Introducing Dr Annang Asumang's new book

UNLOCKING THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
available for purchase here

The New Testament book of Hebrews is both exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure. Many readers are challenged by its stirring language, yet at the same time, many are puzzled by deeply doctrinal part of the book with its arguments based on Old Testament imagery and also by the dire warnings.

Each block of the expositions in Hebrews is circumscribed in a particular space. Heb 1 is located in Heaven, Heb 2 in the World, and Heb 5-10 in Heaven and the Holy of Holies. The exhortations of Hebrews are, on the other hand, focused on movement. That of Hebrews 2 describes staying firm and not drifting, that of Heb 3-4 describes entering, and that of Heb 11-13 describes various movements such as coming, running, travelling etc.

By using a Bible Study method called Spatial Analysis, Dr Asumang, a medical doctor, Bible teacher and a contributor to this blog, shows how the various themes of Hebrews fit together to make one whole message. He also shows how the Old Testament Book of Numbers sheds considerable light on Hebrews.

Chapters of this book include:
What is the problem with Hebrews?
Spatial Analysis of a Bible Text,
Spatial Analysis of the Exposition of Hebrews,
Spatial Analysis of the Exhortations
Hebrews, Discipleship and the Metaphor of Migration.

Anyone seeking to understand Hebrews will indeed find this book of to be of immense help and a blessing. - Robbo

Lessons from Cain and Abel. Part III

ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING. by Annang.

I agree that God was there. I also agree with the deep lessons drawn out in the previous posts, about persecution, about the typology of Abel's blood and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This story, like the Adam and Eve story, also paints another picture that may disturb some about the Character of God. The All-knowing God, who sees all things even before they happen, often seems to arrive late on the crime scene. You know, those films or stories about the gangland policeman who always appears on the scene just after the victim has been killed! In the Garden of Eden, God turned up only after the devil had succeeded in tempting Eve and Adam; here too, only after Cain had done his deed. He accused Cain of not being his brother's keeper, but why didn't He keep or defend Abel, the God-loving, God-fearing and God-devoted worshipper? Where was God indeed!

Many righteous men throughout the Bible suffered in the hands of the unjust and asked that question over and over again. Think of David in the hands of Saul, or Job in the hands of the devil. Why does our God appear to turn up late when we have been almost destroyed in the hands of unjust men?

God does know everything: He knows our suffering and our pain, and He is there, not aloof, but strengthening us as we go through the pain. Though our “blood” is shed, it is, in Paul's words, being poured as libation on the altar of His sacrifice for the Gospel. No wonder the Book of Revelation ends with similar stories of the sufferings of the saints in the hands of sinful men and women, the testimony of the saints who overcame the Evil one, not by their sword but by surrender to the will of their heavenly Father, and their Word of Testimony also speaks volumes like that of Abel.

When we read Abel's story, we should be encouraged in our little sufferings as believers that our God is there with us. And if we have not yet shed blood in our struggle over sin, let us determine to strive hard for holiness and to persevere. It is to His honor and glory that we overcome; whether it is sin in ourselves or in this world. -Annang

Lessons from Cain and Abel. Part II

GOD IS ALWAYS THERE. by Calorius.

There are a lot of spiritual truths brought out by G Columbus in yesterday's post but I still don't get it about why God didn't prevent Abel's death. There was a purpose to Jesus' death but what purpose could Abel's death have served?

Throughout this early part of Genesis, God is like an absentee farmer, like a remote landlord. He creates Adam and Eve, provides for them and instructs them, then goes away and only shows up again after they've messed up and it's time to judge and sentence them. A similar situation is seen with Cain and Abel, and a few other times in the book. It is very reminiscent of some of Jesus' parables. In the account of the history of Israel, we see clearly how they keep coming to Him and going away, back and forth, especially the book of Judges.

A more subtle theme is the ways in which God APPEARS (it's a perception only) to be close at times, then distant, then close, then distant again. There are times when He "hides His face from us", what someone has called the "my God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me" periods, but what is their purpose? I believe, of course, that all this is our perception, because God is Omnipresent and Omniscient and knows the future.

So in actual fact, God was there all the time; when Eve picked the fruit and as Cain tightened the shoe-lace around his brother's neck. However, our awareness of His presence is not there all the time, so that we have to be careful to live right, even when He seems to be gone.

I remember watching movies like "Escape from Sorbibor" and "Schindler's list" and "Roots" and thinking where was God at that time? I think the answer is, exactly where he was during Abel's murder; He was right there. When bad things happen to "good" people, it is no indication that God has abandoned them.

It reminds me of what I was once told about a sermon Paa Willie (the late William Ofori-Atta) preached from Genesis. He preached that when Cain asked "am I my brother's keeper?", it was rhetorical but if God were to answer it, one answer which is different from what we are usually taught from this passage might be to say, "No, Cain, it is I the Lord who is your brother's keeper" . Cain was being insolent, pointing out that what had happened was in part due to God's failure to protect Abel, to be Abel's keeper in the sense that we often expect. How we understand God to be our keeper is very important. It will prevent us from losing faith when certain things come our way. The prosperity doctrine people will probably cut my head off if they hear this. - Calorius

Lessons from Cain and Abel, Part I.

