Hi there. Welcome to NECF. We're excited to share
today's message with you. Don't go anywhere.
Stay with us till the end for some valuable resources
to enrich your faith. Here's today's sermon.
Now, we've been trying to... Go through a series
for some time on the matter or the topic issues
about or around women's liberty. So if you are
coming newly or you have not been following us,
it will be good to find the teachings online.
Whether you're a man or a woman, this teaching
is for you because ministry is not done in isolation.
It's a collective responsibility, which means
that you will need to always work with other
people to accomplish God's purpose on earth.
So if there is a problem with part of the church
where you're supposed to collaborate, where you're
supposed to cooperate together, and you despise
the gift of God, you're not going to be blessed
by it. Are we together? So if you're a man...
And you despise it. And it happens between, oftentimes,
sometimes between husband and wife. When the
husband always think, and that's where we try
to correlate with the few teachings, I think
the past few, two teachings, to understand that
when it comes to the grace of life, that you
are equal partners in Christ, there is no male
or female. Scripture says, Peter was discussing.
1 Peter 3, 7. Husband, likewise, dwell with them
according to knowledge. Are we together? It's
a giving honor. You can't give honor to your
wife when you have no understanding that you
are equal partners of the grace of life. And
that's why, you see, sometimes husbands will
be... struggling on some certain things, and
the solution is there in their house. You know,
I was telling some of our sisters, they said
one of our sisters was sick, and I said, what
did you do? She said she's not going to be able
to come to cell meeting. And I said, what did
you do? And then I tried to encourage them to
know that they have the grace to heal. why didn't
you lay hands on her? I said, when you go back,
and I will ask them, when you go back, go and
lay hands on her. And I told them that sometimes
my body is doing me because I listen to my body.
When I begin to feel something small, my wife
will lay hands on me. Did you understand what
I'm trying to say? If you're a coward of a husband,
you will neglect the gift of God. Did you understand
what I'm trying to say? You will neglect. Recently,
we were talking with Pastor Chidi. I told him,
Pastor Chidi, since you know this thing, I'm
not going to read about it. I'm not going to
do anything. I'm coming to you. Just tell me
this. Just tell. How can I see a gift closer
and then I'll be going to suffer somewhere? You
remember what Pastor Ima told us? In the sun.
So to partake from the gift of God, from the
blessings around you, you have to acknowledge
the greatest thing that destroy or that that
makes you not to partake of the grace and the
blessings around you is dishonor. Are we together?
So this teaching is so that just because we say
women's liberty, you say, it's not for me, it's
not for me. You are joking. Are we together?
And if you have been following, you know that
it's for you also. So we have discussed a number
of things, whether it's scriptural for a woman
to speak. or to keep quiet because there are
scriptures that appear to look as if they say
women should keep quiet in church. You know,
one thing you don't ask, and they use those texts,
and you have not asked, why is it that you, you
are a lady, you are still talking in church?
Even the church that they say they shouldn't
talk, they are still talking. I mean, there are
scriptures that you know that, even if you don't
know scripture, you know that that interpretation
is wrong. because it's not practicable that every
of these ladies should come here and keep quiet.
They never talk again. Even if you say, bless
your sister. Hallelujah. And then we looked at
that way. We looked at true scriptures and we
checked also, is it permitted? One of the biggest
problem, is it permitted for a woman to lead
a church? You understand? To lead a church or
to pastor a church? You understand? Or to teach
men? And we looked at that and we gave the answer
through scripture. And then we are in the next
thing which we have been on it for a long time.
What is God's original plan or intention in creating
a woman? What's God's intention? And then we
move and start looking. And there are other issues
we need to talk about. But we're still on this,
and there are a number of things that I want
us to address. First, let's look at that scripture
I call 2 Corinthians 5, verse 16. It says, Therefore,
from now on, we regard no one. Please, let's
read together. It's here. Okay, one, two, three,
go. Therefore, no one. Even though we ourselves
have known Christ according to the flesh, yet
now, hallelujah, we say we know no one, both
male, female, according to the flesh. Even Christ
before, this is Paul saying, we used to look
at him, meaning from the natural standpoint.
