DISPENSATION OF CONSCIENCE
LESSON – 3
LESSON – 3
References: Gen.1:3 – 2:25
Memory Verse: Gen 1:26-27
Memory Verse: Gen 1:26-27
Objective
We may understand that we can neither please God nor become good by knowledge of good and evil or by the guidance of conscience.
Introduction
Is not the knowledge of good and evil desirable? Yes. But can man live acceptably with that knowledge? What about the evil doers in the whole world? Do all of them do evil because they lack knowledge?
THE DISPENSATION OF CONSCIENCE:
This is the period from the fall of man to the flood, about 1650 years. Man ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, violating God’s commandment. Subsequently, his conscience became active. In other words, the man got the knowledge to distinguish between good and evil. So this was a dispensation in which God gave the law of the conscience and tested man’s choice of God’s will for his life. But the events prove that man failed in that test too.
CAIN AND ABEL (GEN.4:1-16):
Good had given the fallen man a low of sacrifice with the shedding of blood by which he could get right with God. This sacrifice was introduced as a shadow of the atoning death of Jesus Christ. Cain and Abel started out by offering sacrifices to the Lord by the guidance of their conscience. Able offered a lamb as a sacrifice of blood. God was pleased with him his sacrifice.
WHAT DID CAIN DO?
He overlooked the voice of the conscience that God gave and offered a sacrifice of his own will. God was not pleased with Cain and his offering. Then, instead of returning to God’s will by repentance, he was full of jealousy and hatred. Thus Cain killed Abel, his own brother. In this way, at the beginning of his dispensation, such evil as worship against God’s will, jealousy, hatred, and murder entered human life.
Cain’s descendants wanted to build cities and introduced worldly systems away from God’s communion. They became experts in forging out tools. Raising livestock and making musical instruments (Gen.4:16-20).
Contrary to God’s will, they began to take wives instead of one wife to one man. Lamech first introduced polygamy into the world (Gen.4:19). So were the descendants of Cain, who became ungodly, wicked, and transgressors. Here we find that the man who obeyed was cursed.
God gave Adam another son named Seth. Seth worshipped the Lord (Gen.4:26). The generations passed by; in the 7th generation, another man named Enoch walked with God and pleased Him by faith (Gen.5:24, Heb.11:5). He was taken away by God without seeing death. But other descendants of Adam turned to the way of Cain. As a result. The earth was filled with wickedness. But Noah, who lived in the 10th generation, obeyed God and found God’s favor.
THE DISPENSATION ENDS :( GEN.6:1-6)
Towards the end of the dispensation of conscience, man’s sin and wickedness reached enormous proportions. The human character became so low that they had immoral relations with a group of fallen angels.
Note: The ‘sons of God referred to in Genesis 6:2 are a group of corrupt angels. We see the use of such a term for angels elsewhere in the Old Testament (Job.1:6,2:1,38:7). Moreover, we can understand from the Old Testament that the angels are able to take the human body and eat with a man (Gen.18:1-9). Those who were born of them are called in the original language “Nephilim,” meaning “fallen ones.” The angles who thus corrupted themselves and sinned have been chained and kept for the final judgment (2(Pet. 2:4-9, jude6:7). (There is disagreement among theologians about this view: hence not authoritative).
PUNISHMENT – THE FLOOD (GEN. 6:3-8, 14)
Man had sufficient opportunities and privileges to live in the will of God. They had the knowledge of good and evil as well as the freedom of choice. Nevertheless, the man took God for granted and indulged in the most horrible and shameful sinfulness. God grieved in his heart about the man. It led God to give suitable punishment to that generation. But in the midst of that generation, Noah held communion with God by his conscience. So Noah received grace in the sight of God (Gen.6:8). Noah made a ship of three decks as instructed by God, obeying God. Noah and his family entered it and escaped from the destructive flood. Now, the ark is a type of Jesus Christ. Have you entered into the ark of salvation that is Jesus Christ? There is now no condemnation of those who are in Christ Jesus.