REDEMPTION, OBEDIENCE AND JUSTICE. By Gaius Columbus

I suggest that the story of Cain and Abel is primarily an allegory about Christ, even though there are lessons about justice to be learnt too. After the fall, man chose to manage his own affairs, including his views about morality and worship. The example of Abel, however, makes clear that, there have been in every generation a small cadre of men and women who despite their natural inclinations decide to follow God’s prescriptions to the best of their ability. Many of these people, Abel, Moses, David, Rehab, Daniel...all the way to our Lord Jesus are catalogued in Hebrews 11.

This group shared little in common with the vast majority of mankind living in their time who continued to follow their own prescriptions and inclinations; the proverbial sheep versus goat dichotomy. This is how I see the story of Cain and Abel and the interpretation I believe Paul and other New Testament writers later put on this story.

Hebrews 12: 22-24: “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

Cain knew what the right sacrifice to offer to God was, but he substituted what he considered to be a reasonable alternative. He incorrectly presupposed that God would be satisfied with his personal view of acceptable sacrifice. God in addressing Cain’s anger tells him in essence (my paraphrase), “you know what is right to do, now go do it and I will accept your sacrifice too”. God had at some point made it known what He expected in a sacrifice and Abel followed this prescription. Cain did not.Man’s prescriptions for covering his own sins, although “sensible”, are incorrect.

Man’s ideas for redemption were overruled by God, even in the Garden. When Adam and Eve sinned they clothed themselves with leaves to hide their nakedness but God seeing this, replaced their coverings with the hide of an animal killed for this purpose. This was probably the first indication of God’s preference in regard to atonement and sacrifice. Perhaps Cain and Abel knew this and it informed Abel’s choice of sacrifice.

Abel's story is the first indication we have of the stratification of mankind into righteous vs. unrighteous and this continues throughout history. We see two kinds of people: those, like Abel who take God’s prescriptions for life seriously and come to God the way He has prescribed vs. those, like Cain, who presume to know what should please God and so bring to God their own defunct ideas and reasonable-sounding precepts made by men, the false religions.

Cain, rather than change his ways, became angry and displaced his anger onto Abel. This story in Genesis is less about justice or a failure of divine protection, and much more about establishing a picture of the long struggle to come in the ages to follow between those who obey God and those who follow their own ideas. It is the story of the Jews vs. the Gentiles, John the Baptist vs. Herodias, the elect vs. the unsaved, Christ vs. the Pharisees, and Rome vs. early Christians. For friendship with God is enmity with the world.

The persecution of righteous Abel by unrighteous Cain is instruction for God-fearing men of all ages. Abel’s story foreshadowed and eventually culminated in our Lord’s struggles with the Pharisees and His eventual death at their hands. His story foreshadows the struggle between our Lord—Son of God without blemish—and the Pharisees—men who taught and followed the traditions of men. It, perhaps, even is a story of the greater spiritual struggle between Satan and God’s elect and is an example for us in the present age until the Lord returns.

I believe God was present in this story but in a completely different role from our human expectation. This role is didactic and best understood in the context of Christ’s life and mission in particular. Jesus knew the Father’s will and followed it. The Pharisees presumed to know God’s will but replaced it with the traditions of men. Like Cain’s sacrifice, the self-styled morality of the Pharisees, like other self-styled religions through the ages, was rejected by the Father. Jesus, by the attestation of miracles and wonders and by His death and resurrection had His sacrifice and His life validated by the Father. Like Cain, the Pharisees plotted to kill him and did. To us, it appears that God abandoned Abel to the evil plans of an unrighteous man and similarly, we see Jesus apparently abandoned by God to the evil intents of unrighteous men; "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me”

It is true that other parts of Scripture portray God to be our protector, which He is. Here, however, I believe the intent of this story is to set a precedent or expectation of what is to happen later with our Savior and with those who choose to follow Him. For the righteous in the ages to come, it is the first example of what to expect as a consequence of the decision to follow Christ: derision, persecution, ridicule, harm, even death. – G Columbus

CAIN and ABEL, some questions.

WHERE IS GOD WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS ARE IN HARM’S WAY?

In further study of the early part of the Book of Genesis I have some questions.

Where was God when Abel was being slain? I can't imagine that Abel, who had just established communion with God, would not cry out to God for help as his brother was squeezing the life-blood out of him. Where was God’s protection?

I have reflected on these questions myself but I would like to hear what others think. Any answers? - Calorius

Genesis 3, another recap.

The key motifs of choice, consequence and grace that we see in the preceding several posts permeate scripture. Grace, in one sense, is God’s continued involvement in our lives despite our conscious choice to go our way—to direct our own lives. It is His refusal to abandon us—at least for a season (a “very long” season if you ask me)—even when we choose to abandon His prescribed bath. It is His willingness to accept us when we turn from our ways. This, for me, is the story of the garden. It is also the story of the Prodigal son. It is the story of the wealthy young man and Jesus, whom the Bible says Jesus continued to love even though his choice was for self-determination rather than submission.