That means you cannot know anyone. from what
you see, from the natural. Some versions will
say from the worldly point of view. Meaning that
if you want to know Jesus, you cannot know him
through his ethnicity. And say he's a Jew, you
understand? He came from Israel. Are we together?
And on and on. You cannot know Christ through
that way. You know, we did a teaching in the
cell and we noted that even his brother, like
James, When he was writing his epistle, he wrote
nothing about the life of Christ. His physical
life. Nothing. They knew him. They grew in the
same place. They ate together. They slept together.
He knew his childhood. You understand? Although
he was his younger brother. You understand? According
to the flesh. Are we together? Yet when he was
writing, he wrote nothing. Remember? They were
the ones who were telling him, go and show yourself
now. If you are the Christ before. But when the
reality came on them, when their eyes opened
and they knew him, they knew he's not this one.
Are we together? That I've been sleeping with.
He's my savior. Hallelujah. Amen. The same way
in this regard, you cannot know a woman in the
sun after the flesh. We have to see her as God
sees her. From the supernatural standpoint. From
who she is. Matthew chapter 19. We are our brother
red. Matthew chapter 19. Now, if you look at
it, go to verse 4. Now, we have studied this
passage before. And we said, the Pharisee came
with a question about divorce. In responding
to them, Jesus pointed them back to Genesis.
He quoted two scriptures there, one from Genesis
1 .27 and another from Genesis 2 .24. And we
studied that part to see how Jesus responded
to them. The first response was, In Genesis chapter
1. Look at verse 4. And he answered and said
to them. Have you not read? He who made them.
Where? At the what? At the beginning. Made them
male and female. So in the past couples of teachings.
We have explored. The second one. Which is verse
5. And said. For this reason. A man shall leave
his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh. The two shall
be one flesh. And we studied the idea of one
flesh, bones of my bones, and we got to understand
that this scripture is not actually about marriage,
but about a realization, you understand, that
you... And the one you are uniting with, that
you are of the same stock. You understand? You
are of the same stock. And we studied Ephesians
chapter 5. We saw that when you stay in the context,
you understand, you don't lift any scripture
out. You will understand that what Paul is discussing
is about making the believers understand they
are of the same family. Are we together? The
same way we are of the same family with Christ.
That's why he said, we are his body, the bones
of his bones, and the what? The flesh of his
flesh. Hallelujah. And Peter, where I also quoted
1 Peter 3, verse 7, is admonishing husbands to
come to their reality, what Paul was discussing.
He said, giving honor unto her. You understand?
As unto a weaker vessel, he said, and also heirs
of the grace of life. Meaning that you are equal,
you are of the same family. What she has, you
have. That the husband ought to, that scripture
is not talking about marriage, but is admonishing
husband to come to a realization that their wives
are equal partners in the grace of life. And
it is by that you give honor unto her. is that
by that you give honor unto her. So, today we
will actually dwell, we will start to dwell on
the first response. We didn't deal with it much,
you understand, because we focused on the second
response, which is verse 5, the one you quoted.
No, no, I mean second scripture you quoted from
Genesis, not response. So, we will start to deal
with... The first part of the scripture he quoted,
which is verse 4. And he answered and said to
them, have you not read? He who met them at what?
The beginning. Who met them at the beginning?
Who met them at the beginning? Now, I want to
note something very fast before we continue what
we noted earlier. And I don't want you to miss
that. I don't want you to miss that. is look
at the response of the Pharisee. I mean the questions,
rather. He said, the Pharisee also, verse 3,
came to him testing him and saying to him, is
it lawful for a man to divorce his wife just
for any reason? To divorce. Some other versions
say to put away. Look at how they are thinking.
To do what? To put away. To put away. I want
you to note something. See. See what's. Genesis
chapter 3. See what Adam said. When God brought
the woman to Adam. Adam knew why God brought
the woman. Look at. We have studied that in chapter
2. But I want to add something. In chapter 3.
Verse 12. Look at verse 12. He said. Then the
man said. The woman whom you gave to be with.
Oh, talk with me. To put her away. He said the
woman, which he do what? To be with. But then
why is the Pharisee, he says, to put her away?
