"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?'" Genesis 3:1 Satan, in the form of a serpent, approached Eve in the garden of Eden and asked her about what God told her and Adam concerning the trees there. vs 2-3: "And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Next, Satan presents the temptation that begins with just a thought. He brings attention to what God said to Eve, and then he tells her that what God said isn't true. vs 4-5: "Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will NOT surely die! For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'” Jesus said of Satan that he is a liar: "When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a LIAR and the father of it." John 8:44 Has Satan lied to you? Yes he has, more times than you have any idea. That is his profession - to destroy with lies. To turn hearts against God - with lies. Satan has used this technique from the very beginning and continues the same even to today. He speaks to the hearts of people and tells them that what God said is not true. He shows them the pleasure in what he is tempting them with, and then convinces them that it's really ok, nothing bad is going to happen, what God has said about it is old news that isn't relevant today, look at what an advantage this will gain you, look at how appealing it is, never mind the ancient old Scriptures, just go for it. Adam and Eve did not physically die the day they took what was forbidden, in fact they went on to have children. So did God lie about this? No, of course not. Contrary to Satan, God does not lie. The definition of death is separation. At physical death, the soul is separated from the body. Adam and Eve did die physically later on, but here was something far worse that took place when they believed Satan's lie and rebelled against God. When they sinned, they experienced the separation of the spirit from God. On the day Adam and Eve sinned, their spirit died. Not only was their spirit separated from God, but the change was so all-encompassing that all the children they would bear, all human beings in each succeeding generation - will be born in the same condition of spiritual death. Oh yes they did surely die that day, and all of us are born in the condition of spiritual death because of it. This is why Jesus said, "you must be born again." Until a person is born again, he remains in a condition of spiritual death. He has no interest in the things of God, that part of him is simply dead. Jesus was very emphatic when he said, "you MUST be born again," it wasn't a suggestion, he didn't say it would be better to be born again, that it would help, no - he said you MUST be born again. When one is born again his spirit is restored to new life. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
John 5:24
What IS the born-again experience? See:
"Born Again - What Does That Mean?
"For the preaching of the Cross is foolishness
to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved
it is the power of God."
1st Corinthians 1:18
I've often wondered what the reasons are that keep people from coming to the Lord. We've all sat in a funeral parlor and gazed upon the dead body of someone we knew. You'd think that that would prompt a person to seriously consider his own mortality and be concerned about where he will go when he dies. So why don't they? Why on earth don't they?
The Word of God answers that here. It's because the preaching of the Cross of Jesus Christ just seems foolishness to them. To whom? ..."To those who are perishing." They refuse to think about it because “religion” seems foolish, and they distract themselves with the cares of this life. When they have questions they listen to the wisdom of the world. The wisdom of the world seems solid to them. What a paradox, it's just the other way around.
vs 20:
"Where is the wise? Where is the scribe?
Where is the disputer of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"
The wisdom of the world is based on the opinions and conclusions of mortal, limited man, and oftentimes their opinions and conclusions are very wrong, from the simplest issues to the greatest. They used to tell us that we must not eat eggs because egg yolks increase the cholesterol in our body which leads to heart disease. Now they've totally reversed that and they tell us eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat.
The "wisdom' of the world of politics is a world of confusion. For every issue there is an array of opposing opinions. What is the truth on any one of them? Who knows? Everyone forms his own opinion. Based on what? Based on opinion, that's all. Look at the issue of "global warming." There are passionate devotees on both sides, each contradicting each other. It's all opinion, contradiction, argument, and ...foolishness. Thus is the "wisdom of the world" - foolhardy at best, because the wisdom of this world, ACCORDING TO THE GOD WHO CREATED IT, is foolishness. Yet instead, those who are perishing put their trust in it and believe the reverse, it is the Gospel that they deem foolishness.
vs 1:
"...but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
There is no power in the wisdom of the world, it will lead you around mazes and endless questions, decisions and the reversal of decisions, conclusions and the refuting of conclusions. It's a world of babel. But there is POWER in the preaching of the Cross of Jesus Christ. When a person surrenders his life to the Lord Jesus Christ, the confusion ends. God changes that person from the inside out, rearranges his thinking totally, teaches him what is TRUE, and leads him in the sure and certain wisdom found only in God.
