knows good and evil. He relates it to himself. God is the only one who can properly do that. God is the only being in the entire universe that has the right to relate all things to Himself. When a creature (man) tries it, he gets into trouble. The creatures of God's universe are made to discover the difference between good &evil by relating all to the Being of God, not to themselves. When man ate of the fruit he began to relate everything to himself. Yet, as a creature, he has no real ability to sustain this kind of relationship and thus he is constantly Interrupt an unbalanced element into life. 

When man began to think of himself as the center of the universe, he tried became like God. But it was all a lie. Man is not the center of the universe, and he cannot be. But as we trace the course of human history we can see that this is the seductive lie that the Satan has whispered into the ears of men ever since: "You are the center of life. This is your world, everything relates to you. What you like is right; what you don't like is wrong. You are the center of things." You can find this idea predominant and alive throughout the philosophies of men. That is the curse that fell upon man when he ate of the fruit in the Garden of Eden. They disobeyed God, as a consequence they were at once stricken with guilt and they hid themselves with shame. Guilt and fear replaced the peace and happiness they knew. Here was the beginning of a troubled world- and a troubled mind.

Like Adam and Eve, when you are out of tune with God, fears and anxieties crowd into your life. When you focus your attention on the uncertainties of life, on a changing, decaying world, your security and confidence are shaken. Your peace is disturbed. Sin has separated man from God. “All we like sheep have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6).” “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). Guilt, fear, irritation, resentment, selfishness, and other hostile impulses plague man wherever he goes. They bring weariness and mental exhaustion. The love of self was at the root of the first disobedience of man. It continues to be the one of the first basic evil inclinations that takes you down the path of despair and heartache. The longer you travel the path of self-centeredness, the more troubled you become.

In a sense Adam mind was twisted, and related all things to himself. But when man does this he introduces a tainted element into life, into creation. That is why everything is always going off in wrong directions. But the glory of the gospel is that when men are redeemed, through faith in Jesus Christ, they resume once again a balanced life, and everything relates once again to God. God now becomes the center of things. The purpose of Jesus is here, to put God back into the center of his world and relate everything in our life and in the lives of others to him and not to us.

Jesus said in John 15:4-5 “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.”(AMP)

 Just like Adam and Eve, each of us has rejected the tree of life.  God created us and consecrated us to his service, but we have rejected it.  Through Christ we have hope.  Through the grace the Father gives us through the Son’s sacrifice we have a renewed hope of once again living in God’s temple, worshipping and obeying him as he intended for us and through his Spirit we are able to prepare for that hope here in this life.  As we prepare for God’s heavenly banquet, we need to wrap ourselves in his grace.  We find it at his Table, we find it in his Word, and we find it in fellowship with his body, the Church.  Again, let us wrap ourselves in his grace and prepare for heaven by devoting ourselves to the tree of life. 

God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

God created you. Not only that, he loves you so much that he wants you to know him now and spend eternity with him. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."Jesus came so that each of us could know and understand God in a personal way. Jesus alone can bring meaning and purpose to life.

Jesus said “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) 

Jesus prayed “FATHER, this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.""God our Saviour desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.""There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" - than the name of JESUS.
This is what the gospel message is all about. Have you crowned Jesus Christ Lord of his empire, where he belongs, and invited him with gladness to sit upon the throne of your heart and rule there? There is coming a day when every knee shall bow, and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Then the destruction, desolation, and despair of the Garden of Eden will be reversed, and men shall once again acknowledge the centrality of God in life. Then the world shall be filled with glory and righteousness. Everything shall be what God intended it to be.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18)." The message of the cross, Jesus Christ dying to take away the sins of the world, is foolishness to those who are pursuing wisdom, knowledge and understanding apart from God. But, what they and many others do not understand is that the death of Jesus Christ was God's attempt to restore Himself to the very people who are trying to figure Him out without Him. As was stated earlier, when Adam and Eve sinned God removed His life. However, God wanted to restore His life, the source of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding, to mankind.

 When Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died on the cross, He paved the way for God to restore that life to all mankind because He took away the very sins that caused Him to remove His life back in the Garden. Now, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God can offer His life as a free gift to all who believe. Now, for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior they have the life of God restored to them like it was prior to the fall. Therefore, we now have the ability to discern God's truth because He will teach us His truth through His indwelling Spirit. Unless you have God indwelling you, the best you can do is increase your knowledge, but you will lack any understanding of what you know because you do not have the wisdom that only comes from God. Remember, ""No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" — but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)." If you want wisdom, knowledge and understanding you must have the Spirit of God indwelling you. And you can only have the Spirit of God indwelling you through being born again of the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

 Bible says “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2. And Romans 5: 1 and 5 says “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”.

 The more we know the truth; more powerful we are to change our world. There is no excuse for not being the best possible. Now is the time to change our life, regain the power we have given away because we are waiting for someone else to fix things for us, and get what we know we deserve. So what are we waiting for? “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10.)

 "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Proverbs 8:13)

The Eternal Wisdom defines "the fear of the Lord" as hatred of evil.  Exodus 18:21 states that those who fear God hate covetousness.  Job is said to have feared God and turned from evil (Job 1:1, 8). Proverbs 3:7 warns us to "fear the Lord and turn away from evil".  If we hate evil we will turn away from it (Proverbs 16:6, Job 28:28).

