CHAPTER 1
A NEW INHERITANCE
From the very beginning of man, Satan began his campaignto deceive the human race. He began his rebellion in heavenand has desired to bring all the inhabitants of the earth tounite with him in his warfare against the government of God. Ourfirst parent lived in perfect happiness, walking in obedience to thelaw of God. There obedience stood as a constant testimony againstSatan and his claim that the law of God is oppressive and opposedto His creatures. The beautiful home of Adam and Eve excited theenvy of Satan and he determined to cause their fall. Having separatedthem from God, they were brought under his power and he gainedpossession of the earth. Satan thus established his kingdom inopposition to the kingdom of God.
Some four thousand years after the fall of man, Paul the apostlewrote as recorded in Romans 3: 23—For all have sinned, and comeshort of the glory of God. This says literally, "all sinned." The sin ofour father Adam marred the divine image of God in man. All, of hisdescendants continued to fall short and be deprived of the image andglory of God. Sin and death—a principle and power—have passed onto all who participated in the sin of Adam. The participation in Adam'ssin is universal, for it spans man in all ages and in all lands. There is noexception—all have sinned. Sin is personified by Paul, he says:
• Sin has reigned in death. Rom. 5: 21
• Sin works death. Rom. 7: 13
• Sin has dominion over us. Rom. 6: 14
• Sin aroused and stimulated all kind of forbidden desires.Rom. 7:8
• Sin deceives, en-trapped, cheated and kills us. Rom. 7: 11
So we see that by the offence of Adam the principle of sin enteredour world. Sin then because the source of all offences. By violatingthe law of God sin was introduced to man. Adam heard the warningof God—"for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Gen.2: 17) Now after sin the sentence of God was "for dust you are and todust you shall return." Gen. 3:19 Amp
A study of the Bible will show that there are three kinds of death:
1. Spiritual death
And you [He made alive], who were dead (slain)by [your] trespasses and sins. (Eph. 2: 1)
We know that we have passed over out of deathinto life by the fact that we love the brethren (ourfellow Christians) 1 Jn. 3: 14a
A life that is lived without a knowledge or arelationship with God is a life that is dead spiritually.All men are dead because of the inheritance of sin. Ouronly hope is in Jesus who has the power to quicken usand inject His life into us.
2. First or Temporal death
He said these things, and then added, our friendLazarus is at rest and sleeping; but I am going therethat I may awaken him out of his sleep. The disciplesanswered, Lord, if he is sleeping, he will recover.However, Jesus had spoken of his death, but theythought that He referred to falling into a refreshingand natural sleep. So then Jesus told them plainly,Lazarus is dead. Jn. 11: 11-14 Amp.
This is the physical death that all men willexperience for the Bible says "the living know that theyshall die but the dead knows nothing." Eccl. 9:5 Amp.
3. Second or Eternal death
"... but rather be afraid of Him who can destroyboth soul and body in hell" (Gehenna). Matt. 10: 28b
"He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no waybe injured by the second death". Rev. 2: 11b
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the firstresurrection on such the second death hath no power,but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shallreign with him a thousand years." Rev. 20: 6 KJV
The sentence of death pronounced upon Adam has passed uponall men. Adam's sentence, however, did not refer to the second death.For the second death cannot be passed on to anyone, it comes as aresult of the judgment when every man will be judged according totheir works. (Rev. 20: 12-13) In the final judgment of God, the finalsentence will be based on individual responsibility, "for He will renderto every man according to his works [justly, as his deeds deserve]."(Rom. 2: 6) Amp.
The Bible points out clearly that all men go down to the grave.It is in this that all men share in the penalty of Adam's transgression.By rebelling against God the right to the tree of life was lost to them.This resulted in their death and in passing on this death to theirdescendants.