So this is not just only about marriage, but
their idea about how they see a woman. The idea
of how they see a woman, not as equal partner,
as one, just like an object, you know, somewhere
you can just put it away because you have not
recognized. her part in the agenda of God. Because
if you have understood her part in the agenda
of God, you will not be thinking of putting her
away. Are we together? You will not be thinking
of putting her away. Never. So Jesus answered
and told them that no, she's not for putting
away. Never. She's not for putting away. Hallelujah.
And he pointed them that you have not been reading.
There's something wrong with your way you read.
We talk about that word, read, anagnosko. That
is how you pay attention to details. You are
scholars. You know these days, scholars. Whereby
you pass in here, you pick this one, pick this
one, pick that. Those of us who have been, especially
PhD student and master's student, yes, must have
understood this. Where you just pass here, pass
here, you carry somebody's thought, you put here,
carry this one, put here. You don't even care.
I know some students have been doing that. You
give them an assignment, they will go to Wikipedia
and copy it and paste. Then bring anything and
put here. You understand? They don't know that
anywhere you pick, we can find the place. So,
and I gave, recently I gave one of my PhD students
an assignment. And he did something. He went
and just did anything. When I sat down to read
the first line, I mean, the first paragraph,
I knew he used AI. You understand? I don't have
a problem with using AI. I told him already.
We can guide you how to use it ethically. And
I taught him how to use it. I don't have a problem.
But I see a man who has become lazy. You know,
every field has a resistance. Meaning there are
words that you use that are only applicable to
certain fields. But you see, Chad GPT, I mean,
you see, because you want to make your professors
see that you didn't use the AI to generate it.
So you use humanized AI to humanize it. But you
see, the humanized AI does not understand registers.
Do you understand what I'm saying? So the word
that Chad GPT have tried have brought a lot of
technical word that has to do with that. By the
time you are humanizing it, humanized AI will
use English. You understand? To humanize it.
But because you did not read it, you are lazy.
So you pick whatever the humanized AI gave you
and then bring it. Like in biochemistry, you
cannot say that the authors theorize or the theory.
No, we don't use those words as theory. You understand
what I'm saying? You go to physics, that's okay.
We cannot use him by chemistry theory. You can
use hypothesis. You can use propose. Do you understand
what I'm saying? So there are words that once
I start reading, I already catch you. Do you
understand what I'm trying to say? So I guess
the Pharisees are in that category. They will
just go over without actually paying attention.
Do you understand what I'm trying to say? So
Jesus told them, have you not read? They say
they are the teachers of the law, but they have
skipped details. They have not been thorough.
Today, we have a lot of this type of professionals.
Some of you, unfortunately, you are becoming
that. We don't like it. I've told pastors, I've
seen some people who go online. If you check
their LinkedIn profile, you wonder, this is a
professional. This is a professional. And you
are lying. We know you, you don't know it. You
don't know it. You understand? You'll be speaking
BB grammar. In fact, if you know, you know that
this is... I said, I'll just shake my head. And
some people who are far away, they didn't know.
I saw one professional from US. Even shared the
thought of one of... I will not say the name.
He said, that is how. I think I'm encouraged
when I see this. I say, hey, hey, hey. Don't
do that because you'll be implicating yourself.
You understand? When you go to look for work,
now they can go through your linking profile.
And then when they are asking you questions,
they don't see what is matching their heart with
this one. Be sincere. If you have no reason,
don't say it. You understand? Hallelujah. Let's
return back to the Pharisees. What I'm trying
to say is that he said, Have you not read? Have
you not been thorough? Checking the details that
in the beginning. In the beginning. He pointed
to the beginning. Look at Matthew 22. The reason
why there's a problem was that there is no knowledge
of scripture. And you can't know scripture without
paying attention to details. 22 verse 29. This
time around, you meet another sect. They are
called the Sadducees. And look at what he told
them. When they asked you a question, he said,
you are in error. You are in error. And he told
them why they are in error. 29. He said, Jesus
answered and said to them, you are mistaken.
Not knowing the scripture, nor the power of God.
