Salt Guide to Practical Holiness

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS GENESIS ____________________________________________________________ 2:16 AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN SAYING, OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN THOU MAYEST FREELY EAT: 17. BUT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: FOR IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF THOU SHALT SURELY DIE. The first commandment is given and divine law is instituted. Through the ages there has been a struggle Carnal Nature between fallen flesh and the commandments. The carnal mind is body oriented. It strives to serve and gratify body desires Body Dualism (pleasures). The commandment (the revelation of moral wisdom) is contrary to sinful flesh. Romans 7:14,20-23; See appetites to under- stand depravity, pleasure. The endeavor of the carnal mind; to modify the commandment, to interpret the commandment in the interest of body preference, to ac- knowledge the commandment, but not allow the commandment to have absolute authority over the body nature (appetites). The carnal mind reasons that God is a loving Father and therefore He would not put "unreasonable" restrictions or inhibitions upon us. But this reasoning reflects rebellion. Agape is Rebellion the expression of fidelity toward God and His commandment! Sin is rebellion against Divine authority, attempts to modify the commandment (moral principle). To be "carnally minded" is as old as the Garden of Eden. It seems to always involve an attempt to humanly interpret the divine commandment, to protect the body life against the death of self, which obedience to the moral commandment brings. "Hath God said", or "did God really say that"? 3:1 NOW THE SERPENT WAS MORE SUBTIL THAN ANY BEAST OF THE FIELD WHICH THE LORD GOD HAD MADE. AND HE SAID UNTO THE WOMAN, YEA, HATH GOD SAID, YE SHALL NOT EAT OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN?

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS GENESIS ____________________________________________________________ 2. AND THE WOMAN SAID UNTO THE SERPENT, WE MAY EAT OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREES OF THE GARDEN: 3. BUT OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREE WHICH IS IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN, GOD HATH SAID, YE SHALL NOT EAT OF IT, NEITHER SHALL YE TOUCH IT, LEST YE DIE. 4. AND THE SERPENT SAID UNTO THE WOMAN, YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE: 5. FOR GOD DOTH KNOW THAT IN THE DAY YE EAT THEREOF, THEN YOUR EYES SHALL BE OPENED, AND YE SHALL BE AS GODS, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL. 6. AND WHEN THE WOMAN SAW THAT THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD, AND THAT IT WAS PLEASANT TO THE EYES, AND A TREE TO BE DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE, SHE TOOK OF THE FRUIT THEREOF, AND DID EAT, AND GAVE ALSO UNTO HER HUSBAND WITH HER; AND HE DID EAT. 7. AND THE EYES OF THEM BOTH WERE OPENED, AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE NAKED; AND THEY SEWED FIG LEAVES TOGETHER, AND MADE THEMSELVES APRONS. (See Psalm 50:21) In verses two and three, Eve reveals that she knew well the commandment forbidding them to eat of the tree of good and evil. If you want to avoid the temptation of eating Temptation the forbidden fruit, then remember that it is a "forbidden tree". Stay away from the tree if the fruit is forbidden! Here is revealed for the first time the il- lusion of the human mind to divest the com- mandment of God of its final authority. Authority Satan succeeded in transferring final au- thority from the commandment to the mind of man. He planted in her thinking conclusions that were extremely logical. He suggested to her what she would gain by eating the fruit, but blinded by illicit desire, they did not consider what they would lose by their disobedience. We know from this Edenic encounter that desire must be present to be tempted of evil. Lust Where there is no desire, there is no temptation. Satan begins the fall of man

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS GENESIS ____________________________________________________________ with the planting of desire. Both natures Desire have their own set of desires. When the spiritual man is saturated with God, the body desires diminish and temptation is reduced greatly. Romans 13:14 All sin begins with temptation but temptation can only occur through desire. James 1:14 We have been robbed from a wonderful source of power and purity by listening to the song of the love cult. Hate is a vital part of Hate agape! A hate for sin that is equal to our love for God is scripturally encouraged for a very good reason (Psalm 97:10; Hebrews 1:9); For you see ... it is quite impossible to be tempted by something you hate, have no desire for. To detest evil is a virtue in man and a vital part of the holy nature of God. "We ... speak as though temptation [comes]... from without, whereas no temptation would have the slightest effect were it not that it appealed to some desire within us, which normally we ourselves suppress. We are not tempted by the world, the flesh, and the devil, but by ourselves. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent, but God was not deceived and drove them out of the garden." *1 When the carnal mind is given to impulses of self advantage. It never thinks of what it might lose in God, it dwells only upon what it hopes to gain in the flesh. It is the self delusion process of the fallen nature. It is this dishonest rationale of the carnal mind in these last days that attempts to repeat the scenes of Eden and divest the holy commandment of its love and authority, trans- ferring that authority to self that it may fulfill it's own personal desires (pleasures). 3:11 AND HE SAID, WHO TOLD THEE THAT THOU WAST NAKED? HAST THOU EATEN OF THE TREE, WHEREOF I COMMANDED THEE THAT THOU SHOULDEST NOT EAT? (2:16) ========================== *1 HADFIELD, Psychology and Morals