"After their sin Adam and Eve were no longer to dwell in Eden.They earnestly entreated that they might remain in the home oftheir innocence and joy. They confessed that they had forfeited allright to that happy abode, but pledged themselves for the future toyield strict obedience to God. But they were told that their naturehad become depraved by sin; they had lessened their strength to resistevil and had opened the way for Satan to gain more ready access tothem. In their innocence they had yielded to temptation and now, ina state of conscious guilt, they would have less power to maintain theirintegrity." Patriarchs and Prophets p. 306
"Thus Adam and Eve passed on to their posterity a tendency tosin and a liability to its punishment, death. By their transgression, sinwas introduced as an infectious power in human nature antagonisticto God, and this infection has continued ever since. It is because ofthis infection of nature, traceable to Adam's sin that men must be bornagain." SDA Bible Commentary vol. 6 p. 531
On the passing down of a sinful nature from father to son thefollowing should be noted:
"It is inevitable that children should suffer fromthe consequences of parental wrongdoing, but theyare not punished for the parent's guilt, except as theyparticipate in their sins. It is usually the case, however,that children walk in the steps of their parents. Byinheritance and example the sons become partakers ofthe father's sin. Wrong tendencies, perverted appetites,and debased morals, as well as physical disease anddegeneracy, are transmitted as a legacy from father toson, to the third and fourth generation. This fearfultruth should have a solemn power to restrain men fromfollowing a course of sin." Patriarchs and Prophets p.306
In Romans 5, Paul emphasizes the fact that just as sin and death—aprinciple and power—came through Adam to the whole human family,so righteousness and life as a counteracting and conquering principleand power, come through Jesus Christ to the whole human race. Just asdeath has been handed down to all men who took part in Adam's sin,so life is passed on to all who take part in the righteousness of Christ.
Adam gave death but Jesus Christ gives life. By His life and deathHe achieved for the human race more than recovery from the ruin thatcame through sin. It was the purpose of Satan to bring about the "eternalseparation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closelyunited to God than if we had never fallen." Desire of Ages p. 25
Through Adam the principle of sin was operative in the life. Now,to all who freely and willingly partake of the righteousness of Christ,God implants the principle of the new life in them and making thegoverning disposition of the soul holy. This doing is totally an act ofGod and is called regeneration.
Regeneration is needed because man is wretched and lost if left tohimself. Religious rites and ceremonial washing could not change thesinful nature of man. Man's only hope is to accept God's solution tothe sin problem—a complete reformation of life. The purpose of Godis not just to provide forgiveness to men but to restore man to a sinlesslife. Regeneration is thus the initial step that begins the process ofsanctification. "He saves us, not because of any works of righteousnessthat we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy by [the]cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of theHoly Spirit. (Titus 3: 5) Amp.
On regeneration, Louis Berkhof says: Regeneration is a creative workof God, and is therefore a work in which man is purely passive, and inwhich there is no place for human cooperation. This is a very importantpoint, since it stresses the fact that salvation is wholly of God. (b) Thecreative work of God produces a new life, in virtue of which man, madealive with Christ, shares the resurrection life, and can be called a newcreature, "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God aforeprepared that we should walk in them," Eph. 2: 10. (c) The two elementsmust be distinguished in regeneration, namely, generation or the begettingof the new life, and bearing or bringing forth, by which the new life isbrought forth out of its hidden depths. Generation implants the principleof the new life in the soul, and the new birth causes this principle tobegin to assert itself in actions. This distinction is of great importance fora proper understanding of regeneration. Systematic Theology p 465
In Adam, sin and death was our inheritance but now in ChristJesus we are regenerated. Christ implants the principle of the newspiritual life in us, thus radically changing the ruling disposition of thesoul, which, now guided by the Holy Spirit, gives a new beginning tothe life that now moves in the direction dictated by God. This spiritualchange affects the whole being.
The intellect
1 Cor. 2: 14-15 states:
But the natural, non-spiritual man does notaccept or welcome or admit into his heart the giftsand teachings and revelation of the Spirit of God,for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; andhe is incapable of knowing them [of progressivelyrecognizing, understanding, and becoming betteracquainted with them] because they are spirituallydiscerned and estimated and appreciated.
But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines,investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns allthings], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged byno one [he can read the meaning of everything, but noone can properly discern or appraise or get an insightinto him]. Amp.
2 Cor. 4: 6 says:
"For God, who commanded the light to shine outof darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the lightof the knowledge of the glory of God in the face ofJesus Christ." KJV
Colossians 3: 10 says:
"And have put on the new man, which is renewedin knowledge after the image of him that createdhim." KJV
The Will
Philippians 2: 13 shows:
[Not in your own strength] for it is God who is allthe while effectually at work in you [energizing andcreating in you the power and desire], both to will andto work for His good pleasure and satisfaction anddelight. Amp.
Hebrews 13: 21 states:
Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you whatyou ought to be and equip you with everything goodthat you may carry out His will; [while He Himself]works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasingin His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); towhom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of theage). Amen (so be it).
The Feelings and Emotions
Matthew 5: 4 says:
"Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall becomforted."
1 Peter 1: 8 shows:
Without having seen Him, you love Him; thoughyou do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Himand exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious(triumphant, heavenly) joy. Amp.
Regeneration then, is an instantaneous change of nature, affectingthe whole being, intellectually, emotionally and morally. This change isnot a gradual process like the process of sanctification. It is instant andbegins the new life in Christ. It must be noted, however, that after theact of regeneration is performed by God, the believer has to cooperatewith the working of the Holy Spirit to run with patience the Christianrace that is set before him.
