Wednesday, January 31, 2024

 Prior to the fall, humanity possessed the moral capacity to adhere to God's laws in order to be accepted by Him. This is why Galatians states that those who live according to the law will face its consequences. Hence, the law served as the criterion for humans to qualify for a relationship with God in the garden. Humans were constantly obligated to uphold the entirety of the law, creating a tension akin to a test to assess if they could maintain God's righteous standards and obtain eternal life through obedience. When the serpent appeared, humans possessed the ability to resist the temptation and fulfill their obligations through the power of their will. However, they chose to acquire knowledge of evil and succumb to its bondage. It is important to note that the temptation itself was not inherently wrong, as it provided an opportunity for humans to gain knowledge of evil. However, becoming consumed by this evil was not the intended outcome for humanity.if mankind had refrained from consuming the tree's fruit, they would have been able to partake in the tree of life and exist in a state of righteousness devoid of the capacity to commit wrongdoing. However, succumbing to temptation resulted in their corruption on all levels, leading to spiritual death. Consequently, humans developed a newfound self-awareness, burdened by guilt, shame, and fear due to their entrapment in sin. Instead of actively pursuing a relationship with God, humans erroneously believed they could conceal themselves from Him. Their comprehension was clouded, and they began relying on adherence to the law as a means of righteous living without seeking God's forgiveness. In their delusion, individuals became self-righteous, convinced they could meet the law's demands through their own efforts and by fashioning their own garments.This is the unfortunate state of humanity, wherein individuals are blinded by their own ignorance. They genuinely believe that they can achieve righteousness through adherence to the law. However, according to God, the purpose of the law is solely to reveal man's sinful nature, as man no longer possesses the moral capacity to perform acts of goodness. In essence, the law serves to expose man's transgressions and ultimately leads to his demise. It awakens the conscience, revealing its demands and condemning man through its voice of disapproval. Both the law and the conscience work in unison to bring sin to the forefront of man's consciousness. Consequently, man is forced to confront the reality that his perception of inherent goodness is unfounded.The individual attempts to experience remorse for violating the law, but finds that the law itself renders their apologies futile. Both the law and one's conscience collaborate to prevent them from seeking forgiveness through grace. Given that the individual is spiritually unresponsive due to their transgressions, they are unable to attain grace and fulfill the demands of the law. Their sole aspiration is to comply with the law by taking action to satisfy its requirements, and subsequently perceive themselves as capable of receiving the benevolence of others and their deity through these actions or self-imposed methods of atonement. However, the more they strive to abide by the law, the more they must suppress their conscience since true tranquility can only be attained through grace, not through mere deeds.Hence, it is imperative for individuals to turn to Christ or undergo a spiritual rebirth, wherein righteousness is bestowed as an act of grace through faith. The path to genuine freedom lies in dissociating from the legalistic obligations. Christ has already arrived and bestowed complete righteousness upon humanity by attributing His own righteousness to their account. No human endeavor could ever match the standards necessary to attain this righteousness. It is bestowed once and for all, not progressively over time, and it does not make individuals inherently righteous or grant them the ability to obey the law. It is solely through the grace of God and faith in Him that one finds true righteousness. Human beings perpetually strive to earn favor with God through their efforts. However, this pursuit, devoid of divine guidance, has given rise to numerous erroneous religions worldwide. It is crucial to understand that genuine righteousness cannot be achieved solely through one's own methods or timetable. The truth is that true righteousness can only be attained through the redemptive work of Christ. Consequently, the more self-righteous an individual becomes, the more they obstruct the transformative power of Christ's work. Adhering strictly to the law will ultimately lead to its own demise.

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