This feature of God’s nature—His obstinate love for His creation during this long epoch of grace (God will not strive with man forever), never ceases to amaze, humble and move me. Perhaps, He loves creatures as unworthy of this love as you and I because he knows our nature, and perhaps it is because, like Jesus said, we do not fully comprehend what we do. I don’t know. I just know I am grateful for this all-encompassing love that seeks me out even when I turn my back. Wouldn’t it be great if we loved each other that way, loved our spouses and our kids and co-workers that way?

The trees in the garden, in one sense, can be seen as metaphors for choice; choice for Life lived in subjugation to God, or Death from a life lived for self. Seen this way, the serpent merely brought to a head what man had probably been pondering a while—the opportunity to run his own affairs. It is indeed strange that after the act of disobedience, Adam and Eve did not immediately grab hold of the Tree of life. This suggests to me that perhaps the choice was never theirs to make (since God immediately forbade it). From a practical standpoint, then, it seems their choice of one path precluded the other. I say this because it is implausible to me that God would have left the tree of knowledge in the garden even if man had wisely chosen to eat first from the tree of life. Why, because the end result would have been the same. The two choices, therefore, and irrespective of the order in which they occurred must have been mutually exclusive.

The garden, then, is to me a metaphor for the continuing basic choice all men through the ages and today are asked to make—a life of trust in God, and His wisdom, love and goodness versus a life of trust in our own abilities and discernment. Proverbs 3:5-6 makes this case clearly. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. The key word is trust.

I see now that true Wisdom is not to be found in the fact that we see the “sense” in or the reasons for a particular instruction given by God. Rather it is to be found in the fact that we see the “sense” in following the Giver of those instructions—even when the instruction itself appears “nonsensical” to us. Wisdom is not a discernment of the reason for a rule but instead a mental attitude, a moral inclination, a conscious choice to order one’s life from a position of fundamental trust in God’s will and love and wisdom. The fear (reverence for) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

God does not call us to be zombies, but rather men and women who having weighed the evidence of His character, have chosen to trust Him in all of our affairs, rather than to rely on ourselves. This is what compels us to obey even when God’s instructions do not make sense to us and to follow even when our intellects scream a different path. I believe this is one of the lessons to learn when we read that Jesus said “my food (perhaps even an allusion to the tree can be found here) is to do the Father’s will”. I believe, He is saying, at least in part, that true life is to be found only in a life lived according to God’s guidance. For this reason, He has chosen to subjugate His own understanding to the Father’s. This is the true meaning of obedience and the reason why it is those that do the will of the Father who will enter the Kingdom. Incidentally, brothers, this is a key reason, why we as Father-types need to be trustworthy when it comes to our kids; we are their first image of what our heavenly Father is like.

Finally, Jesus as a human must have inherited Adam’s propensity to think. If so, it is probable that His intellect would have suggested paths different from what the Father had chosen for Him. Jesus was no “zombie”. His free choice is evident when we recall His prayer in the garden. The words that He spoke during that anguished hour prior to His arrest and torture are especially telling. He said in essence, I would like to be spared what is to come (indeed my whole human experience—a fear of pain and separation from you—demand that I take a different course), but not as I will but as You will. His every human instinct must have screamed the ensuing events were not going to be pleasant—far from it—yet He knew His Father’s heart and intellect were unmatched. Yes, God is good and wise, so He trusted.

Trust is not blind; it is based on evidence—even if that evidence is one that is not directly experiential but instead impressed on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. To obey we need to ask the Holy Spirit to convince us deep in our own spirits and in our minds, that our God is good, wanting the best for us. That best is only to be found in submission to His expressed will for our lives even if we don’t always fully understand it.

Today, as through the ages, we are faced with this fundamental choice; to eat from the tree of our intellects and emotions or to eat from the tree of obedience—the one that implores us to subjugate our thoughts, emotions, and wills to that of our all wise and all loving Father. “For it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in and through me”, is a paraphrase of how Paul puts these truths. We do well to do the same. - G Columbus

Genesis 3, recap

I have a few more reflections on the Genesis 3. I think we suffer a little from the translation of words like "tree of knowledge". In our mind that implies a tree whose fruit would provide knowledge, and after all, why not? Knowledge is good. But it seems to me you could have called the tree anything at all, the major point being, as G. Columbus has suggested in his posts, that it was a prohibited tree, whereas the tree of life represented the prescribed tree. So Adam and Eve were perhaps as guilty for eating of the bad tree as they were for not eating the good one.

The two trees in the garden seem to represent choices that God gave Adam, similar to choices that He gave Israel through Moses, and then through Joshua, Samuel, etc. These are the same choices that John the Baptist indicated, and which Jesus preached "come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden...." and the same invitation that the Spirit and the Bride continue to issue. Every time we hear an invitation to respond to God, we are essentially being given a choice between the "tree of life" and the tree of knowledge- you could call the latter the "tree of death", as in the tree which eating it leads to death.

I see the contrasting choices as follows; the prescribed (tree of life; living water; bread of life; blood of Christ; eternal life) versus the proscribed, (tree of knowledge; guilt; death), the preferred versus the prohibited, the proffered versus the protected, the provided versus the prevented, the pull towards Him versus the push away from Him.