Not knowing. That is, you see, that word mistaken
means you are deceived. It's not just like a
mistake like that, that happened like an accident.
No. It's that you are let into the error. That
is, this thing you are saying, actually you are
being deceived. I've said it often times. You
refuse to grow and know the scripture, you will
be a candidate of deception. It's not a prophecy.
It's that it's a reality. Are we together? He
said, you are mistaken, meaning you are deceived.
If we check the original word, it's that you
are deceived. You err. Why? You did not know
the scripture. You did not know the scripture.
So Jesus exposed their idea. That their idea
came from sin. Go back to that Matthew 19. Look
at verse 8. Hallelujah. Look at verse 7. He said,
they said to him, why then did Moses command
to give a certificate of divorce and to put her
away? Because when Jesus said, no, no, no, no,
no, no, that's not it. They said, okay, but Moses,
this is what Moses. Look at what Jesus said in
verse 8. And he said to them, Moses, because
of the hardness of your heart, they are still
naked people. They are hardened people. They
are unbelievers. They refuse to believe. He said,
Moses, the reason, he said, he permitted you
to divorce your wife. Why? The reason of divorce
is not Moses. The reason of divorce is the hardness
of your heart. Is the hardness of your heart.
He said, but from the beginning it was not so.
He again referred them back to the plan of God.
It was not so in the beginning. Now let's go
back to that beginning. Hallelujah. Genesis chapter
1. In the beginning it was not so. You haven't
read what you are saying. It is your sin, your
unbelief. That means the hardness of heart. That
hardness is refusing to believe in the plan of
God. Refusing to agree to be part of the plan
of God. Moses have written already this thing
before the issue of divorce. Moses has written
to them. He has preached to them. They refuse
to believe. He said, in the beginning, it was
not so. Hallelujah. Verse 27, he says, so God
created man. Let's start from verse 26. Then
God said, let us make man in our image. According
to our likeness, let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea, over the breath of the air,
and over the cattle, over all the earth, and
every... And over every creeping thing that creeps
on the earth. Verse 27. So God created man in
his own image. In the image of God, he created
him. Male and what? And female. He created them.
Male and female. He created them. Now, if you
are distracted, wake up. Hallelujah. Wake up.
Now, I want to, there are some things earlier
on about this text. Now, the first, some interpretation
I want to news to you before we go. Remember,
this text, Jesus quoted, was in the response
to Pharisees' question, you understand? Pointing
them that in the beginning, you understand, it
was not so. What is was not so? Putting away
is not in God's agenda. That God brings a woman
and a man together and his plan is that they
will be part of his new humanity. Are we together?
There are parts to be his house. Are we together?
When a man does not recognize that or a woman
does not recognize that, she will abuse the relationships.
Do you understand what I'm trying to say? So
he pointed them back to this. And I want you
to pay attention to this. The first interpretation
which I was growing, I got, the first one, was
that Adam, that this scripture is talking about
Adam. That God made Adam in the image of God.
Now, don't worry. Whatever that image is, we're
going to explore it. That's the reason why we're
studying it. Because when we understand the image,
we will understand why Jesus has to point to
this scripture. Do you understand what I'm trying
to say? So, Adam is made in the image of God.
And when he ate the tree of good, I mean, the
knowledge of good and evil, or he disobeyed God.
Are we together? That. He lost the image. Follow
me. That was what we were taught earlier on when
I was growing. So Adam lost the image and then
got the image of sin by his disobedience. And
then they use this verse. Come to me, chapter
5. Chapter 5, verse 3. And Adam lived 130 years
and begot a son in his own image. After his what?
His what? Are we together? And he named him who?
Seth. He named him Seth. They said Adam was in
the image of God. And then Adam sinned and he
lost the image. That's why he gave birth to a
son. in his image, that that image that he gave
birth to Seth from, that is the image of sin.