It is not the knowledge of good and evil that enables man to live well and obtain God’s favor. The grace of God alone saves us and empowers us to live God. Let’s trust in His grace!
We may understand that we can neither please God nor become good by knowledge of good and evil or by the guidance of conscience.
Introduction
Is not the knowledge of good and evil desirable? Yes. But can man live acceptably with that knowledge? What about the evil doers in the whole world? Do all of them do evil because they lack knowledge?
THE DISPENSATION OF CONSCIENCE:
This is the period from the fall of man to the flood, about 1650 years. Man ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, violating God’s commandment. Subsequently, his conscience became active. In other words, the man got the knowledge to distinguish between good and evil. So this was a dispensation in which God gave the law of the conscience and tested man’s choice of God’s will for his life. But the events prove that man failed in that test too.
CAIN AND ABEL (GEN.4:1-16):
Good had given the fallen man a low of sacrifice with the shedding of blood by which he could get right with God. This sacrifice was introduced as a shadow of the atoning death of Jesus Christ. Cain and Abel started out by offering sacrifices to the Lord by the guidance of their conscience. Able offered a lamb as a sacrifice of blood. God was pleased with him his sacrifice.
WHAT DID CAIN DO?
He overlooked the voice of the conscience that God gave and offered a sacrifice of his own will. God was not pleased with Cain and his offering. Then, instead of returning to God’s will by repentance, he was full of jealousy and hatred. Thus Cain killed Abel, his own brother. In this way, at the beginning of his dispensation, such evil as worship against God’s will, jealousy, hatred, and murder entered human life.
Cain’s descendants wanted to build cities and introduced worldly systems away from God’s communion. They became experts in forging out tools. Raising livestock and making musical instruments (Gen.4:16-20).
Contrary to God’s will, they began to take wives instead of one wife to one man. Lamech first introduced polygamy into the world (Gen.4:19). So were the descendants of Cain, who became ungodly, wicked, and transgressors. Here we find that the man who obeyed was cursed.
God gave Adam another son named Seth. Seth worshipped the Lord (Gen.4:26). The generations passed by; in the 7th generation, another man named Enoch walked with God and pleased Him by faith (Gen.5:24, Heb.11:5). He was taken away by God without seeing death. But other descendants of Adam turned to the way of Cain. As a result. The earth was filled with wickedness. But Noah, who lived in the 10th generation, obeyed God and found God’s favor.
THE DISPENSATION ENDS :( GEN.6:1-6)
Towards the end of the dispensation of conscience, man’s sin and wickedness reached enormous proportions. The human character became so low that they had immoral relations with a group of fallen angels.
Note: The ‘sons of God referred to in Genesis 6:2 are a group of corrupt angels. We see the use of such a term for angels elsewhere in the Old Testament (Job.1:6,2:1,38:7). Moreover, we can understand from the Old Testament that the angels are able to take the human body and eat with a man (Gen.18:1-9). Those who were born of them are called in the original language “Nephilim,” meaning “fallen ones.” The angles who thus corrupted themselves and sinned have been chained and kept for the final judgment (2(Pet. 2:4-9, jude6:7). (There is disagreement among theologians about this view: hence not authoritative).
PUNISHMENT – THE FLOOD (GEN. 6:3-8, 14)
Man had sufficient opportunities and privileges to live in the will of God. They had the knowledge of good and evil as well as the freedom of choice. Nevertheless, the man took God for granted and indulged in the most horrible and shameful sinfulness. God grieved in his heart about the man. It led God to give suitable punishment to that generation. But in the midst of that generation, Noah held communion with God by his conscience. So Noah received grace in the sight of God (Gen.6:8). Noah made a ship of three decks as instructed by God, obeying God. Noah and his family entered it and escaped from the destructive flood. Now, the ark is a type of Jesus Christ. Have you entered into the ark of salvation that is Jesus Christ? There is now no condemnation of those who are in Christ Jesus.
It is not the knowledge of good and evil that enables man to live well and obtain God’s favor. The grace of God alone saves us and empowers us to live God. Let’s trust in His grace!
No comments:
Post a Comment