DO WE INHERIT KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL? Romans 2:12-16
A. Right/Good --VS-- Wrong/Evil --Imagine our minds as a Computer or a Filing Cabinet *Documents go into folders which go into files *Do we ”Inherit” the cabinet (the drawers labeled “right” and “wrong” but empty)? *Do we”Inherit” the files/contents (actual folders with lists of what is “right” and “wrong”?
A. Adam & Eve (Genesis 3) --Eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil *BEFORE eating: ~ONLY one “Good/Right” thing Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. ~ONLY one “Wrong/EVil” thing Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: ~KNEW that good and evil EXISTED, but only 2 “folders” *AFTER eating: ~Miraculous knowledge of WHAT was good and evil Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
B. Cain & Abel (Genesis 4) --Did they INHERIT (genetically) WHAT things are good and evil? --Abel offered “ by faith” (Hebrews 11:4) By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. *Note the source of saving faith (Romans 10:17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. *Abel was approved of by God = Abel did what God said (1) (2)
A. The Old Law --Passed on by parents *Teaching a child (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) 6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. *Training a child (Proverbs 22:6) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. *Teach law to children (including “do not murder”, etc.) (Psalms 78:1-8) *Man must have instruction (Jeremiah 10:23) O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
B. New Testament --Paul was instructed in morality (Romans 7:7) What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. --Children still taught *Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15) 14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. *Nurture and admonition (Ephesians 6:4) And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
C. A Personal example --A way that “seemeth right” --People put what they WANT into the Right or Wrong files *A friend bragged about stealing from employer in the oilfield *He said he would not steal from me because I was his friend ~He put “Steal from friends” in his “WRONG” file ~He put “Steal from non-friends” in his “RIGHT” file
D. Discerning Good from Evil --Times of Ignorance (Acts 17:30) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: --Good and Evil must be ‘discerned’ (Hebrews 5:14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (3)
A. Knowledge --Knowledge, like emotions, is not physical/tangible --A thought/idea of what things are right or wrong *But sin comes from thoughts (Matthew 12:35) A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
B. Guilt (Feeling) --Actual guilt is a judgment of authority (man or God) --As with my friend, we can BE guilty without FEELING guilty
C. IF one, why not both? --If knowledge of what THINGS are right or wrong is inherited from our ancestors, --THEN couldn’t the guilt from ancestors be inherited too? --If not, why not?
D. Neither knowledge, not guilt of sin is inherited --Sin not inherited (Ezekiel 18:20-21) 20The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. 21But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. --Born innocent (Matthew 18:3) 3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
A. God has given us empty “files” for Right and Wrong
B. What we BELIEVE is right or wrong: --Comes from our upbringing, teaching by parents, etc --Comes from our CHOICE of what be WANT to believe