Hebrews 12: 1 says:
... let us strip off and throw aside everyencumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin whichso readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entanglesus, and let us run with patient endurance and steadyactive persistence the appointed course of the race thatis set before us. Amp.
One who is motivated by faith will not hold back on getting ridof any and everything that might keep him from achieving his goal. Inthe Christian race, everyone may win, for the competition is not withothers but with oneself. It is not required to out-do what someone elsehas done. The only requirement is to exercise faithfulness and patienceand through the grace of Christ, overcome every weight—everytendency to evil.
"Every man has some besetting sin, some tendency to evil thatseeks to impede him as he runs the race. When he gains the victoryover that particular evil propensity, another takes its place and pressesfor the mastery. Thus the pathway of salvation is beset by one battleafter another. But it is every Christian's privilege to achieve victory eachstep of the way. Whatever may be the sin that so easily besets us we areto lay it aside like an ancient runner laying aside his flowing robes andgirding himself for the race." SDA Bible Commentary vol. 7 p. 481
Understanding that the Christian race is a lifelong experience, theborn again child of God is called to have "patience and perseverance—perseverancein the face of successive difficulties and disappointmentand patience to await the reward at the end of the course." Ibid 481
The counsel of Paul to the Philippians is relevant here—work out(cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvationwith reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with seriouscaution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation,timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit thename of Christ). Phil. 2: 12 Amp.
Paul calls on the believers to carry out to completion the workwhich God has begun in them. The Scriptures teach clearly that eachindividual must cooperate with the will and power of God. We allmust strive to enter in (Luke 13: 24), put off the old man (Col. 3: 9),lay aside every weight, run with patience (Heb. 12: 1), resist the devil(James 4: 7), and endure unto the end (Matt. 24: 13).
Do not be mistaken, salvation is not of works, but it must beworked out. It originates from the mediation of Christ alone, but hasto be lived out by personal individual cooperation. We must always beconscious of our personal obligation to daily live by the grace of God,a life consistent with the principles of Heaven.
Jesus opens up the dynamics of regeneration in His encounter withNicodemus who secretly sought Him by night. "Jesus answered andsaid unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be bornagain, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
"According to Jewish theology, to be born a son of Abraham wasalmost certain a guarantee of admission into the kingdom of heaven(ch. 8: 33). But in order to be saved, non-Jews must become sonsof Abraham by adoption. It would not have startled Nicodemus tohear Jesus affirm that non-Jews must be "born again" in order to "seethe kingdom of God," but the idea that he, a circumspect Jew, stoodoutside the circle of salvation was a new and disturbing thought. Twoand a half years later (ch. 8: 39) Jesus explicitly declared that descentfrom Abraham is to be reckoned by moral likeness rather than byphysical relationship." SDA Bible Commentary vol. 5 p. 927
Certainly Nicodemus understood that Jesus was not speaking ofphysically being born again. In his response to Jesus, he acknowledgesthe impossibility by asking two questions. "How can a man be bornwhen he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb,and be born? He could not readily accept the words of Jesus that, he, adevout Jew needed to be born again.
It is of vital importance to grasp the words of Jesus when He said"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of thespirit is spirit." John 3:6. The principle that all living things reproduceafter its kind is relevant here. Everyone that is born of the Spirit isliken to the wind. The new birth is invisible. It cannot be seen by thenatural eye in the same way the wind cannot be seen. Just as the effectsof the wind can be seen, so the effects of the new birth can be seen inthe fruit produced.
Nicodemus "knowledge of salvation was only theoretical, and wasbased on a false theory at that. If Nicodemus had experienced the newbirth, he would not only understand it himself, but be able to speakintelligently of it to others." Ibid. 928
Elementary to a relationship with God is the experience ofregeneration or being born again. This gives access to the kingdom ofdivine grace. One cannot see or even enter His kingdom apart fromhaving this encounter.
Remembering that regeneration is an act of God that He performsin our hearts, we have nothing to boast about. In acknowledgementof His undying love that He graciously bestows on us, we will cry outlike Saul on the road of Damascus "Lord, what will you have me do?"Acts 9: 6
Being born again is the first step or stage of spiritual life. Growthmust begin to take place. As new born babies the steps will be small,progress will be slow, but every forward movement count in pressingtoward the prize of the high calling in Jesus Christ. Realizing that thisis a spiritual journey, it will end in massive failure if we neglect tounderstand our true spiritual condition. Jesus said: "Blessed are thepoor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5: 3