Now it was the serpent that drew Eve's attention to the tree of death, and sowed the doubt, but in Adam's part of the temptation the serpent doesn't even appear to have been there. Nor when Cain slew Abel, which is perhaps the next major sin recorded in that time frame. Perhaps, mere speculation here, even without the serpent, Adam or Eve would have wondered there and have to confront the same questions eventually. It seems to me that the role of the serpent in this play was as a spoiler of God's paradise, in the same way that he tempted Judas.

So yes, the serpent is the devil, Satan, the great tempter, but our own responsibility is tremendous. "Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by HIS OWN lusts, and lusts, when they have matured, ....bring death" How similar is that to Eve's own "and when she saw that the tree was delightful, attractive, and that eating it would give her something God had withheld (translated knowledge)...she took of the fruit, and ate."

To summarize, I agree that the devil is the one who brings temptation, especially when it involves deception (he is a good liar). But our moral responsibility is still 100%, because we are still the ones who make the choice between the prescribed and the proscribed. We have to remember there are some sins, (and they are among the worst, where there is no overt satanic deception involved; i.e., sins in which the perpetrator is very much aware of what they are doing and its consequences, but chooses to do them.

Incidentally, one take on why the word "knowledge" as applied to the tree could mean knowledge in the bad sense, is the way in which the desire for knowledge represents a decision for self determination. The "give me a conscience and I will decide in myself how to live". I think that is why statements like "each man did what was right in his own eyes" are really describing sinful states. I believe that is why Paul says that with knowledge (of the law) came consciousness of sin. It is not that when know the Ten Commandments then we become sinners, but rather the state in which he tried to know the Law and then decide things for himself was a sinful state.

One more thing, in popular drama, good and bad are presented like opposing FORCES. A good power and a bad power and that is the way Hollywood sees it in that genre of movies from the old Dracula series, the Exorcist, the Omen, and Matrix; even to some extent in the Lord of the Rings. However the real moral battle is not one of good force against bad; there is no comparison there, because God is infinitely more powerful than Satan, but rather between good choice and bad choice. I think the one story that comes closest to getting it is the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I meant this to be very short but I got carried away. - Calorius

Another look at Genesis 3. Part III

In my previous post , I tried to make the case that rather than being a bait intended to snare man, the fact that the two trees were planted so prominently in the center of the garden suggests that they represented a moral choice Adam and Eve were to make at some point during their stay in the garden. A snare would not be so prominently displayed, I think, but more importantly we know from the book of James that God does not tempt us to sin.

I have suggested that the course of events recorded in the passage indicates strongly that while both trees were originally accessible to man, once a choice was made for one this was no longer so. I believe, therefore, that if man had made the choice to eat from the tree of life, God would most assuredly have restricted access to the tree of knowledge. God’s governance versus self-governance was what was being presented as man’s chief moral choice in the garden. Man could not have both eternal life and the right to manage his own affairs separate from God’s oversight. God would not permit a created being to have all knowledge, absolute dominion over his own realm and eternal life to boot. This, I have suggested, would essentially have made man a God-type or “mini god”. Chapter 3 v 22 appears to indicate this.

So given this stark choice and man’s unfortunate decision, what was man to expect? We all know how we treat our friends, family, kids etc when they willfully ignore good counsel. If God was a man, I would have expected Him to wash His hands off man completely—to leave him to his own machinations and to the natural consequences of his choice. After all, Adam had been warned and had spurned God’s warning.

Many interpret God’s pronouncements at this point in this manner. But might not the consequences have been a lot worse if God had really left man to face the full consequences of his disobedience? Remember, man by choosing the tree of knowledge had effectively declared his intent to manage his own affairs. Up to this point and as long as Adam and Eve worked under the divine governance, God had significantly lightened their work of caring for their dominion. One example can be found in the provision made for the watering of the Garden of Eden, which I believe was the first automatic irrigation system. A complete abandonment of man to his chosen path could have been a lot worse.

I see therefore, even in the pronouncements made after man’s fall, an inkling of God’s grace. God did allow the natural consequences of sin to play out, but perhaps in a lighter form than what might have been. An obvious example of such muted punishment is the fact that God’s presence remained both with Adam and Eve in the garden and as chapters 4 shows also to their children. We see other indications of the Father’s love in this very moment of man’s fall when we see God fashioning a covering for man from an animal—an animal that had to lose its life—as a first example of the salvation that was to follow much later in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. This picture already sets in motion God’s plan for salvation and we begin to see all the processes that would eventually lead to the death of His son as a covering for our sin. What a great God we serve. He continues to extend that grace to all today.

The whole issue of free choice with muted consequence seems to permeate the Bible. At many points throughout Scripture, we see grace where punishment is expected. One day though, the Bible teaches that God’s full undiluted anger will be poured out. Till then we are charged with the task of spreading the good news of His mercy—a God, who from the beginning of time, has never wished that any should perish but that all will see the light, choose life with Him over death through self-governance. I am awed and overwhelmed by His great love for us manifested throughout Scripture.