That he may learn to fear the Lord his God by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes" (Deuteronomy 17:19) Abraham, our father in faith, proved that he feared God by obeying his command to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:12).  Moses told the children of Israel to "Fear the Lord...to walk in all His ways and love Him" (Dt 10:12, 20).  Centuries later, the Prophet Samuel counseled the Israelites to "fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart" (I Samuel 12:24).  Isaiah 50:10 makes another clear association between the fear of God with obedience and trust in Him, as do Psalm 86:11; 112:1; 128:1 and Ecclesiastes 12:13. Jesus says, "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15).  Obedience should spring from our love for God.  That is a much better motive than fear of punishment.  Love is freely given and does things out of a desire to delight God.  It is unselfish, gives all the glory to Our Lord, and seeks no other reward but pleasing Him (although God's justice will always reward such obedience - Matthew 6:4,6,18).

 “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments,    for this are the duty of all mankind.”(Ecclesiastes 12:13)

 How can we triumph over the chaos, guilt, fear, alienation, death and eternal punishment? What are the consequences of sin and why do people need forgiveness? How these problems can be solved by forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ according to the gospel, resulting in joy, hope, salvation, and eternal life. Bible says “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior, but through Jesus' death we can be reconciled “(made friends again). (Colossians 1:21-23) For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. (Titus 2:11) “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. (Acts 13:38) By His mercy, God offers forgiveness to all men. To receive it, we must meet God's conditions. The choice is up to each of us. Man is different from the animals. We were made with unique characteristics that God possesses. God is God of purpose and He created man for a purpose.

 Life is meaningless unless we fulfill that purpose. Therefore the greatest discovery in life is destiny. Destiny is source of purpose. Each of us can fulfill the purpose for which God created us, but first we must diligently seek Him. According to Jesus (Matthew 6:33) the real goal and priority of life is to seek God's kingdom and be right before Him. But corrupt nature leads man to misconception, confusion and wrong conclusion. Thus men seek after wrong things. Study King Solomon, he experienced the pinnacle of enjoyment in every aspect of life; wealth, pleasure, and fame. Did it satisfy? No, It was all "vanity and vexation of spirit". (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11) Then he learned the real purpose of life: "Fear God and keep His commands" (12:13). Every one of us needs our burden of sin & guilt removed, but there is no way to accomplish that except through Jesus (Acts 4:12). And the Bible is the only book that can tell us how to receive God's forgiveness. Surely this book deserves our attention. God is also concerned about the wrongs we do. In His eyes, we have all sinned (Rom. 3:23). For our sins, we deserve to be punished. Friends, Sin Alienates Us from God. Forgiveness Restores Our Relationship to God.

 Sin Makes Us Feel Worthless and Defeated. Forgiveness Restores Our Sense of Worth. Sin Gives a Burden of Guilt. Forgiveness Restores Our Innocence. Sin causes Fear, Grief, and Hopelessness. Forgiveness Gives peace, Joy and Hope. Sin Is a Barrier Between Loved Ones. Forgiveness Reunites Loved Ones. Sin Leads to Punishment. Forgiveness Leads to Eternal Life. God cares about us so much that He sent His own Son to earth to seek and save lost men. Jesus Died in Our Place. Romans 5:6-9 - Sinful men deserved to be punished, but because He loves us, God sent His Son to suffer so we could escape punishment. Jesus paid this price for all men (Heb 2:9).Salvation is God’s gift to man. But, no one can receive God’s forgiveness and salvation unless and until one personally receives this forgiveness through repentance and faith in Jesus. If one refuses to accept the gift of God’s Salvation, it is painful, for God, and the person who refuses the Eternal Gift will be condemned.” Except you repent, you will all likewise perish (Luke. 13:3,5).

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”(John.3: 16). For your salvation, there is one God and one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all men. (1Tim.2:5-6).   Jesus said, “You will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you Free.” He also said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” knowing the Lord Jesus is freedom and Everlasting life. The Death and resurrection of Christ gives us the gift of “Eternal Life” with real joy, peace and happiness. The new life in Jesus, frees us from the devastating hold and effects of sin, guilt and death (Rom. 8:1). The resurrection power provides us the Power and Grace to live a truly Everlasting life.

First, we must understand that we are separated from God. The chasm dividing us is both wide and deep. We inherited a fatal defect at birth. As a result, we have lived our lives independently from him. The Bible emphasizes this stark reality: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). If we can’t come to grips with the fact that sin separates us from God, we’ll never come home spiritually, for there is no need for a savior.

 Next, we need to be very clear in understanding who Jesus is and what he has done for us, in order that we might confidently place our faith in him. He bridged the chasm separating us from God. In the apostle John’s words: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf satisfied God’s requirement – complete provision for our sin. This Jesus and he alone, is qualified to be the remedy for my sin and yours.

Jesus was not just a good man, a great teacher, an inspired prophet. He came to earth as the Son of God. He was born to a virgin. He led a sinless life. He died. He was buried. He rose again on the third day. He ascended into heaven where he became both Lord and Christ.

 Personal repentance is vital in the transformation process. Repentance literally means “a change of mind.” It is to say to the Father, “I want to turn toward you and away from the life I’ve lived independently from you. I am sorry for who I’ve been and what I have done and I want to permanently change. I receive your forgiveness for my sins.”

Many at this point experience a remarkable “washing” from a lifetime’s accumulation of all that can degrade a person’s soul and spirit. Whether or not we sense God’s forgiveness, if we repent, we can be very certain that we’re forgiven. Our confidence is based on God’s promise to us, not how we feel.

We come into a personal relationship with the Lord when we make life’s greatest decision – the turning point referred to earlier. It is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the One who died for our sins, who was buried and was raised from the dead – and to receive him as our Savior and Lord. When we believe in this way, we become God’s children. This is emphatically promised in John’s gospel: “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your savior? If you would, you can pray a prayer like this:“Jesus, I need you. I repent for the life I’ve lived apart from you. Thank you for dying on the cross to take the penalty for my sins. I believe you are God’s Son and I now receive you as my Lord and Savior. I commit my life to follow you.”

God Bless you