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS GENESIS ____________________________________________________________ Here is the "first commandment" as given in Commandments Genesis 2:16,17. In these very dawning chapters of the Bible, man and the command- ment begin their coexistence. The first time "commandment" appears as a word in scripture. This is the logical place to consider the nature of the commandments of God. What is in the commandment? 1. The given commandment is intended to prove man's love for God. Love is only proven when man has a choice between two alterna- tives; to obey God or disregard the com- mandment for a reason preferable to self. Choosing God's revealed will over any other alternative is the only proof of our love for God. John 14:15,21; I John 2:35 2. God's love is revealed in the commandment. All of His commandments issue from His benevolent nature. The commandments seek only the welfare and well being of the creature. Romans 13:8-10 3. There is the revelation of God in the commandments. The commandments reveal the moral nature of God's own divine character. 4. There is wisdom in the commandments of God. The commandments reveal the divine thinking on human behavior. You'll never go wrong abiding by the wisdom of the commandments. Psalm 19:7,8 5. Truth abides in the commandments. Not only does truth abide in the commandments, but it is from whence all truth issues and it is by the commandments that all actuality is established. 6. The commandments are the moral laws of Commandments kingdom. They represent the system of moral order of the Divine government. 7. The Holy Spirit operates only within the framework of the moral commandments. Romans 8:4

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS GENESIS ____________________________________________________________ 6:5 AND GOD SAW THAT THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS GREAT IN THE EARTH, AND THAT EVERY IMAGINATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY. When the taste for worldly vanities replace Corruption our pursuit of purity, universal corruption will ultimately result. Early in the history Imagination Evil of man did he corrupt himself in spite of his knowledge of God, his historical proximity to the creation and his access to God. Genesis 6:5; 8:21; Jeremiah 8:19; Proverbs 6:18; Romans 1:21; 2 Corinthians 10:5 6:6 AND IT REPENTED THE LORD THAT HE HAD MADE MAN ON THE EARTH, AND IT GRIEVED HIM AT HIS HEART. 8. BUT NOAH FOUND GRACE IN THE EYES OF THE LORD. GOD, GRACE AND JUDGMENT Some insights into the nature of God. "A lack of understanding of the nature of God will give birth to a host of errors both in understanding the Bible and in the Christian walk. Some think all of God's attributes are of equal importance. Others believe there is one basic nature from which all of God's attributes and actions spring forth. The modern church's cry that God's nature is Love Cult one of love and everything that He does comes from that nature is not only scripturally wrong, but dangerous and deadly to the soul's welfare. Nature is defined as 'the basic constitution God, Nature of a person or thing,' we can ask ourselves, what is God's basic characteristic? What is it about God that cannot be reversed or changed? Looking at His attributes we see many are conditional upon man's response. For example, His love is balanced by His hatred Hate of evil (Proverbs 6:16, 'These six things doth the Lord hate.' Revelation 2:6, '...

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS GENESIS ____________________________________________________________ the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.) His mercy can be changed to wrath. (His mercy before the flood was changed to wrath during the flood. The cry of the penitent before the flood would have been welcomed, but once it started raining God turned a deaf ear to their pleas.) His longsuffering, such a wonderful attrib- ute, will be changed to swift judgment in flaming fire. 2 Thessalonians 1:8 Conversely, though the lord is angry with the Precept/Promise wicked every day, His attribute of anger can be changed to mercy if man will repent. Thus we see that all of God's attributes have God, Nature an opposite side and can be changed. However, there is one quality which remains the same. It never increases or decreases in its intensity, nor does man's actions alter it. It was the echo of the angels anthems before time and will be chorused by the saints in eternity. There will never be a time, yea, one second, when God will not be holy, righteous and truthful. His love may change to hate and His mercy to wrath and He would still be God. But He could never be unholy, unrighteous, or untruthful and remain the [immutable] benevolent creator of the universe. Thus His basic nature is holy for it cannot be reduced, altered by man's actions, or changed with the passing of time. From this basic unalterable characteristic of God we must determine and define all of His other attributes to get a proper understanding of the God we love and serve. His love, mercy, God, Holy wrath, longsuffering, etc. are all based on His unchanging Holiness - Holiness is the standard by which God judges and acts. How Judgment refreshing and comforting to know God will not change His view and opinion from one day to the next. What He loved in the beginning (righteousness and obedience) He still loves. Hate What He hated in our first parents (rebellion Sin and disobedience) He still hates today.

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS GENESIS ____________________________________________________________ Acceptance and adherence to this truth is basic and necessary for 'growing' and 'glowing' in our walk with God. To end right we must begin and continue right. With the winds of changing doctrine blowing unstable souls into the fields of confusion and chaos, it is refreshing to know that a firm foundation exists for the teachable heart. 'Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, forever,' Psalm 93:5." (John Heide) 6:9 THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH: NOAH WAS A JUST MAN AND PERFECT IN HIS GENERATIONS, AND NOAH WALKED WITH GOD. While all of mankind was falling into the pits of wickedness ... "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations ..." Apparently, 1) Environment does not determine my personal character, and 2) God's grace was not effected, diminished or required less where sin abounded in the environment. Grace produces the same kind of saint no matter the environment. 17:1 I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD; WALK BEFORE ME, AND BE THOU PERFECT. God's first injunction to man to be perfect. Man must be capable of this pursuit for it would be inconsistent with the just nature of God to demand or command something quite impossible for man. This would amount to instant condemnation if God required of man something he was incapable of. We therefore deduct that moral perfection, being one of the first commandments given, that enough love for God can achieve this. For only love (desire) for God can properly motivate man to comply with the divine wish. Leviticus 11:44; See Perfection in Introduction) This particular commandment has been carried