I will leave things here but implore someone else to engage this topic. There appears to be a lot in these verses worthy of further study. For example there is the issue of nakedness. What does it mean in these passages; merely physical nakedness or something deeper? Prior to the fall, were Adam and Eve oblivious to their nakedness because they were clothed with God’s righteousness? Did they become aware of their nakedness when they lost this covering? Are sin and death the nakedness we feel when we live outside His government—a desire to hide away from God rather than to come into His presence with boldness? Is this one of the chief blessings purchased for us by Christ’s death on the cross—the provision of a garment of righteousness to cover the nakedness of our sin? God bless. – Gaius Columbus

Another look at Genesis 3. Part II

In the first part , I wanted to dispel the notion of the restriction regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil —by itself— being the source of sin. I suggested that the incitement to disobedience only arose when the Serpent was injected into the equation. I argued that the presence of the tree and the command pertaining to it should not be seen as bait. Even further, the perception of this tree as bait becomes less valid when we consider the fact that there were two special trees planted in the garden. There was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but there was also the tree of Life.

Interestingly it appears that both trees were planted in the center of the garden. They took center place and appear to have been the focal point of the garden. I would argue that this is so because they represent a choice that Adam and Eve faced right from the start. These trees merely represent a choice man was to make at some point, a choice he was constantly aware of but which came to a head when the serpent initiated that pivotal discussion.

Let us remember that Adam and Even had been made in the image of God. In what way was this true? Well, chapter 1 v 26 suggests that this related to man’s dominion over all of God’s creation. Man was master over his realm. I think the trees represented a moral choice man was to make. He could choose to remain under God’s authority and to receive the gift of eternal life—i.e. choose eternal life under God’s jurisdiction or choose to go his own way, guided by his intellect and his own judgment of right and wrong but in doing so forfeit eternal life.

In Genesis Chapter 3 v 22, after the fall, God makes this statement. “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever” (NIV) Hence, contrary to popular notion, man was not eternal at his creation. It suggests that he was to die at some point.

These choices between life and death appear to have been mutually exclusive. We know that to choose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (the tree of death) was to reject the tree of life because when man chose this path, the tree of life was then made inaccessible to him. I want to suggest to you that if man had instead chosen to eat from the tree of life, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would immediately have become inaccessible to him. If man had chosen eternal life, I see no reason why God would have left the tree of knowledge in the garden, leaving open the possibility of the one thing He (God) most wanted to avoid—the confluence of domination, eternal life and knowledge.

In other words, what was not allowed was for man to have domination over God’s creation, eternal life and all knowledge, making him more or less another God. Although not explicitly mentioned, it seems logical and strongly suggested in Genesis 3 v 22 that if man acquired all three attributes—dominion over God’s creation, eternal life and the knowledge of good and evil—he would in essence become divine (even if merely a more limited kind of divinity).

So man had to choose between 2 positions: He could choose to be like God in his authority and in his possession of eternal life but remain subordinate to God in restrictions relating to knowledge and decision-making. Or he could retain his authority and choose to go his own way. If he did the latter, though, he forfeited his right to eternal life. God will not countenance another divine being besides himself. And as long as man had not made or had the opportunity to exercise this choice, both trees remained in the garden. Once he chose one tree, however, the other was removed. Seen this way, then, the tree of knowledge is not bait but represents a choice that man was called to make.

So, in summary, with respect to the two trees, I see them not as bait but as a choice that all human beings are still required to make today. A choice between Life under God’s government but with eternal life to boot or life (actually death) under our own government, forfeiting the gift of eternal life—which I interpret to be a life of continued uninterrupted communion with Him. Man in choosing one rejected the other and the death that was promised was immediate even though he continued to live physically. This suggests that the death being mentioned here is not a physical death and I will expand on this theme in my next post.

Incidentally, this choice between life and death is a pattern repeated over and over in the scriptures. It is reminiscent of old and new testament scriptures which implore man to choose between life—going it God’s way—and choosing death—choosing our own way. The two are mutually exclusive.

Finally, all of this forms a prototype that culminates in the choice all are asked to make in respect to our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord’s mission and ministry, is to restore all things to the right order; God over all, man with eternal life and dominion over God’s creation, but only in accordance to God’s written prescriptions. It is what we are called to do even as we wait for the Day of His coming. Die to self and to surrender our lives to his government. - Gaius Columbus

ORIGIN OF SIN. Genesis Chapter 3

I have been reflecting and trying to analyze what exactly happened in the Garden of Eden in an attempt to better understand the genesis of sin. I have a couple of thoughts and questions. Why did God have to put a “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” in the garden? Was He not baiting man? What did God mean when He said Adam would die if he ate the fruit? In that context what is death and what is life?

Reading through the Genesis 3 narrative, I see that physical death was a punishment for Adams disobedience and not the consequence God referred to when He warned Adam about eating the fruit. Indeed, Adam did not physically die for another 900 years plus after that episode and I am assuming that Adam’s life span was calculated from the time of the fall when the death sentence he was given. Another question therefore comes up; are the consequences and punishments for sin the same or different?

Another striking thing to me is that there was no remorse from Adam or Eve after their sins were uncovered. Did that have any effect on Gods judgment? I compare that with the reactions of David and Saul after they were both confronted with their sins. The former’s repentance was immediate and unconditional; the latter was sullen and defiant and the punishments were very different.

