"Nakedness" of the Soul

Right after Adam and Eve sinned against God in the garden, Genesis 3:7 reports, “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” My professor gives the following quote from John Dick (Lectures on Theology, Vol. 1, p. 453) that I thought was really interesting:

First, "their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked." The fact
that their bodies were without covering they knew before; and the opening of their eyes, and their knowing that they were naked, must mean something different. The result of eating the forbidden fruit was not the acquisition of supernatural wisdom, as they fondly hoped; but a discovery that they had reduced themselves to a wretched and unprotected condition, being divested of original righteousness and exposed to the wrath of their Maker. Hence they covered themselves with fig leaves, and hid themselves among the trees of the garden, that he might not find them out. That Moses does not mean bodily nakedness, may be inferred from the words of Adam, who says not, "I was ashamed," but "I was afraid, because I was naked." The nakedness which gave rise to fear, must have been the nakedness of the soul. Our first parents were conscious of guilt, and wished to avoid a meeting with their Judge.

Using the Bible for Evil

When Jesus was being tempted by Satan, we see something quite interesting. As you read this passage from Matthew 4:5-7, notice the approach Satan used to tempt Christ.

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
        Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Several points about this passage strike me. First, did you notice that Satan used the Bible as the “authority” for his temptation? He was quoting Psalm 91:11-12! In other words, in his attempt to incite evil, Satan was appealing to God’s Word! Now, as Christians, there are several implications from this appeal that can help us to understand some of Satan’s methods (and therefore help us to “do battle”).

1. When Satan said for it is written he was basically saying this, “You believe in the Bible don’t you? You want to be a good Christian who follows the Bible don’t you? Then, you better do what I say, since what I am saying comes directly from the Bible which comes directly from God himself!” Now obviously, Satan does not “believe in” or hold Scripture as his personal authority. However, he will at least pretend to align himself with the Bible in order to make himself look good and his message credible.
   
2. Satan knows the Bible! And he knows it really well. We had better know it too.
   
3. The fact that Satan uses the Bible to attack Jesus and that Jesus uses the Bible to repel Satan tells us something astronomically important about interpreting the Bible!—there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Or to state it a little differently, accurate interpretation of the Bible is not a “relative” practice guided by personal preferences. This often heard argument—“Well, that’s your interpretation of the Bible! But that's not my interpretation!”—will simply not hold water. There most definitely exists a firm standard for good interpretation of the Bible (and that standard does not proceed from our personal whims and creative exegetical efforts).
   
4. Good and accurate interpretation of the Bible is not something reserved for the ivory towers of academia—it is vital for everyday living. Since Satan can twist and manipulate Scripture in his attempt to incite evil, we must know how to “accurately handle” the Bible in order to live in a way that brings glory to God.

Anyway, these are just some random thoughts about this passage. There are likely other (and better) points that can be made from this short passage...

If God cannot sin, is he all-powerful?

Another lecture question...

Since God is holy, he cannot sin. Does the fact that God cannot sin make him less than all-powerful? Elaborate.

The fact that God cannot sin is not a weakness—it is a strength! And the fact that all men have the natural inclination to sin and therefore must struggle with temptation and desire for evil is not an asset to humanity—it is a weakness! Only the strange, twisted, and depraved thinking of man could deem God’s inability to sin as evidence of His failing. Consider this: would a father’s inability to physically abuse his children be considered an asset or a deficiency?

On Depravity (via Beach Balls)

This past Sunday we had dinner at a friend’s house. A bunch of us were in the basement watching our kids playing. Then, suddenly, one of the young boys took a beach ball and whacked another boy squarely on the head. This random act of violence was witnessed by me and the parents of the boy that got whacked. I made the comment that “people who don’t believe in the depravity of man obviously do not have children.” Then one of the parents said, “You’re not going to record this on your blog, are you?” (I guess I just did...)
       John Calvin once made the comment that “children are like rats.” To which, R.C. Sproul commented, “When I get to heaven, I’m going to tell Calvin that his assessment of children was completely unfair... to the rats!” (By the way, I have three cute little “rats” of my own who I completely adore... And I'm surprised that it wasn't one of my "rats" who inflicted the violence... Maybe next time...)

On Depravity (A Fireside Chat)

Please join me as we snuggle up to a cozy fire and discuss the warm and fuzzy topic of man’s depravity. Ok... maybe this topic isn’t so “warm and fuzzy”, but it is extremely important! In fact, a correct view of our nature is a matter of life and death. Jesus said in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” In other words, we cannot receive the cure unless we believe in our deadly malady.
       The dictionary defines depravity as “the innate wickedness and moral corruptness of human nature.” Now, the biggest problem with this doctrine is that nobody really believes it (at least not in the fullness in which it reveals the darkness of our hearts). Sure, we may play lip service to this doctrine and say that we are evil and bad, and then maybe say something profound about the doctrine of original sin. In other words, we may understand this doctrine on an intellectual level. But the honest truth is that nobody really feels the full weight of this doctrine. Am I overstating the case? I don’t think so. How do I know this position is true? Simple because our depravity impedes us from fully seeing our depravity!—Ironic isn’t it? And not having an accurate and honest assessment of ourselves horribly demeans God. Let me try to support this last assertion with an illustration...
       Imagine that you have been convicted of a horrible crime and have been sentenced to death. You know that what you did was terrible and that you completely deserve to die. On your way to the gallows, you meditate on your sins and have resigned yourself to pay the full penalty for your crime. However, as you approach the gallows, you see someone else hanging dead on the ropes. Then the executioner unties your hands and informs you that you may go free.
       In disbelief and confusion, you ask, “What’s going on?”
       The executioner then says, “We have a law in our country that says if someone else pays the penalty for your crime, you may go free.”
       “What?” you ask in disbelief. “Who would do that for me?”
       Then looking at the cloths and shoes of the man hanging on the ropes, you notice that they belong to the judge who sentenced you to death. He has paid the price for your crime. He has ransomed his life for yours.
       You see, the gifts of life that Christ offers can only be appreciated when we understand our deserved judgement and death. What good would the judge’s sacrifice be if the criminal did not believe in his own guilt? In the final analysis, by not knowing and feeling the full weight and condemnation of our sins, we rob the cross of its love and sacrifice and glory (and we mock God’s infinite holiness). So to conclude, let me leave you with a quote from Paris Reidhead, 

“Turn to God from idols. For the sword of His wrath that had been aimed at you has been sheathed into the heart of His Son. And the arrows of His anger that had been put against your breast were loosed into the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He has died for you, you were forgiven.”

Father, we remember these words: “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see!”