And then that is a genesis of how people begin
to think, are we together, of what we call the
original sin, the concept of what is called the
original sin. That when Christ came, was to restore
us back from what Adam lost. Do you understand
the concept? So they call it the original sin.
which refers that the inherent state of all humanity
to be at a state of sin, that is everybody on
earth is born in sin. You understand? You've
not done anything. They just get back to you
and you're in sin. All humans share an inherited
from Adam and Eve. You understand? Due to their
fall. Now, let me tell you the problem with this
interpretation, which later, as we grow, we found
out. Now the problem with this explanation is
that it makes sin, which is a spiritual problem,
are we together? Like a genetic disease. Did
you understand what I'm saying? Like a what?
Genetic disease. Because sin is a spiritual problem.
So sin is unbelief in the gospel. Because you
believe in the gospel. It's an action of what
somebody will do for him to be in sin. or to
be in righteousness. Because how do you become
a believer? By believing. Are we together? So
you cannot become righteous because your parents
are righteous. Are we together? The same way
you cannot become a sinner, you understand, because
your parents are sinners. Oh, are we together?
So because it's a spiritual problem. So it has
to be by the action of every individual. Hallelujah.
So sin is an unbelief in the gospel. It is not
like a genetic disease that can be transmitted
from parent to children. And I want to note you
that if you, because Genesis from Genesis was
read that way, that was not the teachings of
Moses. Who wrote Genesis? Moses. It was not the,
that means you have moved away from the teaching
of Moses. Moses never said that sin can be transmitted
from parent to children. Are we together? 2 Chronicles,
look at that. 2 Chronicles chapter 25. 2 Chronicles
chapter what? 25. I will read from verse 1. He
said, Amaziah was 25 years old when he became
king, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His
mother's name was Jehodan of Jerusalem, and he
did what was right in the sight of the Lord,
but not with a loyal heart. Verse 3, now it happened
as soon as a kingdom was established for him
that he executed his servant who had murdered
his father, the king. If you have been following
the canonical, the Bible through, you must have
read this place. Are we together? Verse 4, however,
he did not do what? Oh, talk with me. Let's read
4 together. 1, 2, 3. However, he did not execute
children. but did as it is written by what? Oh,
wait, wait, wait first there. So there's something
that the law of Moses wrote that he did as. What
did he do? Let's continue. Where the Lord commanded
saying, fathers shall not be put to death for
their children, nor shall the children be put
to death for their fathers, but a person. shall
die for his own word. Oh, read that last line.
But a person shall die for his word, for his
own sin. That was the teaching of Moses, that
you cannot transmit sin, that everybody will
die for his own sin. Hallelujah. Now, look at
it. Where did Amaziah quoted? Go to Deuteronomy.
Just move to Deuteronomy quickly. Deuteronomy
24. So Moses have taught, so you cannot pick
from Genesis what is not in Genesis. Are we together?
Look at what Moses said in Deuteronomy 24, 16.
Genesis, Deuteronomy 24, 16. I want us to read
together. One, two, three, go. Fathers shall
not be put to death for their children. No children
be put to death for their fathers. A person shall
be put to death for his own what? For his own
sin. For his own sin. For his own sin. And it
is from Moses. That was why when Jesus said in
Luke 24, O foolish ones, low of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken. Right? Ought
not Christ to have suffered these things and
to enter into his glory? Verse 27 says, and beginning
at what? Beginning at what? Moses and all the
prophets. Now, the theology of scriptures starts
from Moses. Other prophets, you know that's the
way we used to say, the prophets didn't know
themselves. You understand? At all. And they
were able to write something the same. Sir. They
know themselves. Some of them, yes, they are
not contemporary, but they read from each other.
Every of these ones read from the other. See,
all the prophets that came after Moses, it was
Moses' theology they used to communicate to the
rest. Did you understand what I'm trying to say?
Jesus, when he came to teach about himself, he
started from Moses. So Moses never... So you
can only read Genesis and say Adam was in the
image of God. He lost it. And then... Everybody
is born in sin. You understand? And then, no,
no, no, no, no, no. That's nothing like original
sin. That was not the message of Moses. Last,
let me just read some few verse about some other
prophet. You understand? Ezekiel. Come to Ezekiel.
Quickly. Ezekiel chapter 18. Hallelujah. I'm
trying to move as steady as possible by the grace
of God. Because I don't want you to come back
to these ideas again. Are we together? You have
sufficient... You know, study of scripture is
what? Evidence. He said, for what? For reproof.