In the aftermath of the fall in the Garden of Eden, the discourse between God, the man, the woman and the serpent also requires some reflection. God speaks first and gives the man and the woman a chance to speak. The serpent is given no chance to speak and is immediately punished. Very starkly, the serpent or Satan is cursed by God but no curse is laid directly on mankind. Rather in Vs 17 the ground, and I take that to mean the Earth, is cursed because of mankind’s sin. Is there some principle here to be learnt about how God deals with sin and who can be forgiven? Why does Satan never get a chance to redeem himself but man does despite our defiance in the Garden and all the evil we still do?

Leading on from the above, who really goes to Hell? Is it just anyone who has not accepted Jesus or is it those who have rejected Him? I think these are two very different positions. You cannot reject what you have not been given a chance to accept. I am not saying everyone will go to heaven and no one will go to hell but is there some bigger aspect of the plan of salvation that we are not yet privy to?

I do have some thoughts and comments on the questions I want I would like to have some input from somewhere, particularly my brothers on this blog, before I continue. - AL.

PREDESTINATION, Human Choice and Free Will. G. Columbus look into the Bible

I have been giving a lot of thought to this whole discussion about “predestination vs. free will”. Below are my views on this important matter, as I glean from Scripture, and I may post an additional and more comprehensive response later.

(1) God desires for all to be saved. I Tim 2: 1-4; John 3:16.

(2) Because He desires this for all men, He draws all men to himself. Incidentally, for me this means that the scripture that says, “No one can come to me unless, the Father draws Him”, simply means God is the one who takes the first step (i.e., Not that He only draws some but that He is the initiator of the idea of salvation). We could not vote unless the law allowed us to. But when we vote we exercise our free will. So we could not exercise our free will unless we had been given the opportunity to do so by the statutes of the land. Similarly, none of us would ever choose Him unless He had first chosen us. I John 4: 19; John 12:32.

(3) Unfortunately we also know that the fact that all men are drawn, does not mean that all respond (Many are called, but few are chosen). Mathew 22:14

(4) God, because He is all-knowing, knew ahead of time everyone who would respond to His first act of love. Rom 8:28-30

(5) Still, for the sake of His own righteousness and so His justice is in plain view to all (accused and exonerated) on judgment day, He still chose to make this offer of love to all. In other words, there will be a legal basis for the judgment on the last day. No one will be able to refute God’s righteous judgment. If men had no chance to choose or respond to His offer of love, would the condemned truly call His judgment righteous? John 1:10-13; John 5:45, John 16: 8-11.

(6) Having made the offer, God has also made provision for His offer to materialize in the lives of all who would respond to His offer. Without these provisions, our response would have meant nothing in practical terms. To avoid this, He made provision for Jesus to die for our justification. He made provision for the Holy Spirit for our transformation. He made provision for an ultimate Home where all shall be in order, where we could be with others who also loved Him. It is in this light then that I understand the verse “He predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His son”: To all who responded to His first offer of love with love (obedience) He made provision for them to have everything they needed. And what was the ultimate goal of all this? God’s ultimate purpose is to create a family in which Jesus is the firstborn of many brothers and sisters all of whom are like Him. Rom 8:28-30. John 1:10-13

(7) Finally, if He did not spare us His Son, it is comforting to imagine what other provision He has made for getting us to our final destination. I John 8: 31-32 (the second half of the verse that mentions predestination). His provision does not absolve us of the obligation to work out what He has worked into us. That is, knowing the high stakes involved, we are to work in partnership with Him, with all seriousness, pulling in the same direction as He (rather than at cross purposes) to bring about His plan. Philippians 2: 12b. This pattern of God providing the means coupled with us taking advantage of these provisions permeates the entire gospel story. It is what motivates salvation (justification) and sanctification.

I have already mentioned a few of the scriptures that illuminate these issues. All of these are reproduced in their entirety below with a few others that may throw some more light on these issues. Please add any others come to mind or which refute my views.

In summary, I believe foreknowledge is the purview of God. He knows the end of a thing from the beginning. Yet His omniscience is not at cross-purposes with, nor does it invalidate His love—He does wish for all to be saved—or His justice—His justice demands that all men be given an opportunity to repent. Not all respond, however. To those that do, however, His will is that they conform to the image of His son.

This predestination (what has been defined as our final destination or goal), He has made every provision for; namely, justification through the death of His son and sanctification through the work of the Holy spirit in partnership with us—we who have shown our love for the Father, through our love for His only son—we who choose to share in His shame on earth, to live in a way that pleases Him, so that one day He will welcome us into to His family and hear Him call us His own forever. God had a plan and He has made the provisions available to fulfill it. Look forward to seeing and hearing other views. - GAIUS COLUMBUS

References follow.

Romans 8: 28-30. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

John 1:10-13. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right (power) to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

2 Tim. 1:8-. Saved not according to our works but according to His Own purpose and grace"So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

1 John 4:19. We love him, because he first loved us.

John 6:44-45. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. The first step belonged to God. He initiated the contact (very unusual that the doctor should seek out the patient rather than vice-versa). The response, however, is also a response of love (our response to the gospel), completed by God providing what we need to become like His son.

2 Corinthians 5:13-15. If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

I Peter 3:17-18. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. 2 Peter 3:8-9But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

1 John 2:1-2. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants

Joshua 24:15. And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

John 12:32. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.