Many Christians seem "narrow minded" to those outside, and that is because they ARE. Once you know the truth, you can't un-know it. Truth is sure. It's certain. It's immovable. You no longer waft between opinions, you know what is true and there isn't any more argument, things are simply true or they're not. The most narrow-minded person ever to walk this earth was the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not waver on any issue, ever, because he knows the truth - indeed, he said he IS the truth (John 14:6).
Friends, put an end to your confusion. Don't seek wisdom where it cannot be found. The wisdom of the world is foolishness, says God. Believe him. Turn to the true and enduring wisdom that can be found ONLY in him, ONLY in his Word. Settle it forever in your heart. The wisdom of God leads to peace and joy and happiness, all the things people seek for in the world and are never able to find. But these very things are found in him, because he IS our peace, our joy, and our happiness, and you have to experience that to know it.
We will find no peace in our own understanding, but in Christ Jesus is found a peace that is sound and complete, a trust that turns our earthly unrest into heavenly joy.
Turn to him now and find out for yourself.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Romans 12:1-2
To a young Christian the idea of presenting his body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, must seem challenging and downright unappealing. "Sacrifice?" A loaded word for sure. God is asking me to give myself up as a sacrifice? How can I be willing to do that?
The willingness comes with understanding.
One of the clever works of Satan is to paint a totally false picture of God, especially to those who don't know him, but also to the young believer, and sadly, even to the seasoned believer. How it must grieve the heart of God to see people view him as an implacable tyrant. The very word "Father" denotes something so entirely different, yet Satan sees to it that people miss that and go instead with the angry-God concept who only cares about moral behavior and who is ready to smack anyone who slips. Understandably then, who would not chafe at the Scripture's command that we present ourselves to this God as a sacrifice?
Satan lies.
Jesus said Satan is the FATHER of lies.
"You are of your FATHER the devil,
and the desires of your FATHER you want to do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him.
When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources,
for he is a liar and the FATHER of it."
John 8:44
Our God, on the other hand, has revealed to us in his Word that he is THE TRUE FATHER, in all that that word implies. He LOVES us. As any father, he wants the absolute best for us.
But we are children in his sight, and a child does not have the wisdom of the adult, a child does not have the wisdom of a father, therefore most children simply surrender totally to their father's will. To the obedient child of God, the Lord will move heaven and earth to bless him in all manner and kind and type of blessing.
This father, our Father, is he who fashioned the very DNA in each of us, so he knows exactly the makeup of each individual, he knows every kind of interest each will have, he knows the gifts and talents he has sovereignly placed within each one, he thoroughly understands each one's personality, and he knows what is going to be the deep desires of the heart, all of which he determines to bring together for the child who will surrender to him and obey him. Once we understand this thoroughly, it sure does change the picture of what the "sacrifice" means, doesn't it? It simply means surrender, and to a mature believer it means JOYFUL surrender - to our TRUE Father, who is full of love for us.
The Father goes on to teach us that the world is under the rule of Satan (2nd Corinthians 4:4), and that Satan has filled it with lies. He is first and foremost a liar. Therefore, we are not to believe the picture he paints to us of a tyrant God, and we are not to be conformed to this world which is under the true tyrant, Satan himself.
What child in his right mind would want to be conformed to that world? No, we instead are to follow after the will of OUR Father, subjecting our minds daily to be nourished in his Word, so that we may PROVE the truth of this message, that it's all good. It's all VERY good! And when we understand it, it will become the delight of our hearts to present ourselves totally to him.
Once we understand this, we can rest in the promise that whatever Satan hurls at us in life, and even the wrong decisions we make that bring us into trouble, God WILL work it out to the good. That's a promise!
“And we know that all things work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28