That's evidence. For reproof. Evidence. What
did I say? Ezekiel 18, right? Look at verse 1.
Ezekiel 18, verse 1. The word of the Lord came
to me again saying, what do you mean when you
use this proverb concerning the land of Israel?
The fathers have eaten soil grapes. And the children's
deeds are set on what? So where did you think
the concept of children can inherit the problems
of their fathers came from? It was a what? It
was a what? It was a proverb in Israel. Proverb
from God? Not at all. So these people were circulating
proverb. You understand? That's what they believe.
This is how they pick that. So don't walk with
the proverb of men. Go back to Genesis, the true
history. Look at verse 3. He said, As I live,
says the Lord God, you shall no longer use this
word, this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls
are mine and the souls of the Father and as well
as the souls of the Son is mine. The soul...
Whose sins shall do what? Shall die. Go to verse
20. Verse 20. Then the soul whose sins shall
do what? Oh, talk to me. Shall die. The son shall
not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father
bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness
of the righteous shall be upon himself. And the
wickedness. of the wicked shall be upon himself.
Jeremiah repeated that, Jeremiah 31, 29. Jeremiah
31, 29. I'm trying to tell you that these men
are actually preaching the words of Moses. Jeremiah
31, 29. In those days, they shall say no more.
The fathers have eaten sour grapes. Did you see
that? and the children's teeth are set on it.
That means this idea was not from God. This idea
that children inherit the sin and the problem,
that is, you take a sour... Who have taken a
sour something here? That you couldn't understand
your teeth again. How can you take something
and then you are expecting that your children
should face it? But now, even though they are
doing that in our nations, our leaders mark our
money and they are suffering. Are we together?
But that's not good. That's not the idea of God.
Look at what's starting. He said, but everyone
shall die for his own word. Iniquity. Every man
who eats the sour grape, his teeth shall set
on the word. So don't think that you use Dabaru
your life. You know, I was telling one of our
sisters. I said, Dabaru is a Greek word of scattering.
You know, you scatter it like. Hallelujah. Amen.
You understand Greek word? This is a Greek word
from Northern Nigeria. You see, when you dabaru
your life, don't dabaru your life and think somebody
will suffer for it. Are we together? Hallelujah.
So what are we trying to say? We are trying to
say that if you read Genesis, that there is original
sin, that every human being on earth is born
into sin. That is not Moses' message. You pick
it from the rumors around. from a proverb that
has been going on since in those times. That
was not the word of God because that's a wrong
thing. So you cannot interpret that text like
that. Are we together? When Jesus came himself,
let me read Jesus' words before we move away
from here. When Jesus came, what did Jesus do?
Look at John chapter 3. So it was never the message
of Moses, neither the message of the prophet,
nor the message of Jesus or the apostles. John
chapter 3 verse 18. He said, he who believes
in him is what? Is not condemned. But he who
does not believe is what? Condemned already.
Because what? He has not believed in the name
of the only begotten son of God. That means everybody
will have to take decision of himself to either
become insane or become a sinner or be righteous
to be in righteousness. Are we together? So salvation
or sin is not a genetic disease. I mean, it's
not by genetic transmission. Are we together?
So the first one is not correct. Hallelujah.
Are we together? Amen. Now, the second part,
which I will introduce, because I have just few
time, I mean, just limited time. The second interpretation,
which of course we need to examine it also closely,
which we have preached. I have preached that
also. But then there are some texts that we have
not also included in the interpretation. Remember,
if you have been in this church, you will understand
that each preaching we preach is in itself how
to interpret scripture. Did you understand what
I'm trying to say? Yes, it helps you to know
how to interpret scripture. Now, let's go back
to that Genesis. Genesis 1. Genesis 1, 26 and
20. So the first one, I mean, the second one
is that, the second interpretation of this Genesis
1, 26 is that, that this Genesis 1, 26 and 27,
that is talking about the man in Christ. You
understand? That is talking about the man in
Christ. That is the image of God is the man in
Christ. Or the image of God is Christ. So if
he said he made man in the image of God, that
means he's talking about the man in Christ. Well,
that is true, but not fully. Because there is
a part that we need to include. And that's why
I want you to pay attention with this. Please,
I beg you to pay attention. I want us to think
through together. So in this interpretation,
it means that... Adam was not in the image of
God. In this interpretation, because Adam was
not in the image of God. So to be in the image
of God, he has to believe in the gospel. But
unfortunately, Adam disobeyed. Are we together?