Romans 6:10. For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

1 Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

2 Corinthians 5:15. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who

1 Timothy 4:10. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

Titus 2:11. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.

Hebrews 7:26-27. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Hebrews 9:11-12. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 10:10. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

1 Peter 3:18. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit

1 Tim 2:1-4. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

I Corinthians 15: 20-28. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he "has put everything under his feet."Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Mathew 22:14. For many are invited, but few are chosen.John 5:45But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses [by which did he mean the law?], on whom your hopes are set.

Psalm 94:15. Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

John 16: 8-11. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

2 Corinthians 5: 9-10. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

I John 8: 31-32. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

Philippians 2:12. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Romans 2: 3-5. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

1 John 3:5. Reflecting on what Christ accomplished

But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 1 John 3:5.

“In Him is no sin.” It took me a while to realize that as horrific as Christ’s death on the cross was, there was also another major play going on in the heavens. God took an incredible risk by sending His Son- who is also God Himself, a true divine mystery- to die for us. If Christ had made just even one minor slip involving sin, all creation including the angels in heaven would be forever trapped in an eternal conflict with Satan with no chance whatsoever of redemption. God would also have lost his Son forever and the Godhead would have been dealt a mortal blow for all eternity. Remember that John 1 says that without Christ nothing was made that was ever made. So obviously, God cannot function without Christ. This may sound controversial to some but Christ made it very clear that He is God. (John 10:30 and also see John 14).

Sure, God could have patched a salvage plan if there were one or two minor slips during Christ’s life on earth. But think about what Hebrews 4:15,16 says about Christ our High Priest. He was tempted in every way that we are yet is without sin, so he can sympathize with us in our weaknesses and help us in our need when sin is knocking on our door. Just think about what would have happened if Christ had done everything right but just once had maybe told a lie, stolen, used a profanity etc, etc. I think whatever salvage plan God would have devised would have covered everything but that sin. Christ would not be able to help us with that sin since He Himself would be guilty of it. So heaven would be full of saints who would do everything right but lie pathologically to one another or if it was a theft, I can imagine that God would have to chain down the gold on the streets of heaven. Even at this present time, I am quite concerned about my own covetous attitude and that of my brothers, and I can imagine that we may need burglar alarms in those mansions in heaven if we enter that sacred place as we are now.

For me, this is what Gods love means; the death of Christ was horrific and thank God it was once and for all, but we should realize how much of a risk both God and Christ took on our behalf just to save us and I am glad to be called the chief of sinners because it makes me appreciate even more how much Christ loves me and how much of a sacrifice He made just to allow me to live for eternity. I can hardly go an hour without some mischief tempting me, how much more 33 odd years of sinless perfection. Just like it has been said with terrorists, “They have to be right only once and they have won, we have to be right 100% of the time”. Satan had to get it right only once and he would have been in the driver’s seat in this eternal conflict of good and evil.

I therefore say to anyone who asks why God cannot save outside of Christ if God is that omnipotent. It is not that God cannot save you, but you have made yourself “unsavable” if you reject Christ, because there is no other deliverance from sin. - Alien Warrior

MUSIC and the other Arts- A FORETASTE OF GLORY DIVINE

Driving home from work a couple of months ago I listened to a program about Choral Music on NPR which featured choirs mainly from historically African-American, predominantly Black colleges and traced the history and evolution of their music. I ended up with a driveway moment when I got home, you know, I had to wait in the car until the program came to an end before I got out. The music was going straight to my bone marrow, so to speak

That same evening I saw a presentation on television by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir of their live CD “I ‘m Amazed”. This choir has members with origins across all five continents yet sings one song of praise. As I listened and watched them sing, all I kept saying was “aha mpo ni na osuro hor”. Literally translated from the Twi language, this means “if this is how beautiful it can be on this earth, consider how it would be like in heaven”. Unfortunately there is always some loss of meaning in translation, sorry about that.

I sometimes wonder what it was like for the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem to hear the choirs of Heavenly Hosts sing of the birth of our Lord on that glorious night. These Angels of Heaven who are not subject to a fallen world like ours surely sang in a way that my mortal mind can barely begin the grasp. The occasion of the birth of the Savior of the world must have made the music even more glorious, if that were possible.

I love music, all kinds of music, any good music whether classical, reggae, the highlife music of West Africa, gospel (the genre), rap (asking for trouble) and jazz. The very first time I head the Third Movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin concerto in E minor, was on BBC Radio 3 and I just stood still completely mesmerized by the almost melancholic call of the violin solo. It brought up for me images of “the sound of Rachel crying in the desert and refusing to be comforted”( Jeremiah 31:15) and the grand finale exuded a sense of the “hope for the future” (Jeremiah 31:17) and the New Covenant to come that is declared from verse 31 to the end of the chapter. I was almost reduced to tears by the beauty of the melody and the magnificence and skill of the instrumentalist. I knew I had to get a recording of that music by any means, legal or illegal.

