I do not agree with all his views expressed in this writing, as the Bible says we are all sinners. And Romans shows how we must struggle regularly against sin.
Rom 7:24-25
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
KJV
And the Lord's prayer, shows that there is always a need to ask God for forgiveness of sin in daily life, regardless of how sincerely or diligently we serve God in life.
Matt 6:12
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
KJV
There is such a thing as hypocrisy, spoken of in the Bible, and for sure, God never finds that acceptable. But those who don't willingly sin, and only sin unintentionally, and regularly and sincerely repent of all sin, are not hypocrites. It is only those who willingly sin without remorse, who are hypocrites, according to God. Jesus described the Pharisees as being hypocrites.
Luke 11:44
44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
KJV
John 8:41-42
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
KJV
But I and my brothers and sisters are all very grateful for all the good Bible training he gave all of us. He showed us the way of salvation through Jesus. There is no subject so important as that of the way of salvation, in the Bible. But some well-meaning Christians, like my dad, had a tendency to add other things as being almost equally important to know and agree on - as that subject of the way of salvation. He found it difficult to sympathize with Christians who differed in their viewpoints on many spiritual subjects. I know he loved God though, and so in spite of what I feel was imperfect understanding on some Bible subjects - he's in heaven - and so also by now has come to understand all things perfectly. That perfect understanding of all things comes to all those who die in Christ, upon arriving in heaven.
2 Peter 1:14
14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me
KJV
1 Cor 13:12
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
KJV
Ok now, here's Dad's writing on the subject of Adam's sin:
IN GOD’S IMAGE AND LIKENESS
God determined to make man like Himself, “in His own image and likeness.” (Genesis 1:26-27) What would that likeness be? What could it be? God is an invisible spirit, and man has a very visible body of flesh and bones. It is hard to imagine that any similarity would be possible, but God can do all things. He made the first man like Himself just as He said He would.
Christians have disagreed sharply as to the nature of this likeness, although most of them, by far, the great majority of them, follow the teaching of a fourth century theologian named Augustine; they are sure that man’s original likeness to God was his holiness. God was — and still is -- holy; the man-creature would also be holy; he would be absolutely sinless. Moreover, God intended that man remain holy, but, alas! He sinned, so they believe that he lost his likeness to God. He was no longer “in God’s image” but became a fallen creature, a sinner by birth and, was, therefore, unable to obey God’s commandments.
A correct interpretation of every portion of God’s
word is important, but for this account it is especially crucial; it affects the interpretation of many important passages which follow, and it introduces the reader to both God and man. If God’s design of man allowed His principal creature to fail immediately, we must doubt His wisdom. His creative work was faulty. If man is as weak as most Christians believe he is, then constant failure must be expected. Obedience ceases to be important, for everybody will sin constantly. And, finally, God must be a very indulgent Being, for He apparently overlooks their failings, or they would not be Christians – and they rarely doubt that they are.
I have come to believe that man’s likeness to God is not his original holiness. There is no statement in the Bible declaring it. The idea originated with a theologian, not God. God’s holiness is unique. All that He does is right. Man is righteous only when he obeys God word. God is above His commandments. He says, for example, in Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal.” No man can choose to do such things.
Rom 7:24-25
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
KJV
And the Lord's prayer, shows that there is always a need to ask God for forgiveness of sin in daily life, regardless of how sincerely or diligently we serve God in life.
Matt 6:12
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
KJV
There is such a thing as hypocrisy, spoken of in the Bible, and for sure, God never finds that acceptable. But those who don't willingly sin, and only sin unintentionally, and regularly and sincerely repent of all sin, are not hypocrites. It is only those who willingly sin without remorse, who are hypocrites, according to God. Jesus described the Pharisees as being hypocrites.
Luke 11:44
44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
KJV
John 8:41-42
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
KJV
But I and my brothers and sisters are all very grateful for all the good Bible training he gave all of us. He showed us the way of salvation through Jesus. There is no subject so important as that of the way of salvation, in the Bible. But some well-meaning Christians, like my dad, had a tendency to add other things as being almost equally important to know and agree on - as that subject of the way of salvation. He found it difficult to sympathize with Christians who differed in their viewpoints on many spiritual subjects. I know he loved God though, and so in spite of what I feel was imperfect understanding on some Bible subjects - he's in heaven - and so also by now has come to understand all things perfectly. That perfect understanding of all things comes to all those who die in Christ, upon arriving in heaven.
2 Peter 1:14
14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me
KJV
1 Cor 13:12
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
KJV
Ok now, here's Dad's writing on the subject of Adam's sin:
IN GOD’S IMAGE AND LIKENESS
God determined to make man like Himself, “in His own image and likeness.” (Genesis 1:26-27) What would that likeness be? What could it be? God is an invisible spirit, and man has a very visible body of flesh and bones. It is hard to imagine that any similarity would be possible, but God can do all things. He made the first man like Himself just as He said He would.
Christians have disagreed sharply as to the nature of this likeness, although most of them, by far, the great majority of them, follow the teaching of a fourth century theologian named Augustine; they are sure that man’s original likeness to God was his holiness. God was — and still is -- holy; the man-creature would also be holy; he would be absolutely sinless. Moreover, God intended that man remain holy, but, alas! He sinned, so they believe that he lost his likeness to God. He was no longer “in God’s image” but became a fallen creature, a sinner by birth and, was, therefore, unable to obey God’s commandments.
A correct interpretation of every portion of God’s
word is important, but for this account it is especially crucial; it affects the interpretation of many important passages which follow, and it introduces the reader to both God and man. If God’s design of man allowed His principal creature to fail immediately, we must doubt His wisdom. His creative work was faulty. If man is as weak as most Christians believe he is, then constant failure must be expected. Obedience ceases to be important, for everybody will sin constantly. And, finally, God must be a very indulgent Being, for He apparently overlooks their failings, or they would not be Christians – and they rarely doubt that they are.
I have come to believe that man’s likeness to God is not his original holiness. There is no statement in the Bible declaring it. The idea originated with a theologian, not God. God’s holiness is unique. All that He does is right. Man is righteous only when he obeys God word. God is above His commandments. He says, for example, in Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal.” No man can choose to do such things.