He disobeyed. So Adam is not in the image of
God. Now, there are two. The problem now with
this interpretation is that it fails to take
into consideration at least two other scriptures.
In Genesis. Genesis first and foremost. Because
we have other scripture that talks about the
image. Remember Moses. We have to follow Moses
to know what he communicated. Are we together?
And also understand from the audience. What did
they hear? Are we together? What did they hear?
Now let me just read before I conclude. Read
these two texts. That normally when we interpret.
Genesis 1, 26 and 27, we don't normally include
them, you understand? It's chapter 5, you understand?
Verse 3, chapter 5, verse 3. This is a book of
the genealogy, verse 1, of Adam in the day that
God created man. He made him in the likeness
of God. He created them, male and female. Verse
1 and verse 2 is just repeating Genesis chapter
1, you understand? Verse 26 and 27. Right? Look
at verse... He blessed them and called them what?
Mankind. In the day they were created. That is
male and female. Look at verse 3. And Adam lived
130 years and begot a son in his own likeness,
after his own image, and named him what? So,
if Adam was not in the image of God, and we have
noted already from chapter 3 that he failed,
you understand, to be, I mean, or he disobeyed.
So, normally we would now regard that he is not
in the image of God. The question is that, which
image did he pass to Seth? Which image did he
pass to Seth? His son. Is it the image of sin?
Remember, we have already clarified that you
cannot transmit sin. Did you understand what
I'm trying to say? So it cannot be that the image
of sin that Adam passed to his son. So what image
did set God from who? From Adam. So you see,
this is another thing we haven't explained. Go
to Genesis chapter 9. That's the last one I'll
say before now. When we come next, I will start
from there and continue. Genesis chapter 9. This
is the second scripture in Genesis that talks
about the image. Hallelujah. Let me just read
verse 9, I mean verse 6 alone, because I'm going
to come back to study, we'll study this text
also. He said, Whosoever shed man's blood, by
man his blood shall be what? Shall be shed. For
in the image of God he made what? He made man.
So what he's trying to say is that, now look
at it. If we hold that according to the interpretation
we give, that Adam was not in the image of God,
or that to say man is not in the image of God.
Now if we hold that, that the image of God talked
about in Genesis chapter 1, 26 and 27, is talking
about the man in Christ. The question now is,
is this text, talking about not shedding the
blood of those in Christ alone? Is this text
saying that, because he said, whosoever shed
a man's blood, that means his only believers,
because his only believers will be man's blood.
So are we saying that, that shedding the blood
of those not in Christ is acceptable? Because
if you say, The image of God is only those in
Christ. Are you saying that those not in Christ,
of course, they don't have the image of God.
So that means if you shed their blood, no problem.
Did you understand what I'm trying to say? Hallelujah.
So that's where our problem lies. This is where
the problem lies. So that means already we know
throughout scripture. I don't want to take some
because we are already aware of it. Murder is
murder. Whether it's a person that is a believer
or not a person that is a believer. Do you understand
what I'm trying to say? We don't need to go through
that. So it's a sin to kill another man. Hallelujah.
So we're going to start from there. This means
that we need to now interpret what is the image
of God in the reality that includes these two
texts. You understand? Genesis 5 verse 3 and
Genesis 9. verse 6 to make sure that our interpretation
is consistent throughout scripture. Are we together?
I think we taught that during cataclysmos. We
said that when you interpret a place and you
discover that it contradicts other areas of scripture,
that means you need to read it again. Are we
together? So I want you to think through me and
you can go back again to sit down on this text
shortly before we come. We're coming on Wednesday
to continue from there. Are we together? Can
you just thank the Lord and appreciate him and
say, Lord, thank you?