Good music sooths and uplifts the soul. Good secular or neutral music often does accomplishes this but good Christian music written by an inspired child of God can make the human spirit soar and have a foretaste of glory divine, to borrow from the phrase used by Fanny Crosby in the great hymn Blessed Assurance

I recall listening to a program about Handel’s Messiah on the BBC World Service many years ago on my shortwave radio in Ghana and I heard that Handel had confided in a friend that while writing the music he had an experience in which he saw Heaven and a vision of the Son of Man. That comes as no surprise to me because that music often draws my spirit being and soul to great heights while still on this earth.

I also think that when a secular musician writes or performs a song which touches us either by the lyrics, the musical melody, the arrangement or the skill of the performers, that is still a gift from God and I consider it to be in the universal providence of God, common Grace if you like, given to all mankind; the Good God causing “the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the wicked and righteous alike. I feel that way about the music of the late Bob Marley. His classic anthem “No Woman No Cry” talks about hard times past which I can identify with, yet it has an uplifting “everything is going to be alright” theme. It is not the gospel and it does not come any where near the message of the redeeming Gospel of Christ, but it is still uplifting.

Personally, I fancy myself as an aspiring bass guitarist but that opinion is limited to one person, me. When I exercise my vocal cords or chords, I am incapable of holding a song in key without the support of a multitude of believers in a congregation and I can’t sing myself out of a jammed shower door but, like all dreamers, I often let it out in the bathroom. On occasion my wife would tap the door and ask “are you alright in there?’ Of course I am, I tell her. I am just practicing for the day when we will receive perfect bodies in the New Jerusalem, where there will be nothing but voices with perfect pitch, virtuoso violinists, pianists, drummers and atentenben(1) players. Where the Waltz, Boborbor, Kpalongo(3) and Tango dancers will be skilled beyond what we could ever imagine.

Not something to miss. The good news is that the banquet invitations are still out and the door is open to anyone who will believe and receive the Christ. 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). - Robbo

Notes. (1) atentenben – Ghanaian flute made from the bamboo plant.
(2) Boborbor and Kpalongo - Ghanaian recreational dance forms

Right Theology and Cold Hearts. Part 2, Gaius Columbus reflects further

I continue to think about this subject. The passage In Revelation 2 says, “you have lost your first love”, but does not specify an object. I think it is right to presume the writer means love for Christ. How are we to express our love for Christ? How are we to manifest that we care for Him? Well, John says in both his gospel and in the first epistle that it is through our love for each other. Is this the key to unlocking this passage and understanding it? Does the writer mean that the Ephesian Christians had stopped loving each other the way they used to at the beginning and in so doing showed that they had also lost their first love for Christ?

On the surface, it seems incomprehensible that Christians undergoing a common experience of persecution would lose their love for each other. Generally, acute grief tends to bring people together. But what about when acute grief becomes chronic or intractable grief, when sorrow appears to have no relief in sight? Does first love stay strong in these circumstances? What effect do the inescapable cares of this world, the chronic hardships and the continual hard knocks of life have in creating the fissures we see in relationships? I think the cares of this world—like the seed that fell among thorns—choke the love that first abided in abundance.As physicians we have all witnessed examples of grief that tears families apart. I know of cases where a child’s death in the ED results in the divorce of parents. I know of cases where the stress of a new long-lasting illness destroys a family.

It is conceivable then that chronic ongoing (as opposed to acute) grief arising from persecution can tear the fabric that held Christians together in the giddy early days of conversion. Perhaps it is because of the defections and betrayals that accompany such persecution. Remember Paul’s complaint that no one stood beside him during his time of trial. This passage may mean that even though brothers who remained in the fold continued to excel in their personal and corporate service to Christ, in their perseverance under torture, and in their intolerance of false teaching and wicked conduct, they perhaps had stopped caring as deeply for each other as they once did.

This could also explain why hearts go cold in times of wickedness. Mathew 24 v 12, Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. If we live in a culture of heartlessness and selfishness in which people including those in the church stop manifesting love toward one another, preferring instead to take advantage of one other, or worse still, to be cruel, the strong exuberant love even brothers once felt for each other will grow cold. Unresolved hurt and the fear of being exploited will the compound matters. Perhaps this is what Christ is warning us against. He is saying is effect,

“Do not deceive yourselves, despite the stress these persecutions have placed on you, despite the fact that you hold on to correct theology and work hard and hate evil, if your love for one another has grown cold, so too has your love for me. Repent, therefore, and go back to the gestures of love you once shared—stay in touch with each other, care about each other and about each other’s welfare the way you once did. Pray for each other, express your love for each other, do the things for each other that you once did and fellowship as expectantly with each other as you once did”

In this respect, the admonition by the writer of Hebrews, not to “forget to meet together as is the habit of some” is a warning against following one pathway to a state of love grown cold. My love is definitely not as warm as I head for Church every Sunday as it ought to be; increasingly, I find myself going to Church out of a sense of obligation (or to assuage guilt, or because a Christian parent should take his kids to church) and not because I am looking forward to hanging out with friends and brothers that I genuinely love and like.

As I think more about this, I find I like Calorius’ analogy in his comment more and more. It is worth asking our wives (as marriage is one picture of our relationship with Christ) what means to them in practical terms to say one’s “first love has grown cold”. I suspect there are truths that such an approach will unearth that can be applied more generally to our walk with each other and consequently with the Lord. I continue to reflect on this subject and may return to it another time. - Gaius Columbus