GOD DEMAND LIABILITY OF EVERY INDIFERENT WORD
Sakkie Parsons
Someone wrote me a letter in which she expresses her concern and asked my opinion about certain things that are preached in her denomination by one of the people in their cell groups, namely that the fruit that Adam and Eve ate in paradise is not real fruit, but that it is symbolic.
Here then is how I look at this problem:
First, so that you will understand why I reason the way I do, just the following:
When I read the Word/Bible, I don’t try, so to speak, to be clever, and to to read this or that in the Word, that is not written there at all. I read the Word as Jesus want me to read the Word.
MAT 11:25-26
25At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose]. 26Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
Then Jesus come, just in case someone wants to read something into His words that He did not say or mean, or want to add some symbolism or whatever to His words that comes from satan, and which therefore obviously does not belong there – as in the question that was sent to me – and He tell us exactly what He meant by His words above:
MATTHEW 18:2-3
2He called a little child and set him before them, 3and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Also:
MARK 10:15
15“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
Now that you know how I read the Word, let’s look at the fruit that Adam and Eve ate in paradise:
There are many other topics on which one can reason around this specific fruit, but I determine my answer only by the question that was put to me, namely whether it was a symbolic fruit or whether it was a physical fruit that a tree grew.
The first fact I can tell you is that based on what is written here: There is nothing, absolutely nothing in my opinion in our Lord’s Word that you can honestly use to say that the fruit was a symbolic fruit.
Everything I read in the Word tells me that there is a physical tree, with physical fruit .
GEN 2:9
9And [in that garden] the LORD God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.
Do you see? We read:
GEN 2:9 “… 9And [in that garden] the LORD God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food;..
Among these trees which: “were pleasant to see and good to eat” and which sprung up from the ground were also read:
GEN 2:9 “… 9… the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.
I read in the Word that Jesus gave us, (in which He tell us that we must receive His kingdom like a child) from trees that sprung from the ground. I read of beautiful fruit on this tree, and I read that the woman physically picked and ate the fruit, and then gave some of the delicious fruit to her husband who also ate”
GEN 3:6
6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, (For this is indeed what the serpent said would happen) she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.
Yes, I read all these facts in the Word, and I see that there is nothing anywhere that remotely tell me that it was a symbolic fruit. I’m looking and I can’t even find something that I can honestly use to say, here’s the proof, that it might have been a symbolic fruit and not a physical fruit that you could take in your hand. Then I also remember again how I must read the Word and receive it in my heart. Do you remember?
MARK 10:15
15“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
In any case, it wasn’t about what kind of fruit it was either.
Our Lord could have used anything else here, but He decided on a fruit because this is about obedience and the choice to choose between obedience or disobedience to our Lord.
So, according to how Jesus want me to read the Word and how I do it, it was a matter of obedience, or disobedience to God, about a delicious fruit that you could pick from a tree and take in your hand and bring to your mouth and eat.
With my tongue in my cheek – At least I don’t think it was a lemon tree.
Now I want to quickly share with you about these people, who deal so loosely with symbolism in the Word.
Of course, I am not saying for one moment that there is no symbolism in the Word, I am going to use symbolism in the Word myself in this writing, but if you do not try to be smart and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, you will – regard symbolism in the Word – know when it is symbolism and when it is not.
I give an example to show how dangerous and evil it can be when you want to see symbolism where there is no symbolism. Not always, but usually, this is my experience: The people who want to make the fruit in paradise a symbolic fruit, also want to make Adam and Eve symbolic people. Suppose it were true that everything in and around the writing of paradise is symbolic and must be understood spiritually, including Adam and Eve. I read in the Word:
1COR 15:45
45So it is written [in Scripture], “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL (an individual);” the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving spirit [restoring the dead to life].
If I may now use my great hero Paul’s writing style. What then shall we say of all these things? Is the second Adam just symbolism?
If what we read about the first Adam and everything around him was only symbolic, then the crucifixion, dying, descent into hell, resurrection from the dead, ascension and sitting at the right hand of God the Father, would also all be symbolic, because the second Adam is then just like the first Adam also only a symbolic figure.
May our Lord in His great mercy help me, that I never even remotely believe in that direction. How wonderful to read like a child:
MARK 16:19 ”
19So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
ROM 8:34
34Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us.
ROM 14:11-12
11For it is written [in Scripture],“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”
12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Who is this GOD before every knee will bow, and before every tongue will confess that He is GOD?
Who will condemn the goats, (true symbolism of one type of people) and are going to judge the sheep? (symbolism of the true Christians)
PHIL 2:9-11
9For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.
Consequently, for those among whom there are numerous theologians who symbolize as they want; and those who, just as they want, take this and that out of the Word because it supposedly no longer applies to us today; and those who come with all kinds of new revelations that are not substantiated by the Word; and those who come up with things that make the Word, in other words, that make GOD Himself a liar, such as that there was no virgin birth, and all the other things that go with it, they must take note of the following that our Lord had written for us in His Word:
MATTHEW 12:35-37
35The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things. 36But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. 37“For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”
For every true Christian/follower/disciple of Jesus, I want to strongly bring the following to your attention from the Word:
MATTHEW 7:15
15“Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Our LORD warns:
Be ready for the false teachers with their own agendas
2 PETER 2:1-3
The Rise Of False Prophets
1But [in those days] false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will subtly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2Many will follow their shameful ways, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned.
3And in their greed they will exploit you with false arguments and twisted doctrine. Their sentence [of condemnation which God has decreed] from a time long ago is not idle [but is still in force], and their destruction and deepening misery is not asleep [but is on its way].
(In this regard I also wrote the following “Thought from the Word” namely: “The folly of the gospel of the cross for some” which I am happy to send to you upon request or you can read it from my website under the heading ‘Ministry’)
Greetings,
Sakkie