Sermon Tone Analysis

Summary

The ‘Theology of Mercy and Grace,’ is introduced to gain a complete understanding of God’s Mercy and Grace from the beginning of the world – until its end.

God’s response to the non-obedience of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden is examined.

Man’s Freewill is considered, in light, of God allowing a man to make his ‘first choice.’

What follows is an explanation of the Theology of God’s Mercy and Grace – which gives context to the choice that men and women make, when exposed to the message of Jesus Christ.

Because of God’s mercy – He exempts certain classes of people – and does not damn them to eternal punishment.

Keywords: Original Sin; Grace; Mercy; The Exempt; The Elect; The Garden

An Exegesis on Sin, Freewill, Exemption, Mercy, and Grace

“Life Outside the Garden”

by Jerry Griffin, Ed.D.

A Man or Woman is not born a sinner, because of the Sin of Adam (the concept of original sin) - but because they (everyone but Adam and Eve) were born outside the garden.

This existence, outside the garden, lacked God's (Yahweh's) protective Grace.

See the names of God [i] There is no original sin as conceived by Tertullian, Augustine (354-430 AD) [ii] which has been interpreted and misinterpreted over the centuries; there is only individual sin – outside the Garden.

However, it is important to understand that all men exist, outside the Garden – because of the acts of Adam & Eve – therefore one can’t discount the acts/choice/decisions of Adam and Eve – in their disobedience to God (Yahweh Elohim).

The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim)[1] gave Man Freewill[iii] (a decision made of one's own accord - voluntary) when he gave, Adam (and subsequently Eve), the choice to 'eat or not eat' the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good or Evil.

(The double name Yahweh-Elohim correlates the comprehensive work of God in creative power and redemptive grace, even as the New Testament depicts the Logos as the agent both in the creation and in redemption.

(Henry, 1999)

The Choice

The real choice was not to eat or not eat the fruit but to 'obey or not obey' the Creator God (Elohim).

"And the Lord God, (Yahweh Elohim) commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will certainly die."

(Genesis 2:16 17, NIV)

Eve was aware of this command when she said to the serpent; "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God (Yahweh) did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.

(Genesis 3:2-3, NIV)

Hughes says, “As to God’s power, Elohim is the singular word for the majestic expression of God as Creator of the universe because Elohim signifies his omnipotent deity.

The five times seven instances of Elohim in the creation account give metered sevenfold praise to the perfect creation of the all-powerful Creator.

Elohim.

God is so all-powerful that he merely spoke everything into existence, beginning with light and ending with man.

The psalmist summarized God’s all-power saying: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

(Psalm 33:6) (Hughes, 2004)

Therefore, the Sin of Adam and Eve was not the eating of the fruit - but in not obeying God (through the exercise of their choice (freewill).

· “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Whoever believes[iv] and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be Condemned.

(Mark 16:14-16, ESV);

· For God so loved the world,9jthat he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (The Classic Reference Edition, English Standard Version® (ESV®), 2001)

This choice to obey, or not to obey, God (Yahweh Elohim), is given to every man or woman in his or her lifetime - except for those who are exempt.

· And Abram believed the Lord (Yahweh[2]), and He credited it to him as righteousness.

(Genesis 15:6 NIV);

· "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

(John 14:15, NIV); And by this, we know that we have come to know (experientially) Him, if we keep His commandments.

(1 John 2:3 NIV);

· "He replied, "Blessed (transcendent happiness) rather are those who hear the word (message) of God and obey it."

(Luke 11:28, NIV)

All those born outside the garden are divided into two groups: (1) Those who have heard the message of the salvation of Jesus Christ and given an opportunity to confess him as their savior and (2) those who have never heard this message.

It is the second group - those that have never had the opportunity to been given the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their savior who have been of concern to many – over the ages.

In addition to Calvin’s unconditional election or unconditional grace, answers have ranged from ‘God has a plan’ to the Gospel of Inclusion (Pearson, 2008)[v] – in which it is claimed all men are saved.

These answers lack a logical base and rely on a reading of the scripture that is less than satisfying.

A more complete understanding of God’s mercy and grace allows one to understand the Gospel of Exemption.

The Exempt

There are three classes of ‘the exempt.’

They become exempt not through God’s Grace – but through God’s undeniable Mercy.

1.

In the first class are those who cannot make a rational choice - either because of mental incapacity (for they have no free will - but are still God's creation;

· " ..."Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

(Isaiah 43:1)

2. The second class consist of those who have no intellectual capacity (age);

· but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven (Luke 13:14)

· "See that you do not despise one of these little ones.

For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is heaven...So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

(Matthew 18:10-14, (ESV).

Matthew 18:10–14 (NASB95)

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

“What do you think?

If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?

“If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.

“So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

3. The last class is those who were never given a choice to accept or reject salvation.

For example – someone who lived in a different age or place where the gospel was not present.

The exception to this group is those who commit or committed a 'malum in se act' (an act that is 'wrong or evil,‘ by its very nature violates the natural, moral or public principles of a civilized society.

Surely those God destroyed with the Flood constituted this category:

· 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.

12 And God jsaw the earth, and behold; it was corrupt, kfor all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

13 And God said to Noah, l“I have determined to make an end of all flesh,3 for the earth is filled with violence through them.

Behold, I will destroy them with the earth (Genesis 6:11-13).

(The Classic Reference Edition, English Standard Version® (ESV®), 2001)

Redeemed by God’s Mercy

What man can limit the Mercy of God.? These exempt, are redeemed not by Grace – but by God’s bountiful and unconditional Mercy.

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

Genesis 18:25 “ (The Classic Reference Edition, English Standard Version® (ESV®), 2001)….I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious (Strong’s’ H2603 (to show gracious kindness), and will show mercy (Strong’s H7355 – to show compassion) on whom I will show Mercy.”

(Exodus 33:19 In this God was not just speaking to Moses but was declaring his nature to humankind) Paul repeats the thought in Romans 9:14-16 - 14 What shall we say then?

w

Is there injustice on God’s part?

By no means!

15 For he says to Moses, x“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,2 but on God, who has mercy.

(The Classic Reference Edition, English Standard Version® (ESV®), 2001) Those who would interpret this verse to sanction the concept of God choosing some of humankind to a group called the elect and the categorize the others as non-elect do not give full credit to or accept the unequivocal Mercy of God.

Why would anyone dare to limit the will of God who created ‘the heavens and the earth’?

One need read no further than the first verse of the Bible to see His Might.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth[1] Genesis 1:1 (The Classic Reference Edition, English Standard Version® (ESV®), 2001)

Redeemed by God’s Grace

A Man or Woman becomes a sinner - once he or she chooses, after hearing the Word, not to believe in, and accept God's redemptive Grace through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son.

In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace (Ephesians 1:7, NIV)

If God would have wanted a perfect (blameless/sin-free) world (built upon the Will of an autocratic God (Elohim)) - He could have (a) not planted the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17, NIV); (b) protected the Tree with Angels as He did 'after the fact' (Genesis 3:24 NIV); or (c) never made the Tree.

The decision one must make during his or her lifetime (using his or her free will) is to obey God (and believe in Jesus Christ as his or her savior) - or to reject the "Good News."

For obeying God (and believing in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten son) is the only road to Eternal Salvation.

(Metaphorical: to live eternally, in the Garden - and in one's physical lifetime, to have glimpses of the garden).